Anne Marsden Thomas MBE is an organist, organ teacher and author of 22 books for organ students and church organists. The latest, co-authored with Frederick Stocken, is The New Oxford Organ Method (published by OUP).
She originally gave me this interview many years ago, when I was very much a beginner organist, attending the Summer Schools which she inaugurated with the Royal College of Organists. I’m republishing it now to mark her workshops with Frederick Stocken at the forthcoming AGO National Convention in Seattle, where they will be discussing teaching the organ, particularly teaching beginner organists.
A detailed biography and a list of her publications can be found on Anne’s website.
Here are Anne’s answers to my five questions:
Which piece of music are you studying at the moment and why?
Since I stopped giving recitals I mainly learn pieces that my students need or that will suit my church services. For example, I decided that my summer church organ voluntaries would be the lively movements from the Bach concerto transcriptions so that’s one book in my music case at the moment.
What has been your best experience as an organist?
Playing the last movement of Whitlock’s Sonata at St. Giles at 4 a.m. during our fundraising 6-day marathon several years ago. I love the piece and it felt magical to play such passionate music in the middle of the night.
What has been your worst experience as an organist?
Turning up to play a recital at a venue which will remain nameless, only to find that the organ was in a terrible state: missing notes, inconsistent speech, several cyphers. Ugh! (There was nearly a happy ending to this experience. I turned the organ off to go out for a breath of air and sanity, and when I returned the organ refused to turn on again. The relief! Unfortunately the resident organist showed up and got the organ started, so I had to limp through the recital anyway.)
What’s the best piece of advice you were given by an organ teacher? (and who was it?)
‘Listen!’ Dame Gillian Weir. Actually, she didn’t exactly say that, but that was always the effect of her teaching: to make one listen to what the music was really saying.
What would be your own best piece of advice for student organists?
Play your best and don’t worry about others judging you.
Hi Morwenna,
How did you managed to interview so many teachers while the summer school is so intensive? Amazing.
It’s good fun to read them.
Thanks.
Jenny.
Hi Jenny – I have to confess I set many of them up in the weeks before the course, via email. Anne was brilliant though – I asked her right at the last minute, and she still did it even when she was up to the eyebrows in timetabling. Carol Williams, first woman Civic Organist, in San Diego CA, is coming up next! Morwenna
Dear Anne I do not know if you will remember me as an assistant at the City Temple long years ago. I have been the pastor at 4th Presbyterian Church in DC for 40 years and am now retired though still active iun a variety of ministries around the world.
Two of my children are in the UK, having come for university and never returned. I come over frequently and would love to meet (f your busy schedule would admit and any shadow of remembrance remains!) for coffee. If you are ever in Washington I and my wife can offer hospitality and/ot would enjoy seeing you.
Not all voices from the past are welcome and I can understand that.
But if you are willing to renew “olde acquainrtance” it would be a pleasure.
Best,
Rob Norris