John Hosking is 'Organist in Residence' at Blackburn Cathedral. He is also one of the organists for BBC Radio 4's 'Daily Service' and was previously Assistant Director of Music at St Asaph Cathedral for 14 years.
A student at the Royal College of Music, John became Organ Scholar of Westminster Abbey in 1996 and is the only person to ever hold this post for a period of three years. During this time, John played the organ for many Royal and State occasions, broadcast for the BBC and played 20 solo recitals in the Abbey. After graduating, John acted as Assistant Organist at Lincoln and Truro Cathedrals before being appointed Master of the Choir at Bramdean School in Exeter, broadcasting with the choir on Sky News and CNN.
In much demand as a recitalist and accompanist, John appears on several commercial CDs; his latest, "St. Asaph Experience", is recorded at St Asaph Cathedral for the Willowhayne Label. A track from this was recently broadcast on BBC Radio 3. He made his recital debut at Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris in 2015.
A busy composer, John has completed commissions for Bangor, Chester, Ely and Peel Cathedrals, Martin Baker (organist), St. Martin-in-the-Fields and the Conwy Festival. His Requiem was premiered in the 2013 North Wales International Music Festival and his large-scale work, "The Seven Trumpets" premiered in December 2013. John's new setting of the Requiem, "Missa pro defunctis" was premiered on opening night of the 2016 North Wales International Music Festival to a capacity audience.
The Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge together with the Ely Cathedral Girls' Choir have released a complete disc of his choral works for Regent Records to critical acclaim. John's largest work for organ, "The 14 Stations of the Cross" commissioned as part of Sebastian Thomson's "Angels of Creation" series has been released on the Convivium label and was labelled "Editor's Choice" in the Organists' Review magazine. All of his compositions are published by the Chichester Music Press.
John has an early music partnership with Cheshire soprano, Olivia Hunt. Together they have given concerts throughout the UK, opening various music festivals and have been broadcast many times on the BBC's 'Introducing' scheme. They have released two discs to critical acclaim and will be recording a third at Blackburn Cathedral in 2021 of 'first recordings'.
You can contact John directly by
email.