I went to a recital by Peter Wright (organist of Southwark) this evening.

The console is in the main body of the church and I was able to sit where I could see the bottom half of the pedal board, the expression pedals and a lot of what he was doing with his hands. It was incredibly cool and I was blown away by his footwork.

His program was very varied and it was really interesting to hear what he could make that organ do (it's one I've played, but I havn't experimented much with it). I liked the Pescetti Sonata in C minor best of all. The Jongen Sonata eroica was an impressive display of footwork, but I didn't really go for it as a piece of music.

What recitals have the rest of you been to lately and what did you enjoy most/least in them?

T.

Robert Houssant (Gloucster Assistant) played at Norwich Cath last saturday:

A program including the first movement of Widor VI, 'Laus Deo' by Jonathan Harvey, and the 'Trois Prelude Hambourgois' by Guy Bovet (amongst a few lesser works, unknown to me) , and a second half consisting entirely of 'Ad Nos' might seem heavy going to some it was a thoroughly good concert.

Michael Nicholas,
Arnfinn Johannsen,
Sam Hudson (assistant at Wells)
David Pipe
Ashley Grote (assistant at Westminster Abbey)
Martin Ball

some enjoyable and exiting programmes. I particularly enjoyed Dr Nicholas' playing of the Bach G major, and Ashley's performance of Miroir by Ad Wammes - which the recitalist described as having musical strobe lighting effects.

Teigr - I have yet to get into Jongen. I had to learn a piece of his for an exam once and it didn't grow on me at all.

It's Houssart
I herd a recital by him in gloucster cathedral not long ago.

Has anyone here heard Francis Jackson do a recital?

Him Indoors is giving one this lunchtime at Southwark RC cathedral and did one yesterday at St Stephen's, Walbrook.

I shan't be there though - far too nerve-wracking!

Where possible, could you include the programs these people are playing? it's always interesting to see what other people are playing, and indeed helps devise your own recital programs by 'what is semi-fashionable at the minute' (e.g. the rather quiet resurgence of Whitlock of the last 3 years)

Peter Wright's program was:
Boely - Fantasia & Fugue in B flat
Pescetti - Sonata in C minor
Bach - P&F in G, BWV 541
Reger - Pastorale, Op.50 No.2
Balbastre - Variations sur la Marseillaise et l'air 'Ca ira'
Peeters - Varaitions on 'Herr Jesus hat ein Gartchen'
Rachmaninoff - Vocalise
Jongen - Sonata Eroica


I didn't get to Martin Ellis's recital last month, but he finished with Jongen (Toccata in D flat) as well.
Hoping to get to Andrew Millington's in September and his program ends with Jongen - Chant de Mai and Sonata Eroica. (The bit of his program I'm most looking forward to is Durufle's P&F sur le nom d'Alain - I've never heard a proper live performance of it, but I've page-turned for someone practicing it and I've heard it on CD).

You would be in for a treat, I can vouch for that!

Well, he said yesterday's 'wasn't good' and today's was 'not bad' which is HI speak for 'fine' and 'very good'...

Clive Driskill-Smith gave a FABULOUS recital at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford last Friday.
His programme was fantastic including the Bach 'Great' G minor, Guilmant Scherzo Symphonique and lots of other exciting pieces. IT WAS FANTASTIC!
Alex

Wesley R Warren- a Canadian organist, at Winchester Cathedral- it was very good.

He played:
Buxtehude- Magnificat primi toni, BuxWV 203
Howells- Master Tallis's Testament
Bach- P+F in G major, BWV 541
Mendelssohn- Sonata No 2 in C minor, Op. 65
Welsey- An Air composed for Holsworthy Church Bells
Dubois- Toccata in G


Going to another organ recital in Winchester next Tuesday, not sure what the Organist is playing though!

I heard three recitals at Trinity-Wall Street Episcopal Church in New York City recently. The Aeolian-Skinner organ was damaged by debris and the permanent replacement is a large, three-manual electronic instrument.

The three organists were: Felix ######, Alan Morrison, and Paul Jacobs.

David Davies, playing an absolutely wonderful Willis.

David Johnson - Trumpet Tune in A
J.S.Bach - Chorale Prelude: Allein Gott in der Hoh (BWV 664)
Nikolaus Bruhns - Praeludium in e minor
Nicholas de Grigny - Verbum supernum prodiens
Herbert Howells - Siciliano for a High Ceremony
Seth Bingham - Rhythmic Trumpet
Percy Whitlock - Fidelis and Fanfare (from Four Extemporizations)

The organ there is incredibly versatile and he'd sussed out what it could do and got it to do it. It's got really exciting pedal notes that you feel as much as hear, and in the Bach there was a wonderful almost bell-like sound to it, and in the Bruhns there was a bit in the middle with flute sounds. I don't mean flute as in the family of organ pipes called flutes, I mean flute as in the actual instrument. I'd like to know how to make it do that. I've never heard an organ sounding so much like a flute before and, as flute is my second instrument, I was enchanted by it. The Whitlock was great - I think it was my "I want to play that one day" thing from this particular recital. Wasn't quite sure what I though of the Bingham and it was short, so it finished before I'd really got a handle on it. Loved the Bach. The Bruhns I was fascinated by, but I think I liked it more for what it showed the organ could do, than for the piece itself. Really cool recital with lots of varied tone colour - I was rather smitten with the organ even before I got my grubby little paws on it.

The only slightly disappointing thing was that he didn't give an introduction to what he was going to play. I think it's better when they do that, so you know a bit about the pieces and the background to them or what special things to listen out for. Last recital I went to before today was Peter Wright's and he did his in two halves and gave wonderful introductions to each. Probably matters less to the hardcore organ buff, but for a newbie like me, it's really helpful to hear a little bit about the music.

T.

I havent been to an organ recital for ages, now strangely I may get to two on one day. I'm hoping to make Miss Tickle Thea's lunchtime one in Ripon Cathedral on Nov 22nd. Then Ian Tracey is doing one the same evening here on the Wirral at Bebington.

I completely forgot to post that I caught a couple of recitals while we were in France this summer ...

first was a Czech organist whose name escapes me, playing on the organ at St Jean collegiale church in Pezenas - a lovely recital on Aug 15th and a wonderful sound from the organ - much enjoyed.

Second was Nigel Allcoat playing an extemporary recital in Bourges Cathedral - fascinating. We'd arrived in Bourges at teatime not realising they had an music festival on, and in fact went into the tourist office to find a list of hotels. Turning to leave the office, my attention was caught by a poster for the organ recitals, and I pointed and asked the lady if she had a list of events. A surprised and broad smile lit up her face, and she reached into a cupboard behind and handed me a programme.

The last recital of the series was the following evening.

Both these were timed for after 9 pm so one can have dinner first - how civilised !
If I can find more details (have the programmes somewhere I think) I'll post.

(ed) aha - the Czech organist is Frantisek Vanisek.
He played the following ---

Bruhns Prelude in E minor

Pachelbel Toccata in G minor

JSB Concerto no 3 in d minor (after oboe concerto by Marcello)
and Prelude and Fugue in G major

John Stanley Voluntary no6

Petre Eben Festivo nos 1 and 2

Z Pololanik Inno

D Bedard Prelude

Lemmens Fanfare

Yes, many years ago before he retired from his post at York Minster.

He was an excellent recitalist then and, so I understand, still is now despite being 90 years old.

John

Jonathan Holl

Bruhns - Praeludium in E minor
Buxtehude - Chorale Prelude 'Wie schon leuchtet der Morgenstern'
Corrette - Musette (Magnificat in A)
Lasceux - Simphonie Concertante
Stanley - Voluntary in D
Langlais - Chant de Paix
Guilmant - Scherzo Symphonique

Jonathan gave a great spoken introduction to his program and the layout of the church was such that I could see most of what he was doing (which is always interesting).
Huge contrast with the last recital I heard - not sure how much was down to the difference in instrument, how much to the temperament of the organists involved and how much down to the program choices, though they both played the Bruhns and it sounded completely different. This time, the pedal notes didn't make me shivver and there wasn't the amazing flute sound in the middle, but it did seem more approachable. I guess my overall impression of the last one was "wow! what an instrument!!" and "I will /never/ be able to make an organ do that.", whereas this time I had a better grasp of what he was doing, how he was doing it and, although it might take me a few decades to get there, a sense that if I practice my socks off, I might be able to play some of it eventually. The average decibel level was certainly a lot lower and the general feel of it all was friendly and approachable. As a new organ student, it was quite refreshing to hear a recital that could be described as 'encouraging'. I'm not saying that Jonathan's playing /wasn't/ impressive - he's way way better than I'll ever be - but that there was more of a sense of "let me share this music with you" than "look what I can do!" (which most recitals seem to convey, though Peter Wright also gave his recital that unintimidating feel to some extent.)
I was rather taken with the Langlais and I wish I'd asked him about the registration he used for the Corrette, cos I tried to get a similar effect later that afternoon on my usual organ and couldn't get anywhere close to it (was sight-reading a very similar style piece).
Glad I made the effort to get to it and I will definitely try to get along next time he's giving one in the area.

T.

Wayne Marshall at Bridgewater Hall:

Jeanne Demessieux: Te Deum (found it very similar to the Langlais one)
Jean Roger-Ducasse: Pastorale
Eugene Gigout: Scherzo in E (he's so quick, double the speed)
Cesar Franck: Finale in B flat, Op.21 (triple the speed and i found it scary, but i love the piece itself)

and his own Symphonic improvisation...he also had played another short french organ symphony, but i couldn't remember which one it was, as it wasn't on the programme.

can't wait till johnathan scott plays (one of his concert is on my birthday, haha!!) and also, the battle of the organ between david briggs and wayne marshall in june 2008....i (and my organ tutor) hope david wins!!!

David Hirst

Bach - Trio Sonata No. 2 in C minor BWV 526
Franck - Choral No. 2 in B minor
Vierne - Symphony No. 6, Op.56 - Aria & Final


Firmly back in the realm of "Oh boy! Why am I even trying to learn to play this thing??" ;-)

Very good spoken introduction (you've probably gathered I like those!), followed by an absolutely blinding display of top-notch playing on a wonderful instrument. There were moments in both the Franck and the Vierne when I found myself wondering how on earth anyone could make it do that without growing extra arms and legs...
All very impressive.

You can't see the console in that church, but I adore the instrument (same one as David Davies' recital two weeks ago). I think David D. showcased the instrument better, partly by having a more varied program, but he didn't give an intro to his program, which would've been very nice.

For me, best* recital I've heard since I started this thread is probably Peter Wright's - good organ, great view of the console, varied program, excellent spoken intros, nice balance between accessibility and the wow factor. The organ played by David H. and David D. is even better, but you can't watch what they're doing. Jonathan's was on one which isn't nearly as good an instrument as either of those, but that offers a reasonable view of what he's doing and his was probably the most accessible program, followed by Peter's.

I'm glad that I'm getting to hear a bunch of terrific organists playing different programs on different instruments. What I get out of each recital is different - if they were all alike, I'd be missing out on a lot. :-)

T.

* For some value of "best" which takes into account the instrument, the playing, the program, the spoken intro and/or program notes, how much of the console you can see, etc., from the perspective of a newbie organist with an awful lot to learn. I guess I'm looking for a nice balance between educational, encouraging, inspiring, enjoyable to listen to and interesting to watch.

Ben Sheen (Eton organ scholar)

Bach - Prelude & Fugue in E flat BWV 552
Howells - Psalm Prelude Set 1 No.2
Schumann - Four Sketches Op.56
Dupre - Prelude & Fugue in g minor Op.7 No.3


Wowzers!!!
ARCO at 17, has only /just/ turned 18.

The organ console had been moved to the top of the chancel steps, and the bench has no back to it, so great view of what he was doing. Brilliant playing. Good spoken intro (given after the Bach). And, oh boy, he played the Schumann from memory!!

Really cool recital. I can't even begin to express how impressive it was, but it was entertaining and accessible at the same time.

T.

David Hirst

Bach - Trio Sonata No. 2 in C minor BWV 526
Franck - Choral No. 2 in B minor
Vierne - Symphony No. 6, Op.56 - Aria & Final

Thanks for posting Teigr - I was sorry to miss this one ! but we were away and got back this afternoon.

Did you have another play ??

You're welcome.
It was a great recital, but I think David D. showed the instrument off better.

I didn't, though Lewis did say I must have another play sometime. But I did hang out with everyone afterwards, which was really fun. I'm hoping I don't end up with an exam on the 22nd, cos I /really/ want to hear Lewis's recital (and he just might play something I suggested). Also hoping to get to Christopher's "requests" recital next year. Steve has some fun ideas about requests for that... :-)

In the last 4 days I've been in 5 different churches (3 to attend recitals and 2 to do my own practice) and I'm not at all "organ-ed out". I think I've well and truly caught the organ bug... ;-)

T.

"guilmant"

Benke - Prelude on 'Siyahamba'
Krebs - Prelude and Fugue in C
Mendelssohn - Sonata in c minor, Op.65, No.2
Atkinson - A Little Liturgical Suite based on Scottish Folk Melodies
Strauss, arr. "guilmant" - Overture to 'Die Fledermaus'


<My comments will appear here later, but it was great.>

T.

Well, I didn't HEAR this one but I heard ABOUT it...Him Indoors has just played a recital at St Patrick's Cathedral, New York and he just texted me to say it went well (translation of HI-Speak means it was VERY good indeed) and that he got asked for his autograph !!!

*Very Proud Missus*

I wnet to a recital given by Dr Christopher Kent at York Minster and it was a wonderful recital which included works by Buxtehude, Elgar, Saint saens and Bach.#

(did any one else go to this recital? What did you think of it lol?)

Went to observe a recital and masterclass given by Gordon Stewart last month.
This was the programme:

Buxtehude Praeludium in D, Bux 139

Scheidemann Wir glauben all' an einen Gott

Buxtehude Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland

Böhm Praeludium in C

Rogg Partita on Nun freut Euch

Bach J.S Prelude and Fugue in G, BWV 541


Most annoying thing about it was that according to the programme, one of the students had taken a year out of medical studies to take a music degree. I sincerely hope they meant that he was taking a couple of modules of a music degree or I shall have to kill myself. (Or him)

Mel

Maybe it was a one-year Masters degree?

T.

I suppose it could have been, T. Seems a bit of a jolt from medical studies, though.

Obviously a polymath. " Just a little something I dashed off in my spare time....."


Mel

* Leaves the room dragging knuckles along the floor *

Lewis Brito-Babapulle on a rather nice Willis ...


Bach Toccata in F bwv 540

Variations on 'Veni Emmanuel" Leslie Betteridge

Liturgical Improvisation no2 George Oldroyd

On the site of the Kings Christopher Ash (b1983)

Domenica xxiii (from l'orgue mystique) Charles Tournemire


The second and third items were being played on the organ for which they were written, so showed off the colours rather well. Console is about 5 miles up so you can't see anything much. Most enjoyable though.

Awww...Lewis is such a Good Egg...Him Indoors taught him when he first took up the organ at school - such a determined and focused young man!!

Yes - I read today somewhere that HI was his first organ teacher - I hadn't realised that.

Lovely recital, and his new cd was on sale too. Such a nice, unassuming guy. HI must feel very chuffed that L's doing so well - he's a brilliant improviser too.

Miss_Tickle_Theas , yesterday ! See her thread.

Yes, HI is indeed chuffed about Lewis' progress and achievements. He didn't take up the organ until relatively late and I don't think had played piano before, either...

(I'm horribly behind with these, so I'm going to post the most recent before catching up on the backlog, otherwise I'll get even further behind.)



Gillian Lloyd

C Steel - Dancing Toccata
J S Bach - Komst du nun, Jesu
J S Bach - Prelude & Fugue in C, BWV 547
F Bridge - Adagio in E
G Finzi - Carol
L Vierne - Lied
E Gigout - Toccata


Small mechanical action instrument with 2 manuals and 16 speaking stops, tuned to Werkmeister III, in a rather cold church. I was reasonably early and had a chance to eye it up before the recital (and stick my head behind the main casework and ogle some of the mechanism). ;-)

Thoroughly enjoyable recital, which started with a good spoken introduction. There wasn't anything I didn't enjoy, but the Steel 'Dancing Toccata' caught my attention as it was an infectiously cheerful piece. The Bach P&F was great, the Vierne was interesting and, as I know it from the clarinet repertoire, I got quite a kick out of hearing the Finzi.

Didn't dare ask for a looksie at the Steel afterwards, or ask about how difficult it is. Anyone happen to know? I'd like to learn it eventually.

T.

I hadn't heard of this before, but a bit of Googling™ revealed it is part of a Suite called Changing Moods which is the composer's Op. 59.

A bit more work seems to suggest the suite is published by Basil Ramsey at £5... Bargain!

A final refinement yields this page at Banks Music for ordering it! http://www.banksmusicpublications.co.uk/sh...sp?itemid=46007

I'm off to Gloucester Cathedral tomorrow for La Nativite du Seigneur (Messiaen)
with Robert Houssart on organ.
I will have heard this recently on monday so I will let you know about it then.

Thanks

Ben again.

Still got several from last year to do, but trying to do this year's ones first...


John Belcher

Nicolaus Bruhns - Prelude and Fugue in e
John Stanley - From Op.7: Voluntary in F
Josef Rheinberger - From Sonata No.11 in d Op.148 Agitato and Cantilena
Andre Fleury - Variations sur un Noel bourgignon
Joel Martinson - Aria on a Chaconne
Flor Peeters - Toccata, Fugue and Hymne Ave Maris Stella Op.28


Was really pleased to see the Bruhns and the Martinson on the program. I heard the Bruhns at a couple of recitals last year and liked it so much that I'm learning it at the moment. Heard the Martinson at a recital by Dave Stevens last year and really liked it, so was glad to get another chance to hear it today.

John gave a spoken introduction to the program, which was good, and the console was on view, which I always like. All the playing was really great. Besides the two pieces I knew before, I particularly liked the Fleury.
One thing I thought was really cool was some of the quieter registration that he used at some points during the program - some of it extremely quiet, which is a side of the organ that people don't tend to showcase much, so it was good to hear it today. (There was plenty of louder stuff too, but pretty much every recital I've been to has that.)

T.

Heard the worst recital ever this past Sunday. I should avoid naming the organist's name here. The recital was an AGO New York City Chapter event. (AGO is similar to the RCO in the UK.) The instrument was fabulous, and the programme was interesting--Messiaen in the first half, Franck in the second half. I was so looking forward to it, but the event turned out to be a huge disappointment, to say the least. The organist obviously did not practise. He played plenty of wrong notes, and showed poor control of articulation and tempo. The registration was ridiculous at times.

It was such a torture to hear him butcher the last piece on the programme--Franck's Choral in A Minor. The playing was full of mistakes. He stopped suddenly in the final section, where the chorale returns over semiquaver accompaniment, informing the audience that the pistons were not working. He then took a long break to fix the problem. Many people had already left after the first half, and several more left during this unexpected break. He then played the piece again, starting from the Adagio section. The playing was only slightly better the second time.

I was so shocked by the lack of preparation. It was hard to believe that there was anything wrong with the organ, which was often used for professional recitals. Even if there was a problem with the pistons, the articulation and tempo control should not be affected so greatly.

Oh, I dunno. If the organ's capture system was doing unusual things all the way through the programme (you say that some of the registrations sounded ridiculous) it could have made him nervous and totally thrown him off his game which, I think, it certainly understandable.

it happened to me once, when i was playing a lunchtime recital at my old school. it was scary, seriously.

Without name-dropping, I was privileged a number of years back to be invited to give one of the opening recitals on a very significant "new" organ. It was quite an honour.

Unfortunately, it was quite a nightmare too....

The organ had only been completed a relatively short time before the inaugural recitals took place, and was insufficiently tested. During my rehearsal time, Middle C on the Great was sticking frequently, and the capture system was doing really strange things. I had my wife (who was page turning) keep an eye out whenever I pressed a piston to warn me if loud things such as the Contra Trombone 32' or Open Wood 16' came out because, often, they would come out without being programmed or wanted. More than once when I'd pressed a piston to go onto a quiet combination she'd say "The Trombone has come out" and I'd cry out "push it in".

Indeed, whilst I was introducing my programme to the audience, an organ tuner (who'd been called out to the venue as an emergency visit) was in the depths of the instrument trying to prevent Middle C ciphering again. I finished introducing the programme and, as I was climbing up to the loft, met him coming down. His greeting "I'm not sure it's going to hold" didn't provide much reassurance!

Fortunately, my performance wasn't affected. But it was nerve-wracking nevertheless.

Like I said, that particular organ was used for professional recitals frequently. The console was no more than 10 years old. That parish was also very famous for the liturgy and the quality of music. The organ curator was in the audience and was rather excited about the recital before it began. Three days before this recital, another recital had taken place there.

Yeah, I was telling myself that all the mistakes were caused by nerves, due to the pistons not functioning properly. But in that case, wouldn't it be better to stop after the first couple of pieces, or after the first half of the recital programme, and inform the audience about the problem? Instead, the organist chose to stop near the end of the final piece. I also didn't notice anyone trying to fix anything during intermission. The whole recital was very odd.

As Alice said....Curiouser and curiouser.

Play "guess the organist" here... http://www.nycago.org/Calendar/CalendarPages.html

Well it was going to come out at some point...

To be fair it only took me 10 seconds to find that on Google, using the information already provided!

OK fair enough...

So, tell me about yourself. How's the Toccata in F coming on?

About myself, well, I'm an organ scholar in the north of england... LOL