A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Bridge, Joseph

BRIDGE, Joseph Cox, brother of the above, was born at Rochester on Aug. 16, 1853, and was a chorister, and subsequently assistant organist, of the cathedral from 1861 to 1867. He studied under his brother (to whom he acted as assistant at Manchester) and John Hopkins, and from 1871 to 1876 was organist of Exeter College, Oxford, where he took the degrees of B. A. in 1875, Mus. B. in 1876, M. A. in 1878, and Mus. D. in 1879. In 1877 Mr. Bridge was appointed organist of Chester Cathedral, where in 1879 he took a conspicuous part in resuscitating the Chester Triennial Musical Festival, which had been dormant for fifty years. For the opening performance he wrote an evening service with orchestral accompaniment, and at the Festival of 1885 produced an oratorio, 'Daniel,' which had been performed at Oxford for his Doctor's degree exercise. Dr. Joseph Bridge is well known in the North of England as the conductor of several musical societies at Chester and Bradford. During the last eight years he has adopted the excellent plan of giving free organ recitals in Chester Cathedral every Sunday evening. Dr. Bridge was elected a Fellow of the College of Organists in 1879.

[ W. B. S. ]