Adrian Bawtree (born 1968) is an English composer and organist who currently serves as Director of Music and Organist at

Rochester Cathedral Rochester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an English church of Norman architecture in Rochester, Medway, Rochester, Kent. The church is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rochester in the Church o ...

Education and family

Bawtree was educated at

Christ's Hospital Christ's Hospital is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 11–18) with a royal charter located to the south of Horsham in West Sussex. The school was founded in 1552 and received its first royal charter in 1553. ...

before attending the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

and was an organ scholar at St Bride's Church, Fleet Street, in London. He later studied at Worcester College, Oxford, under David Sanger, and won a silver medal from the

Worshipful Company of Musicians The Worshipful Company of Musicians is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. Its history dates back to at least 1350. Originally a specialist guild for musicians, its role became an anachronism in the 18th century, when the centre of ...

for achieving the highest score in the

Royal College of Organists The Royal College of Organists (RCO) is a charity and membership organisation based in the United Kingdom, with members worldwide. Its role is to promote and advance organ playing and choral music, and it offers music education, training and de ...

exam. He took a postgraduate degree in orchestral conducting at the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including performanc ...

. Bawtree is married to Victoria Rowcroft, Head of Academic Music at St Edmunds School in

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

, with whom he has two sons, Matthew and Theo.

Career

Bawtree initially worked as an organist in several churches in England, and is currently the musical director of Cantores Dominicae and the Canterbury Singers and the conductor of the Weald Choir of Crawley. He worked part-time at

as the chapel organist and as an assistant housemaster before succeeding

Bruce Grindlay Bruce Grindlay (born 1967) is a British organist, conductor, teacher and was previously the Headmaster at Sutton Valence School. Grindlay finished his schooling in Canada and studied at the Royal Canadian College of Organists as well as the Roya ...

as Director of Music at the school when Grindlay became headmaster of Sutton Valence School. In April 2014 Bawtree was appointed Assistant Sub-Organist of

, with responsibility for playing services at weekends and major festivals. In September 2015 he was appointed Second Assistant Organist at Canterbury Cathedral. In 2022 he was appointed Director of Music and Organist at Rochester Cathedral. Bawtree occasionally conducts orchestras as well as choirs. He has composed a work inspired by the

Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (180 ...

and

Admiral Nelson Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought abo ...

called ''England Expects'', as well as a piece called ''Footsteps along the Road''. He has toured the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

, Hungary and the United States, and has also worked with the

BBC Singers The BBC Singers are a British chamber choir, and the professional chamber choir of the BBC. One of the six BBC Performing Groups, the BBC Singers are based at the BBC's Maida Vale Studios in London. The only full-time professional British ...

References

1966 births Living people Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Alumni of the Royal College of Music Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford People educated at Christ's Hospital Christ's Hospital staff English composers English conductors (music) British male conductors (music) Fellows of the Royal College of Organists 21st-century British conductors (music) 21st-century British male musicians {{UK-conductor-stub