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

Education and family

Bawtree was educated at Christ's Hospital before attending the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

and was an organ scholar at St Bride's Church,

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, in London. He later studied at Worcester College, Oxford, under David Sanger, and won a silver medal from the Worshipful Company of Musicians for achieving the highest score in the Royal College of Organists exam. He took a postgraduate degree in orchestral conducting at the Royal College of Music. Bawtree is married to Victoria Rowcroft, Head of Academic Music at St Edmunds School in

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

, 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 Christ's Hospital as the chapel organist and as an assistant housemaster before succeeding Bruce Grindlay 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 Rochester Cathedral, with responsibility for playing services at weekends and major festivals. In September 2015, he was appointed Second Assistant Organist at

Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral is the cathedral of the archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Located in Canterbury, Kent, it is one of the oldest Christianity, Ch ...

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

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, Hungary and the United States, and has also worked with the BBC Singers.

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