Programme
Francis Jackson (1917–2022)
Prelude for a Solemn Occasion
Maurice Ravel (1875–1937)
Menuet from Le Tombeau de Couperin (arr. Erwin Wiersinga)
Kerensa Briggs (1991–)
Light in darkness
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Prelude and Fugue in B minor, BWV 544
Florence Price (1887–1953)
Adoration
Nigel Ogden (1954–)
Penguins’ Playtime
Eric Coates (1886–1957)
Knightsbridge March
Biography
Robert Sharpe succeeded Dr Philip Moore as Director of Music at York Minster in 2008, being only the fifth holder of that position since 1897. He previously held positions at Truro Cathedral; Lichfield Cathedral; Exeter College, Oxford; and St Albans Abbey.
His work at York Minster centres around the daily choral tradition, with its two treble lines (one each of boys and girls) and the famous Minster organ. In addition he performs frequently as an organ soloist, both at home and abroad. He has developed the profile of the Minster Choir through recordings, broadcasts and the daily Evensong service. The daily service has gained a reputation both at home and, since livestreaming began as a response to the covid pandemic, abroad, for the chanting of the psalms and for the breadth of repertoire performed. Robert seeks not only to include the greatest works of the past, but also regularly to commission new works, as well as to champion the work of women composers.
On Easter Day 2021, the famous Minster organ was rededicated by the Archbishop of York after a significant (and groundbreaking) reconstruction by the Durham firm of Harrison & Harrison. This sought to recapture the character of the instrument, as left by Sir Edward Bairstow and Arthur Harrison in 1931. The results have already attracted considerable interest in the world of organ building and are widely acclaimed.
Robert has a keen interest in liturgy and music and the interplay between them, and also in interiors and antique clocks and furniture. He holds fellowships of the Royal Society of Arts and the Royal College of Organists. In 2008, before moving to York, he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Guild of Church Musicians and awarded the 2008 Cornwhylen Cross by the Cornish Gorsedd “for an outstanding contribution to religious music in Cornwall”.
From 2019 to 2021, he served as President of the Cathedral Organists’ Association. He is currently serving as President of the Incorporated Association of Organists.