Who finances these? Do they break even, do you know?

Definitely don't break even, as they don't charge, and there is no collection plate. They are subsidised by a trust and a patron. They are such a good advert for the organ, I think half an hour Mon - Fri lunchtime, then an hour on Sat and Sunday afternoons. Very well attended, particularly during school holidays!

That sounds really excellent.

Quite a number of the City of London churches do the same. It is a splendid service to the office workers who are able to enjoy excellent music performed to a very high standard.

Barry Williams

Yes, and I've been to a number when up in London. However, they are more proper organ recitals where audiene seated and a relatively quiet atmosphere, at the kelvingrove, although some chairs are put out, you are really there to play to the masses as they walk round the building. Hence anything less than mf is fairly futile.

A bit like the Macy's store recitals in Philadelphia then.

A recital yesterday evening by P.Derrett on the organ at St Columba, Drypool to raise funds for a new piano in the church.

It was a "popular programme by special request" and included favourites of the congregation including Elgar, Handel, Widor, and others no doubt well known to those on here.

The recitalist sportingly offered to play any special requests but the BWV of the piece of Bach I would have liked eluded me and I didn't want to risk being asked to hum it.

The encore was Lefeubre-Wely 'Sortie' which is good fun, and a piece by Alfred Hollins (Sunshine something or other - can't remember exactly) which was new to me, as is the composer; black mark to me because he was a local lad.

The organ was apparently rescued from somewhere else and it had ample room to stretch in this largish building.
I am now listening to a CD purchased in the interval recorded on the organ of Holy Trinity Church, Hull; the track at the moment is Rondo alla Campanella - Karg-Elert. Somehow I don't think I shall be trying that anytime soon.