David Ogden, (born 1966 in
Tring
Tring is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Dacorum, Hertfordshire, England. It is situated in a gap passing through the Chiltern Hills, classed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, from Central London.
Tring is linked ...
in Hertfordshire) is a
conductor
Conductor or conduction may refer to:
Biology and medicine
* Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear
* Conduction aphasia, a language disorder
Mathematics
* Conductor (ring theory)
* Conductor of an abelian variety
* Cond ...
and
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and def ...
, directing choirs, choral and church music workshops, courses and festivals in the UK and abroad.
Conducting
Between 1991 and 2002, he was Director of Music at
Clifton Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of SS. Peter and Paul is the Roman Catholic cathedral of the city of Bristol (not to be confused with the Church of England Bristol Cathedral). Located in the Clifton area of the city, it is the seat and mother church of the ...
, Bristol, and from 1995 to 2001 he was Regional Director of the
Royal School of Church Music
The Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) is a Christian music education organisation dedicated to the promotion of music in Christian worship, in particular the repertoire and traditions of Anglican church music, largely through publications, tr ...
for the South West and Midlands.
He conducts
Exultate Singers,
City of Bristol Choir,
Royal Mail Choir, is the Head of the Bristol Choral Centre and Director of Music at
Westbury-on-Trym parish church in Bristol. He was conductor of the RSCM
Millennium Youth Choir from 2005 to 2014.
For over 25 years he has worked with numerous professional and amateur groups in many fields of music making, including concerts, musical theatre and opera, community projects, primary and secondary level educational workshops, from small children’s groups to the
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is a British orchestra based in Birmingham, England. It is the resident orchestra at Symphony Hall, Birmingham in Birmingham, which has been its principal performance venue since 1991. Its adminis ...
.
In June 2015 he conducted a chorus of 130 singers from Bristol Youth Choir and City of Bristol Choir, members of the
British Paraorchestra
Paraorchestra, sometimes referred to as British Paraorchestra, based in Bristol, is an integrated orchestra of professional disabled and non-disabled musiciansthe first ever orchestra of its kind in the United Kingdom. The Paraorchestra was fo ...
, South West OpenUp Orchestra, Elmfield School for the Deaf & Westbury-on-Trym CofE Academy Signing Buddies, Larkrise Special School and singer Victoria Oruwari in a performance at Bristol's Colston Hall as part of the first BBC Music Day.
In January 2024, he conducted the world premiere of
Jonathan Dove
Jonathan Dove (born 18 July 1959) is an English composer of opera, choral works, plays, films, and orchestral and chamber music. He has arranged a number of operas for English Touring Opera and the City of Birmingham Touring Opera (now Birm ...
's work ''Odyssey'' at
Bristol Beacon
Bristol Beacon, previously Colston Hall, is a concert hall and Grade II listed building on Colston Street, Bristol, England. It is owned by Bristol City Council. Since 2011, it has been managed by Bristol Music Trust.
The hall opened as a con ...
, in a performance given by
City of Bristol Choir,
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an English orchestra, founded in 1893 and originally based in Bournemouth. With a remit to serve the South and South West of England, the BSO is administratively based in the adjacent town of Poole, s ...
, Bristol Youth Choir, Bristol Windrush Reggae Choir, soprano Francesca Chiejina and tenor Thando Mjandana. The libretto for the work is by
Alasdair Middleton, and the producer was Roxana Haines.
Ogden has conducted choirs in the UK, the Philippines, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, South Korea, Thailand, Belgium, the Netherlands and Ghana.
Television and Radio
David Ogden has conducted choirs on BBC Radios 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and the World Service including several broadcasts of Choral Evensong on BBC Radio 3 with RSCM
Millennium Youth Choir, from Gloucester Cathedral in 2014, St Mary Redcliffe Church in Bristol in 2013, Bridlington Priory in 2011, Arundel Cathedral in 2010, Dunblane Cathedral in 2007, Romsey Abbey in 2006, and Beverley Minster in 2005. He has also conducted several appearances on BBC Radio 4's Sunday Worship including services from Gloucester Cathedral in 2014, St Peter de Merton Church in Bedford in 2012
He has worked as conductor, arranger and music adviser on many editions of BBC TV's
Songs of Praise
''Songs of Praise'' is a BBC Television religious programme that presents Christian hymns, worship songs and inspirational performances in churches of varying denominations from around the UK alongside interviews and stories reflecting how Ch ...
, including a live television broadcast co-ordinating simultaneous performances in Ghana and the UK in 2001.
He was Religious Music Adviser for series 1 to 5 of the BBC's drama series,
Call the Midwife
''Call the Midwife'' is a British period drama television series about a group of nurse midwives working in the East End of London in the late 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The principal cast of the show has included Jessica Raine, Miranda Hart, ...
.
David Ogden worked with the Royal Mail Choir in the BBC Two series The Choir: Sing While You Work. David conducted the choir for a charity single with X-Factor winner Joe McElderry in 2013 and on the 2013 Royal Mail Christmas TV advertisement. In 2014 the choir raised over £50,000 for
Prostate Cancer UK
Prostate Cancer UK is a prostate cancer research, awareness and support organisation which is a registered charity in England and Wales, as well as in Scotland.
History
The organisation was founded in 1996 as The Prostate Cancer Charity by Prof ...
.
On 5 June 2015 he conducted a chorus of 130 singers from Bristol Youth Choir and City of Bristol Choir, members of the
British Paraorchestra
Paraorchestra, sometimes referred to as British Paraorchestra, based in Bristol, is an integrated orchestra of professional disabled and non-disabled musiciansthe first ever orchestra of its kind in the United Kingdom. The Paraorchestra was fo ...
, South West OpenUp Orchestra, Elmfield School for the Deaf & Westbury-on-Trym CofE Academy Signing Buddies, Larkrise Special School and singer
Victoria Oruwari in a performance at Bristol's Colston Hall as part of the first BBC Music Day.
The performance was broadcast on Afternoon on 3 on BBC Radio 3 and simultaneously on BBC local radio stations around the South West, was featured on BBC Points West, and there was a live link up with The One Show on BBC One in which David conducted 'Believe' by Lin Marsh
Composing
David Ogden writes music for churches and schools. Many of his pieces have been performed on radio and television, including his best known pieces: ''Song of Ruth'', ''White Light Eucharist'' and the anthem, ''Christ has no body now but yours''.
In April 2008 his piece ''Love's redeeming work is done'' was sung by a 250-strong choir in the presence of
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...
and a congregation of 40,000 as part of a Papal Mass in the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
Baseball Stadium.
Awards
In 2006 he was appointed Associate of the
Royal School of Church Music
The Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) is a Christian music education organisation dedicated to the promotion of music in Christian worship, in particular the repertoire and traditions of Anglican church music, largely through publications, tr ...
for his services to church music. In February 2015 the RSCM Council announced that it will award him its highest honour, Fellow of the Royal School of Church Music at ceremony in October 2015.
Recordings and publications
Ogden's music is published by White Light Publishing and RSCM Music Direct.
His music has been recorded by many choirs, including
Exultate Singers, City of Bristol Choir and the RSCM
Millennium Youth Choir.
References
External links
David Ogden's WebsiteExultate Singers founded in 2002 by Ogden
City of Bristol Choir which appointed Ogden in 2001 as its Conductor and Musical Director
White Light Publishing one of Ogden's publishers
Exultate Singers CDsincluding Ogden's pieces ''Song of Ruth'' (A Time For Singing, 2008) and ''Christ has no body now but yours'' (Visions of Peace, 2005)
Westbury-on-Trym Parish Church Organ Appealwhich raised £100,000 to restore the Willis Organ.
BBC websiteBBC Music Day, 5 June 2015
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ogden, David
English conductors (music)
British male conductors (music)
People from Tring
Living people
1966 births
Musicians from Hertfordshire
21st-century British conductors (music)
21st-century British male musicians