{{Short description|English classical composer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2025}} {{Infobox classical composer | name = Philip Rushforth | honorific_suffix = | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = 1972 | birth_place = Chester | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = Organist | list_of_works = }}
'''Philip Rushforth''' (born 1972) is an arranger and classical composer who has served as the Organist and Master of the Choristers at Chester Cathedral since 2009.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Henwood |first=Jo |date=11 January 2008 |title=Ex-chorister is new director of music |url=https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/ex-chorister-new-director-music-5244547 |access-date=6 June 2025 |website=Cheshire Live |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The dedicated team behind Chester Cathedral |url=https://chestercathedral.com/team |access-date=30 June 2025 |website=Chester Cathedral |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Alumni Activities |url=https://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/chapel/tcca/alumni-activities/ |access-date=19 July 2025 |website=Trinity College Cambridge |language=en-GB}}</ref> He has collaborated with David Hill and Stephen Layton.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Organ Recital – Philip Rushforth |url=https://www.cathedral.net/event-details-registration/organ-recital-philip-rushforth |access-date=19 July 2025 |website=St Mary's Edinburgh |language=en}}</ref>
== Biography == Rushforth was a cathedral chorister at Chester Cathedral.<ref name=":0" /> He was tutored by Roger Fisher.<ref name=":2" /> In 1991, he was appointed as an organ scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge, and was directed by Dr Richard Marlow.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Past and current organ scholars |url=https://trinitycollegechoir.com/trinity-college-organ/past-current-organ-scholars/ |access-date=7 June 2025 |website=The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge |language=en-GB}}</ref> Rushforth was also taught by David Sanger.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Philip Rushforth |url=https://chestercathedral.com/team/philip-rushforth |access-date=6 June 2025 |website=Chester Cathedral |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=RCO News: David Sanger – A Musical Celebration: 5th March |url=https://www.rco.org.uk/news_displaystory.php?newsid=157 |access-date=7 June 2025 |website=www.rco.org.uk}}</ref>
== Career ==
=== Southwell === In 1994, he took up the post of Assistant Organist at Southwell Minster and co-founded the Southwell Minster Chorale. He worked with the chorale for eight years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Philip Rushforth – Vox Organi |url=https://voxorgani.org/philip-rushforth/ |access-date=7 June 2025 |language=de}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Come, Come, My Voice {{!}} Lammas Records |url=https://lammas.co.uk/come-come-my-voice/ |access-date=29 June 2025 |website=lammas.co.uk |language=en}}</ref>
=== Chester === In September 2002 he was appointed assistant director of music at Chester Cathedral.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Philip Rushforth aus Chester für zwei Konzerte zu Gast |url=http://www.leine-solling.de/presse_und_medien/pressedienst/2023_05_11/LS-PD-20230511-N1 |access-date=19 July 2025 |website=www.leine-solling.de |language=de}}</ref> Between December 2007 and January 2008, Rushforth was appointed director of music and organist.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> In 2015, he appeared on BBC Radio 2 on ''The Organist Entertains: Battle of the Organs''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Radio 2 – The Organist Entertains, Battle of the Organs, Battle of the Organs: Chester Cathedral, January 2015 – Battle of the Organs, Chester Cathedral (l-r): Nigel Ogden, Philip Rushforth, Geoffrey Woollatt, Benjamin Chewter |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02k9b7j/p02k99zs |access-date=19 July 2025 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Radio 2 – The Organist Entertains, Battle of the Organs, Battle of the Organs: Chester Cathedral, January 2015 – Chester Cathedral Organ – pipework |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02k9b7j/p02k99m3 |access-date=19 July 2025 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref> In 2018, he conducted Fauré's Requiem alongside John Lubbock.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 November 2018 |title=Classical Events: A Concert of Remembrance |url=https://www.classicalevents.co.uk/concerts/chester-cathedral/10-november-2018/19-00/a-concert-of-remembrance |access-date=29 June 2025 |website=Classical Events |language=en}}</ref> In 2024, he conducted the choir and a group of musicians from the North West at the wedding of Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster and Olivia Henson.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chantler-Hicks |first=Lydia |date=7 June 2024 |title=Duke of Westminster ties knot in society wedding of year – live |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/duke-of-westminster-wedding-olivia-henson-chester-cathedral-grosvenor-prince-william-b1162774.html |access-date=29 June 2025 |website=The Standard |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Duke of Westminster: Royals attend wedding of 'Britain's most eligible bachelor' – who was there (and who wasn't) |url=https://news.sky.com/story/britains-most-eligible-bachelor-is-now-off-the-market-duke-of-westminster-to-wed-girlfriend-olivia-henson-13147243 |access-date=29 June 2025 |website=Sky News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Conrieri |first=Stefania |date=7 June 2024 |title=Il duca di Westminster sposa Olivia Henson: foto e racconto dal matrimonio dell'anno |url=https://www.vanityfair.it/article/duca-di-westminster-sposa-olivia-henson-foto-matrimonio-invitati |access-date=19 July 2025 |website=Vanity Fair Italia |language=it-IT}}</ref>
== Works == * ''Sleep, my Jesus, sleep''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reviews December 2024 |url=https://www.rscm.org.uk/our-resources/magazines/reviews/reviews-december-2024/ |access-date=7 June 2025 |website=RSCM |language=en-US}}</ref> – traditional Ukrainian Christmas carol, arranged by Philip Rushforth (Encore Publications 020798, 2024)
== Discography == * ''Chester Cathedral Choir Sings Music By Rheinberger And Elga''r (Alpha, 1988) * ''Southwell Splendour'' (OxRecs Digital, 1998) * ''Come, Come My Voice''<ref name=":2" /> (Lammas, 2002) * ''French Organ Music from Chester Cathedral'' (Amphion, 2007) * ''Miserere – Choral Favourites'' (Sony, 2009) * ''Whitlock and Hylton Stewart – The Organ of Chester Cathedral''<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.prioryrecords.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=2120&search=chester+cathedral |title=Whitlock and Hylton Stewart – The Organ of Chester Cathedral | Britain's Premier Church Music Label |website=www.prioryrecords.co.uk}}</ref> (Priory, 2011) * ''The Great British Wedding Album''<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Great British Wedding Album |url=https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7997376--the-great-british-wedding-album |access-date=7 June 2025 |website=Presto Music |language=en}}</ref> (Sony, 2011) * ''The Grand Organ of Chester Cathedral''<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8025296--the-grand-organ-of-chester-cathedral |title=The Grand Organ of Chester Cathedral |website=Presto Music}}</ref> (Priory, 2012) * ''Glory To The New-Born King'' (Priory, 2012) * ''J S Bach from Chester''<ref>{{Cite web |title=J S Bach from Chester: (includes Fantasia & Fugue in G minor BWV 542 and other works) |url=https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8475810--j-s-bach-from-chester |access-date=6 June 2025 |website=Presto Music |language=en}}</ref> (Priory, 2018) * ''Choral Classics from Chester – The Choir of Chester Cathedral''<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.prioryrecords.co.uk/Chester-Cathedral-Choir-CD-Choral-Classics-Rushforth-Wyatt-Mahon |title=Choral Classics from Chester – The Choir of Chester Cathedral – Organists: Andrew Wyatt and Rachel Mahon – Directed by Philip Rushforth | Britain's Premier Church Music Label |website=www.prioryrecords.co.uk}}</ref> (Priory, 2018) * ''Richard Lambert: Music for Brass and Organ''<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://toccataclassics.com/product/richard-lambert-music-for-brass-and-organ/ |title=Richard Lambert: Music for Brass and Organ | Toccata Music Group | Toccata Classics | Toccata Press | Toccata Next |website=toccataclassics.com/}}</ref> (Toccata, 2024)
== Awards and achievements == In September 2000, he was a finalist in the Royal College of Organists' ''Performer of the Year'' award, performing with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and Rumon Gamba.<ref name=":1" /> In 2020 he was awarded an honorary Associateship of the Royal School of Church Music (ARSCM) for "achievements in church music of national significance".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Royal School of Church Music awards |url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2020/18-december/gazette/personals/royal-school-of-church-music-awards |access-date=19 July 2025 |website=www.churchtimes.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Honorary Awards |url=https://www.rscm.org.uk/world-of-the-rscm/honorary-awards/ |access-date=7 June 2025 |website=RSCM |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Royal School of Church Music awards |url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2020/18-december/gazette/personals/royal-school-of-church-music-awards |access-date=29 June 2025 |website=www.churchtimes.co.uk}}</ref> These include several years volunteering for the former RCSM Chester Area Committee, and for volunteering for Region One in the north of England.<ref>[https://www.rscmshop.com/media/1634/celebration-day-order-of-service-2020.pdf RCSM Celebration Day Order of Service 2020] ''The Royal School of Church Music'' Retrieved 5 September 2025</ref>
== See also == * Organ and organists of Chester Cathedral * List of musicians at English cathedrals#Chester Cathedral
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.organ-biography.info/index.php?id=Rushforth_Philip_20 Biographical Dictionary of the Organ – Rushforth, Philip] * {{discogs artist|1822900-Philip-Rushforth}} * [https://encorepublications.com/Preview/RushforthSleepmyjesussleep.pdf Encore Publications – PDF Preview of "Sleep, my Jesus, sleep" arr. Rushforth, Philip] * [https://www.rscm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/RSCM-Honorary-Awards-to-2024-revised.pdf RCSM Honorary Awards 1934–2024]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rushforth, Philip}} Category:1972 births Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Chester Category:English music arrangers Category:20th-century English organists Category:21st-century English organists Category:English male organists Category:English cathedral organists Category:Choristers