We are pleased to announce the appointment of Adrian Bawtree as Director of Music and Organist of Rochester Cathedral from September 2022. Adrian is currently Second Assistant Organist at Canterbury Cathedral and is well known at Rochester, having worked at the Cathedral as Organist 2013-2015 and Interim Director of Music 2018-2019.

On his appointment, Adrian said: “I am delighted to have this opportunity to return to Rochester Cathedral and continue to forge new creative opportunities within – and without – the cathedral walls, alongside preserving and developing the musical traditions of this historic place.”

The Reverend Canon Matthew Rushton, Canon Precentor, commented: “We are thrilled to be welcoming Adrian back to Rochester. The rigorous appointment process involved a number of high quality candidates, and it was clear to the panel that Adrian had both a wealth of experience encompassing cathedrals, parishes, education and community music making, as well as the necessary vision, compassion and humour to lead the development of music at the cathedral into the future. The Chapter, our musicians, King’s Rochester, and the whole cathedral community are looking forward to working with him, as we seek to grow in Christ in our worship and mission, as we have since AD604.”

About Adrian Bawtree

Adrian Bawtree believes in the power of music to enrich lives, and as a professional musician he has seen first-hand the impact music and other creative activities can have on communities.

 Adrian studied the organ at Christ’s Hospital and progressed to the Royal Academy of Music and then as Organ Scholar at Worcester College, Oxford. In 1992 he won the silver medal from the Worshipful Company of Musicians for coming top of the class in the Fellowship diploma awarded by the Royal College of Organists. As an Organist and Director of Music he has worked at St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street; St Mary’s Church, Portsea, St Peter’s Church, Hammersmith, Christ’s Hospital School, Rochester and Canterbury Cathedrals. He teaches the organ at The King’s School and St Edmund’s School in Canterbury.

 He studied orchestral conducting at the Royal College of Music on a post-graduate course, which he completed with distinction. His current conducting appointments are with Cantores Dominicae and The Canterbury Singers. Previous conducting appointments include; Worthing Choral Society, The Weald Choir of Crawley, Harpenden Choral Society, Guy’s King’s and Thomas’ Medical Schools Music Society and Southampton University Chamber Choir.

Adrian is also a composer and arranger, having written for the theatre as well as larger cantatas. His composition, ‘Remembrance & Reconciliation’, was performed as part of the 100 years commemoration of the end of the war in Canterbury Cathedral on the 11th November in 2018 and was joined by a choir from Kiel in northern Germany. His latest composition project is Requiem for Extinct Species which is based on aspects of climate change.