Bradford Catholic Youth Choir performs for BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Worship

The Bradford Catholic Youth Choir, part of the Diocese of Leeds Schools Singing Programme, an initiative supported by funding from the Hamish Ogston Foundation, performed the Sunday morning service in a live broadcast for BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Worship.

One of BBC Radio 4’s best listened to religious programmes, Sunday Worship is a weekly programme delivered every Sunday which explores and celebrates religiosity in the UK. On each Sunday during the period of advent, the programme broadcasts a Sunday service from a church in the UK. 

On the second Sunday of advent, members of the Bradford Catholic Youth Choir gave a live performance from St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Bradford, Leeds. The Choir was conducted by choral director, Caius Lee, and accompanied by organist, David Grealy, and were joined by the choir and congregation of young people from the Blessed Christopher Wharton Catholic Academy Trust’s schools across Bradford and Keighley.

Bradford Catholic Youth Choir, led by Choral Director and former student of the Diocese of Leeds Music, Caius Lee [Credit: Diocese of Leeds Music]

Widely recognised as the United Kingdom’s leading choral singing provision, the Schools Singing Programme focusses on areas of social marginalisation and economic deprivation in and around Leeds, striving to offer the best musical opportunities to those least likely to come across them them, so that more children, regardless of their background, can enjoy the personal, social and educational benefits of deep engagement with music.

In 2021, the Hamish Ogston Foundation pledged £4million to the Schools Singing Programme, to found the National Schools Singing Programme, with the intention to roll-out the highly successful Schools Singing Programme nationwide, to reach evermore children in state schools across the country.

The National Schools Singing Programme now reaches more than 12,000 children in over 150 schools across the country, providing weekly, professional, free-at-the-point-of-use tuition schemes, giving every child the opportunity to reap the lifelong rewards of engaging with music, while simultaneously securing the next generation of Choristers and Choral Directors.

Visit https://www.hamishogstonfoundation.org/music  for more information on our music initiatives