The Thought Expressed – CD Album

A soothing and inspiring collection of hymn and song settings of the religious poetry of John Bradburne, composed by John’s Godson Phil Berthoud

“The Thought Expressed”

composed by John’s Godson Philip John Berthoud
and sung by Mahrey Berthoud

100% of the profits from the sale of this CD will go to Mutemwa Leprosy Settlement, where John spent the last 10 years of his life caring for the lepers – visit:

​Visit www.johnbradburne.com  for more details about John’s life, the cause for his beatification and the work of the John Bradburne Memorial Society

I’ve always been inspired by my Godfather, John Bradburne.  My father, Patrick Berthoud, was editor of a Catholic magazine in Zimbabwe called The Shield, for which John contributed poetry, an interview and helped with proof-reading.  He would come to stay at our house in Harare and he and my parents were great friends.  The picture on this page is of John in 1966 at my Christening.  Although I have no recollection of John in person (my family leaving Africa when I was 3), I have long felt his influence in my life.

During the Coronavirus lockdown of 2020, I decided the time was right to set some of John’s beautiful religious poetry to music – a project I’d had in the back of my mind for some time.

I started work in April 2020 on composing, and recording was finished three months later.  The whole whole CD was conceived and recorded at our home in Devon.

It has been a privilege to work with John’s poetry.

My hope is that my music will do it justice and bring people closer to John and, ultimately to God.