On Wednesday 15th January we welcome Oliver Waterer from Selby Abbey to the Cathedral for the second recital of 2025. In this edition of ‘Notes from an Organist’ we discover more about them, and what to expect from their recital, including studying for a degree at the Birmingham Conservatoire; the joys of Hill organs in Yorkshire; and being the Sub Organist at HM Chapels Royal.
Could you introduce yourself, how you got into music / become an organist and your musical journey to where you are today?
I’m Oliver, and I’ve been Director of Music at Selby Abbey since 2021. My church music journey began when I joined my local village church choir as a treble – I loved the music and atmosphere there, and most of all the sound of a very small but lovely Hill organ which the organist of the church skillfully made sound magnificent despite its very modest proportions!
I started playing the organ there, then began having proper lessons as a teenager at Saffron Walden Parish Church, which led to doing a degree at Birmingham Conservatoire, organ scholarships and assistantships at various cathedrals, becoming Organist and Master of the Choristers at Davids Cathedral in Wales for eight years, before moving here to beautiful Yorkshire to take up my appointment at Selby Abbey.
What can people expect from your recital at Bradford Cathedral?
I’ve chosen a programme which I hope will showcase the romantic and colourful character of the fine Hill organ at Bradford Cathedral.
Why do you enjoy playing the organ?
I think the best thing about playing the organ is the huge choice of tonal colour at my disposal which enables a great freedom of expression when interpreting music at the organ. And of course this tonal palette is completely unique to each instrument and building, so this makes giving recitals in different places particularly interesting and exciting.
Do you have a particular favourite piece out of those you are playing?
I think it has to be Franck’s A minor Chorale. It was one of the first large-scale organ pieces I learnt as a student, and despite ‘living with it’ for many years, I still find it very beautiful and compelling, and thoroughly enjoy it performing it.
This season’s theme is ‘Music in Times of War’. How are you reflecting this in your programme?
I’ve chosen two pieces both written during and towards the end of the 2nd world war, and both are elegies. Thalben-Ball’s Elegy is well-known to many organ recital audiences, and originated as an improvisation on a live bbc radio broadcast. As well as being ‘elegiac’, it also conjures up feelings of patriotism and hope, which are very significant elements of war-time. In contrast, Howells’ Saraband in modo elegiaco is very dark and dramatic, vividly expressing the fear, sorrow and horror of war.
What are your hopes or plans musically for 2025?
A lot of my musical life centres around my work at Selby Abbey. So as well as maintaining and developing the musical life of the Abbey and its choirs, I’m also fortunate to be custodian of its very fine Hill organ (another fine Hill organ in Yorkshire I should say, in addition to Bradford cathedral’s of course!). I’m taking over the running of the abbey’s organ recital series this year, so as well as giving some organ recitals here and in other places myself, I’m really looking forward to being able to invite some really gifted players to come and perform at the Abbey!
You have held several music roles, including Sub Organist at HM Chapels Royal – what was that position like?
It was a great privilege and fascinating musical and cultural experience – I was only there for one year sadly, because another exciting job opportunity came soon after I arrived, but I met some amazing and fascinating people including the well-known countertenor singer, James Bowman. James sadly died in 2023, but when I arrived at the Chapel Royal he was still singing in the choir there – as well as still being able to move everyone to tears with his amazing singing, I remember him being an extremely charismatic, generous, funny, and outrageous personality – a real highlight of my short time there!
Finally, how would you sum up your upcoming recital at Bradford Cathedral?
I hope that it will demonstrate a variety of musical styles and moods which will show off the fine organ well, and, having not played the organ at this cathedral before, I’m really looking forward to exploring and playing it!
You can join us on Wednesday 15th January at 1pm to hear Oliver’s organ recital, with an optional £4 buffet lunch beforehand at 12:30pm. You can find out more about Selby Abbey on their website,
You can discover more about our organ recital season on our dedicated page.