A Big Name at Bloomsbury Central
At first glance, the organ at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church looks rather ordinary, but many of the big names in organ music like to play here, and today we joined them on the RCO Summer Course, and found out why. …
RCO Summer School 2014 – our feet go marching on
A slightly surreal sight on our first day – a forest of dummy pedalboards marching up the south aisle of St Giles Cripplegate, Course HQ. For silent practice, they are intended remove the organist’s favourite winge/excuse – oh I can’t…
RCO Academy Summer Course 2014
This year’s RCO Academy Summer Course is set to break records – 34 organs and 80 students from grade 4 to diploma. Join me – I’ll be blogging every day from the course – posts appear below RCO Summer…
Living the life of an organ scholar
Next week 38 teenagers* are gathering in Cambridge to ‘live the life of an organ scholar’ on the RCO’s ‘The Organ Scholar Experience’ course (TOSE). They will have tuition in repertoire and keyboard skills and will also sing, accompany and conduct two…
Anne Page and the demanding Dr Chipp
Anne Page tells me she has gone out and bought a new pair of Organmaster shoes in order to do full justice to the Introduction and variations on ‘God preserve the Emperor’ by E T Chipp, which she will play…
Five questions for…Liam Cartwright
Born in Worcestershire, Liam Cartwright won the Worcester Young Musician of the Year competition in 2000, and went on to study the organ with Margaret Phillips, David Graham and Sophie-Veronique Cauchefer-Choplin at the Royal College of Music, London, and in…
Cocteau, Ralph Downes, and Notre Dame de France
Eric Shepherd has just drawn my attention to a fascinating recital coming up, in a fascinating place. Eglise Notre Dame de France is an unassuming post-War building in a side street off London’s Leicester Square – an area known for…
Lionel Rogg plays Bach: the Goldberg Variations
A reminder that Lionel Rogg will play the Goldberg Variations on the organ of Trinity College, Cambridge this weekend – a unique performance in the UK, and the colours of the Chapel’s Metzler organ will bring a new dimension to…
In the footsteps of Bach
Andrew Benson-Wilson is giving a recital in Leipzig next weekend on an organ where Bach gave the opening recital. The 1723 Hildebrandt organ is in the village of Stormthal – Andrew sent me some photos and I thought you would…
Five questions for…..William McVicker
Dr William McVicker recently gave us an entertaining inaugural recital on the 1858 Walker organ at St Mary’s Ponsbourne, in Hertfordshire, after its restoration – he was consultant on the project, undertaken by Mander Organs of London. As William was…
Five questions for…Katherine Dienes-Williams
Katherine Dienes-Williams was born and educated in Wellington, New Zealand, and was Organ Scholar and then Assistant Organist at Wellington Cathedral before she came to England to take up the position of Organ Scholar at Winchester Cathedral and Assistant Organist…
St Alban’s International Organ Festival – the 2015 competition music
Here’s some entertaining reading for your next coffee break – the schedules of music for both the improvisation and interpretation competitions at the next St Alban’s Organ Festival, just launched. Application deadline 16 March 2015, so you’ve got a bit…
Five questions for…Nicky Fraser
Nicky Fraser converted from piano to organ eight years ago and under the guidance of Colin Tipple, has recently gained her ARCO. (So she’s a bit like me, but further on!) She’s organist at Inverleith St. Serf’s Church in…
Repertoire revivals – Charles Avison
Continuing my Newcastle theme this week, may I recommend to you the music of Charles Avison? One of the pleasures of attending organ recitals is that of shamelessly appropriating other people’s repertoire. Hilary Norris recently included a concerto by Avison…
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