The Hiking Organist: Launch Recital - Alex Woodrow

The Hiking Organist: Launch Recital at Leeds Minster

Sunday 19 July 2026, 5:30pm

Leeds Minster, Kirkgate, Leeds LS2 7DJ

Leeds Minster presents the launch recital of The Hiking Organist, a unique musical and walking pilgrimage beginning in the heart of Leeds.

This special concert is given by Alex Woodrow, Director of Music at Leeds Minster, who will immediately embark on an ambitious six-day journey following the White Rose Way from Leeds to the Yorkshire coast. Over the course of 104 miles, he will walk through West and North Yorkshire, giving six organ recitals in parish churches along the route before concluding with a final recital in Scarborough.

The launch recital offers the first opportunity to hear this project take shape. Performed on the Minster’s historic Harrison & Harrison organ, the programme features a selection of major works from the organ repertoire, including music by J. S. Bach, Felix Mendelssohn, César Franck and C. Hubert H. Parry. The recital is designed to showcase both the expressive range and dramatic power of the instrument, providing a fitting send-off for the journey ahead.

A key feature of the event is its role in supporting the Leeds Minster Choral Scholarship Programme. This initiative provides financial assistance, training and performance opportunities for young singers in the Minster Choir, helping to sustain and develop high-quality choral music within the city. All funds raised through the retiring collection at this recital will go directly towards supporting these scholarships.

The recital will also include a visual element, with live video projection from the organ loft allowing the audience to see the performer at the console. This provides a closer insight into the physical and musical demands of organ performance in real time.

Following the recital, there will be a short informal gathering with refreshments, offering an opportunity for audience members, supporters and friends of the Minster to send Alex on his way before he begins his walk across Yorkshire.

Admission is free and no tickets are required. A retiring collection will be taken during the event in support of the Choral Scholarship Programme. Online donations will also be available.

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