Author: Paul

A first for me at Stamford Methodist Church today—playing a concert for organ and harp. Working with Eleanor Turner (Head of Harp at Birmingham’s newly ‘Royal’ Conservatoire) was a real joy; she’s a wonderful player. The instruments went together beautifully; I was surprised that an harp played ‘forte’ can easily match a powerful organ!

It was so good to work with former Southwell Minster Organ Scholars Emma Gibbins and Stephen Moore at Newport Cathedral. I was there at their invitation to direct the South Wales RSCM Choral Festival on 14th September. The massed choirs were well prepared, eager and hard-working, resulting in a enjoyable day and a memorable service. So good to see what good work Emma and Stephen are doing at Newport and Llandaff.

I spent an enjoyable weekend with Anne on the Isle of Wight from 15-18 September, culminating in my ‘snagging’ visit to Andrew Cooper’s outstanding restoration of the Mutin Cavaillé-Coll organ in Quarr Abbey. A beautiful and effective instrument dating from 1912, it now probably sounds better than it ever has. Congrats to Andrew, to Adrian Mumford (main consultant) and to Abbot Xavier.

It was a joy to be present at Thomas Trotter’s opening recital on the new Tickell organ at Manchester Cathedral today. The organ is a wonderful testimony to the late, much missed, Ken Tickell and forms not only his magnum opus but a lasting testimony to his life’s work. As consultant, I have been involved there for over a decade: the spectacular result is more than worth the time and trouble everyone has put in.

Freedom from cathedral duties means that when surveying a church organ I can now attend a Sunday morning service and assess the liturgical effect of the instrument before climbing inside to assess its condition. This is a huge bonus and I have greatly enjoyed joining congregations at Turvey, Goring-on-Thames and Potters Bar in recent weeks.

This week I made another site visit to the beautiful catholic cathedral of St Marie, in Sheffield, where Andrew Carter and his team are meticulously reassembling what must be the most compact 3-manual tracker organ T.C.Lewis ever made. After a disastrous intervention by a local firm in the 1970s this 1875 organ is now being fully restored with a new mechanical action, the aim being for completion by Christmas. HLF funding has made this possible.

It’s been a busy and stimulating week, centred on giving lunchtime recitals at Selby Abbey on Tuesday and Boston ‘Stump’ on Thursday. Both organs are in fine form, Selby spectacularly rebuilt by Principal Pipe Organs and Boston kept in immaculate order by its makers, Harrison & Harrison. The Healey Willan ‘Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue’ sounded fabulous on both of them and it was a real treat to perform it to two warmly appreciative audiences. The image above shows the organ case in St Botolph’s, Boston.

Last week I spent two enjoyable days conducting organ surveys in Northern Ireland—a large 1963 Walker rebuild at Holywood (near Belfast) and the famous 1914 Hill at Londonderry Guildhall. The Guildhall is an ornate ‘Gothic’ building which wouldn’t be out of place in Glasgow. Recently sumptuously restored, it has benefited from the organ’s front pipes being beautifully and tastefully painted. They were plain, dull, oxidised zinc in appearance before—really gloomy. Behold them now!

Most enjoyable day yesterday, revisiting St Mary’s, Kidlington, where in 1974-6 I helped Richard Vendome build an organ at the west end, based on the Fr Willis previously in the north transept. It has choruswork made for us by Giesecke, who also made the spectacular horizontal trumpet. The late Martin Goetze and Kenneth Tickell did most of the voicing. David Hewett, Richard and I played, as did George Inscoe, who gave the world premiere of Richard’s Eclats, specially composed for the event. Amazing to think that forty years has passed — my entire working life. The organ sounds as good as ever and works well. Very happy about that!

Just back from a highly enjoyable couple of days at Aylsham in Norfolk, where last night I gave the third recital in the re-opening series on a remarkable 1911 Norman & Beard. Henry Willis & Co has recently completed an immaculate restoration, including its complex pneumatic action and its rare push stop/button console, as designed by the blind Alfred Hollins. It sounds a treat.