Pruning ornamental cherry

[Brienne]

We have just moved into a new house and there is an ornamental cherry tree in the back garden which is lovely but clearly in need of a drastic prune and beheading.
I plan to get rid of all vertical/crossing shoots and any off the trunk and prob 25% of the length of some of the longer branches.
Google suggests now is a good time to do it but that I should perhaps consider wound paint too in a cherry as they are susceptible to disease. Going to use sterilised long handled loppers.
Any advice? Photo attached....
I don't want to kill it. The red bark in the sunlight is stunning!

I am surprise that the advice is to prune now. I always thought that Ornemental Cherries should be pruned in late summer. They are prone to bleed otherwise.

I was surprised too. Not really sure what to do. Apparently def not spring or when flowering/fruiting...

No to loppers. Use a silky pruning saw with a fine tooth blade and sharp secateurs. Take no more than 1/3 of the tree per year. If you are looking to reduce the height then that is probably all you will be able to do in the first year. Prune in June/July to give you best chance of avoiding silver leaf.

Was the pruning advice from a UK website? Definitely don't prune now - August is the best time to do it as the other posters have said!

My neighbour pruned his lovely ornamental cherry last winter and it hasn't recovered