Recorded between April 2005 and August 2006 using a pair of Røde NT2 microphones and digital recording equipmentProducers: Harry Bramma, Nicolas Kynaston, David Titterington, William McVickerRecording Engineer: Christopher TownEditing and Mastering: Timothy YeoCD and website Design: Peter Craik
An introduction to the double CD of organs South of the Thames - page 2
How can I purchase a copy of the CD? - page 3
Grand Chorus: Track listing and links: Compact Disc 1 Compact Disc 2 - page 4
The organs used for this recording: an overview by Harry Bramma - page 13
An architectural summary by Barrie Clark - page15
Of organs, organ-builders, composers and South London by William McVicker - page 16
A note on pitch by William McVicker - page 19
Organ Studies at the Royal Academy of Music by David Titterington - page 21
Southwark and South London Society of Organists by John Webber - page 22
A note on the recording by Christopher Town - page 23
Artist Biographies - page 24
Thanks - page 28
'Grand Chorus'
An introduction to the double CD of organs South of the Thames
This project followed the compilation of a list of historic and important organs in the Diocese of Southwarkprompted by the Newman Report. The authors were Dr Harry Bramma, Barrie Clark and Dr William McVicker,Organ Advisers to the Diocese of Southwark. They teamed up with David Titterington, Head of Organ Studies atthe Royal Academy of Music, and Southwark and South London Society of Organists, as all parties realised thevalue of a scheme to record for posterity significant instruments in Southwark and beyond, whilst at the sametime giving students the opportunity to gain experience not only of recording but also of matching chosenrepertoire to the style of the individual instruments. We are delighted, therefore, to present this unique recording.
The project has not been without its challenges. Some recordings were made on 7 July 2005, the day of theterrorist bombings in London. Having decided to proceed on that day, to maintain a level of continuity in thecapital, the organists and engineers coped patiently with interference from traffic noise and emergency services.Some of the recordings were made in difficult circumstances, e.g., churches located in areas of dense housingand in close proximity to main roads, railway stations, flight-paths and so on. Some sessions coincided withschool playtimes, and each of the instruments needed tuning preparation, some requiring a good deal ofattention to bring them to a state worthy of recording. There were, though, many enjoyable moments during theproject, and some of these are recorded on the project website.
Many of the instruments recorded here are in a remarkable state of preservation - notably the organs atBermondsey, Camberwell and Rotherhithe; additionally they retain their original pitch. Listening to the tracks oneafter another on these CDs tends to highlight the variety of surviving pitches and temperaments, and a note onthis is offered below. We see this as part of the legacy of organ-building in this area of the country and hope thatit will enhance enjoyment of the instruments. A certain level of mechanical noise is generated by these organs,and we have sought to capture the performances and resisted any attempt to clean up the recordings to a pointwhere they no longer give an honest representation of the instruments as found in their respective locations.
William McVicker co-ordinated the project, aided by our producers, Harry Bramma, Nicolas Kynaston and DavidTitterington, recording engineer Christopher Town, and editor Tim Yeo. The logistics and planning of each visitwere complicated, and we are indebted to each parish for enabling access to be straightforward. At each venuegenerous assistance from incumbents, organists, churchwardens and parish administrators enabled the team tohave free access to the buildings, and at each one we met with kindness. This turned a substantial logistical taskinto a genuine pleasure. We have recorded below our thanks to all those concerned.
Harry BrammaWilliam McVickerDavid Titterington
'Grand Chorus'
How can I purchase a copy of the CD?
Please Contact the Organ Department Administrator at the Royal Academy of Music Tel: 020 7873 7373 or write to this address for more details: Organ Department Royal Academy of MusicMarylebone Road, London NW1 5HT
The recording can be bought in person from Academy Chimes, the music shop at the Royal Academy of Music.
You can also buy the discs by sending a cheque made payable to 'Southwark and South London Society ofOrganists' for £14 (including UK postage and packaging) to:Christopher Town Recording Service96 Ridgeway Drive, Bromley, Kent BR1 5DD. Tel: 020 8851 9116; Email: [email protected] you require the CD to be posted abroad, please email for full details of the postage costs, stating the addressto which you'd like the CD to be sent.
'Grand Chorus'
Organs South of the Thames: CD1
Track 1 Simon Preston (b. 1938) Alleluyas Alexander Eadon at Dulwich St Barnabas Kenneth Tickell & Company, 1996; recorded on 8 July 2005
More information about Simon Preston
Dulwich, St Barnabas: Parish websiteSpecification of the organ Organ-builder's websiteRoyal College of Organists PDFPhotographs of the organ
Track2 Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) Andante and Variations Thomas Wilson at Rotherhithe, St Mary Byfield, 1763, Russell, 1816 and 1828-9, Gray & Davison, 1864, 1876, 1881-2, restored Mander, 1959 and 1975and Goetze & Gwynn, 1991; recorded on 5 July 2005
More information about Felix Mendelssohn
Rotherhithe, St Mary:Parish websiteSpecification of the organ Organ-builder's website Associated website: BBC London walk Photographs of the organ
Tracks 3–6 Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934) Sonata in G, Op. 28 [3] Allegro maestosoRiccardo Bonci at Beddington, St Mary T.C. Lewis, 1869, Willis, 1903, 1933, 1957 and 1992; recorded on 6 June 2006
[4] Allegretto [5] Andante espressivo Ourania Gassiou at the organ of Christ Church, Streatham Hill, formerly in Thornton Heath United
Reformed Church William Hill & Sons, c.1886, restored by Michael Buttolph, 1998; recorded on 6 July 2005
[6] Presto (comodo) Arnfinn Tobiassen at Upper Norwood, St John the EvangelistT.C. Lewis, 1882 with later alterations, Willis, 1927, N.P. Mander, 1947, Harrison & Harrison, 1999; recorded on19 August 2006
More information about Sir Edward Elgar
Beddington, St Mary:Parish websiteSpecification of the organ via the NPOR Organ-tuner's website Photographs of the organ
Streatham, Christ Church:Parish website Specification of the organ Other associated web pages
Upper Norwood, St John the Evangelist:Parish website Specification of the organ Organ-builder's website Associated web page: British Institute of Organ Studies Photographs of the organ
Track 7Herbert Howells (1892-1983) Psalm Prelude, Op.32, No.2 'But the meek-spirited shall possess the earth; and shall be refreshed in the multitude of peace.'Adam Baker at Merstham, St KatherineHarrison & Harrison, 1913 and 1934; recorded on 6 July 2005
More information about Herbert Howells
Merstham, St Katharine:Parish website Specification of the organ Organ-builder's website Photos of the Church Photographs of the organ
Track 8Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) Impromptu, Op.78, No.1 William McVicker at Woodcote (Purley), St MarkJ.W.Walker & Sons, 1915, Harrison & Harrison, c.1951; recorded on 11 July 2006
More information about Samuel Coleridge-Taylor More information about Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Woodcote, St Mark:Parish website Specification of the organ
Track 9William Boyce (1711-1779) Voluntary I in D: Larghetto - Vivace Jessica Cottis at Deptford, St PaulWilliam Drake, 2004; recorded on 7 July 2005
More information about William Boyce
Deptford, St Paul:Parish website Specification of the organ Organ-builder's website Associated web page Photographs of the organ
Track 10Aleksandr Nisse (b.1979) Improvisation Aleksandr Nisse at Clapham, Holy Spirit Hunter & Sons, 1914 and 1921; Vincent Coggin, 2001-2; recorded on 26 June 2006
More information about Aleksandr Nisse
Clapham, Holy Spirit:Parish website Specification of the organ
Track 11William Thomas Best (1826-1897) Adagio in D (from Sonata in G) Sunny Son at South Norwood, Holy InnocentsNorman Bros. & Beard, 1898; British Institute of Organ Studies Historic Organs Certificate; recorded 6 June2006
More information about William Thomas Best: Liverpool bustMore information about William Thomas Best: wikipedia
South Norwood, Holy Innocents:Parish website Specification of the organ
Track 12Thomas Attwood (1765-1838) Dirge 'Perform'd At the Funeral of Lord Viscount Nelson ... St Paul's Cathedral 9th January 1806.'Joseph Fort at Bermondsey, St JamesJ.C. Bishop, 1829, 1877 and 1975; restored Goetze & Gwynn, 2002; recorded on 5 July 2005
Bermondsey, St James:Parish website Specification of the organ Organ-builder's website Other associated web page Photographs of the organ
Track 13Vincent Novello (1781-1861), arr. Sir John Stainer (1840-1901) Diapason Movement in D David Titterington at Camberwell, St Giles J.C. Bishop, 1844 (opened by S.S. Wesley), 1891 and 1961 (with Ralph Downes); British Institute of OrganStudies Historic Organs Certificate; recorded 27 June 2006
More information about Vincent Novello More information about Sir John Stainer
Camberwell, St Giles:Parish website Specification of the organ Organ-builder's website
Track 14Sir Edward Bairstow (1874-1946) Scherzo (from Sonata in E flat) Martin Ford at Southwark Cathedral T.C. Lewis, 1897, Willis, 1952, Harrison & Harrison Ltd, 1986 and 1991; recorded on 9 June 2005
More information about Sir Edward Bairstow
Southwark Cathedral:Website Specification of the organ Organ-builder's website Other associated web page Photographs of the organ
Track 1 Alfred Hollins (1865-1942) Concert Overture in C minor David Pipe at Croydon Parish ChurchWilliam Hill & Son, 1869, 1871 and 1893; Harrison & Harrison, 1937, 1969 and 2000; recorded on 2 June 2006
More information about Alfred Hollins More information about Alfred Hollins
Croydon Parish Church:Parish website Specification of the organ Organ-builder's website Other associated web page Photographs of the organ
Track 2Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-1876) Choral Song [and Fugue] Riccardo Bonci at Bermondsey, St JamesJ.C. Bishop, 1829, 1877 and 1975; restored Goetze & Gwynn, 2002; recorded on 5 July 2005
More information about Samuel Sebastian Wesley
Bermondsey, St James:Parish website Specification of the organ Organ-builder's website Other associated web page: Building ConservationOther associated web page: British Institute of Organ Studies article Photographs of the organ
Track 3Henry Smart (1813-1879) Andante No. 1 in G Karl Dorman at Wandsworth, Holy Trinity Henry Willis, 1889, 1901, 1911 and 1960; recorded on 7 July 2005
More information about Henry Smart
Wandsworth, Holy Trinity:Parish website Specification of the organ
Track 4Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934), arr. Sir George C. Martin (1844-1916) Imperial March, Op.32 Andrew Scott at Tooting Graveney, All Saints Harrison & Harrison, 1907, 1946 and 1992; recorded on 7 July 2005
More information about Sir Edward Elgar
Tooting, All Saints:Parish website Specification of the organ Organ-builder's website Other associated web page Photographs of the organ
Track 5Samuel Wesley (1766-1837) Duetto [for Eliza] No. 6 in B flat: Moderately slow — Lively David Titterington and William McVicker at Merstham, The Epiphany H.C. Lincoln, c.1810, formerly in Hellesdon (Norfolk), St Mary until 1950, restored Mander, 1965; recorded on 6July 2005
Merstham, The Epiphany:Parish website Specification of the organ Organ-builder's website
Track 6Samuel Wesley (1766-1837) Air John Webber at Hither Green, St SwithunConacher 1880s (sometimes attributed to Abbot), formerly in Blenheim Palace, Willis 1959; recorded on 11-12July 2006
Hither Green, St Swithun:Parish website Specification of the organ Organ-builder's website Other associated web pagePhotographs of the organ
Track 7Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) Prelude and Fugue, Op.37, No.2 in G major Alexander Eadon at West Croydon, St Michael and All Angels 'Father' Henry Willis, 1873 and 1901, N.P. Mander, 1955 and 1989; recorded on 7 June 2006
More information about Felix Mendelssohn
West Croydon, St Michael & All Angels:Parish website Specification of the organ Organ-builder's website Other associated web page Photographs of the organ
Track 8Sir William Harris (1883-1973) Prelude in E flat Nic Turner at Camberwell, St Giles J.C. Bishop, 1844 (opened by S.S. Wesley), 1891 and 1961 (with Ralph Downes); British Institute of OrganStudies Historic Organs Certificate; recorded 27 June 2006
More information about Sir William Harris
Camberwell, St Giles:Parish website Specification of the organ Organ-builder's website
Track 9William Russell (1777-1813) Voluntary XI in E minor: Largo - Fugue: Allegro - Andantino Jessica Cottis at Deptford St PaulWilliam Drake, 2004; recorded on 7 July 2005
More information about William Russell
Deptford, St Paul Parish website Specification of the organ Organ-builder's website Other associated web pagePhotographs of the organ
Track 10Frank Bridge (1879-1941) Adagio in E Aleksandr Nisse at the organ of Clapham, Holy Spirit Hunter & Sons, 1914 and 1921, Vincent Coggin, 2001-2; recorded on 26 June 2006.
More information about Frank Bridge
Clapham, Holy Spirit:Parish website Specification of the organ
Track 11Francis Edward Bache (1833-1858) Andante and Allegro Ourania Gassiou at Tulse Hill, Holy TrinityNorman & Beard, 1896, rebuilt Harrison & Harrison, 1993; recorded on 13 June 2006
More information about Francis Edward Bache
Tulse Hill, Holy Trinity:Parish website Specification of the organOrgan-builder's website
Track 12Alfred Hollins (1865-1942) A Song of Sunshine Arnfinn Tobiassen at Tooting, St AugustineT.C. Lewis, 1875 and 1893, Saxon Aldred, 1995, formerly in Dulwich, St Peter; recorded on June 6 2006
Tooting, St Augustine:Parish website Specification of the organ Other associated web pages
Track 13Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924) Fantasia and Toccata, Op.57 Eleni Keventsidou at the Royal Festival HallHarrison & Harrison Ltd/Ralph Downes, 1954/2000; recorded on 11 April 2005
More information about Sir Charles Villiers Stanford
Royal Festival HallWebsite Specification of the organ Organ-builder's website More information and photos of the organ
The Diocese of Southwark has arguably the finest collection of organs in England — ranging across 243 yearsfrom the Byfield instrument in St Mary's, Rotherhithe (1763) to the new organ by William Drake in the eighteenth-century case at St Paul's, Deptford.
The two discs aim to present something of the richness and variety of South London organs — though thetwenty-two organs recorded here by no means form an exhaustive list. The important new organs in the diocese— by Frobenius (Kingston-upon-Thames and Shirley), Marcussen (Putney), Nicholson (Woodmansterne) andothers await recording. Some instruments have attracted attention through notoriety: the Grant, Degens &Bradbeer in Westcombe Park was formerly in the Undercroft Chapel, House of Commons; it replaced a Hope-Jones which possessed his unusual Tibia Mollis stop; the much-altered and unplayable Hope-Jones at AllSaints', West Norwood still has Diaphonic Horns; Hill's fine, large four-manual in St Peter's, Streatham is not in agood enough condition to record. There are many others — but as an example we have included the Conacherat Hither Green, formerly in the Long Library at Blenheim Palace and usurped by the splendid 'Father' Willisorgan of 1891.
Of the three oldest organs, St Mary's, Rotherhithe, as altered by Gray & Davison with 'German' compasses, andSt James's, Bermondsey are amazing survivals — particularly the latter, an instrument by J.C. Bishop of 1829,largely unaltered and recently restored by Goetze & Gwynn with a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. It is arare example of a large three-manual organ with pedals which still retains the old English G compasses. TheChoir and Great begin at 10-foot G whilst the 20-foot G-compass Pedal department is awesome.
In a quite different style, the c.1810 Lincoln organ at the Church of the Epiphany, Merstham, in the Church of StMary, Hellesdon, Norfolk until 1950, is a wonderful survival, too. The tone of the instruments speaks of anotherera.
As one might expect in Southwark, Lewis has the largest representation in these recordings. The four organsfound here give a good, well-contrasted account of this remarkable South London builder, from the early three-manual at St Mary's, Beddington (1869), the three-manual at St Augustine's, Tooting (1875), originally in StPeter's, Dulwich Wood, and his magnum opus at Southwark Cathedral (1897) to the glorious instrument at StJohn the Evangelist, Upper Norwood (1882, revised by Lewis & Co. in 1912).
The work of Harrison & Harrison is well represented by two landmark instruments — All Saints', Tooting (1907)and the Royal Festival Hall (1954). The charming multum in parvo two-manual of 1913 at St Katherine's,Merstham provides an interesting contrast with the larger instruments; all three Harrison organs are in identifiablydifferent styles.
'Father' Henry Willis did not build many instruments south of the river, but the two recorded here are notable —the unaltered three-manual at Holy Trinity, Wandsworth (1889), with the impressive chalumeau register of theChoir Corno di Bassetto, and the largely original three-manual at St Michael and All Angels, West Croydon(1882), augmented by Mander in 1955.
The work of Hill is represented by two quite different organs. The one at Christ Church, Streatham Hill, originallyin Thornton Heath United Reformed Church, is very much older Hill vintage with pneumatic-lever coupling; it iscontemporary with the organ at Sydney Town Hall (1889). The organ at Croydon Parish Church isquintessentially the smoother Edwardian Hill, now somewhat altered by Harrison & Harrison in 1969.
The work of Norman & Beard can also be seen in two quite different varieties. The three-manual, mechanical-action 'Norman Bros. & Beard' scheme in the church of Holy Innocents, South Norwood probably dates from1898, and was awarded an Historic Organs Certificate (HOC) by the British Institute of Organ Studies. It featuresa modest leathered Large Open Diapason, a genuine, imported French Vox Humana, and a flue ensemble
almost worthy of Cavaillé-Coll. Its unforced voicing is very different from that at the 'Norman & Beard' organ inHoly Trinity, Tulse Hill, built in the same year, but now with fulsome Romantic voicing and two weights of wind onGreat and Swell, all underpinned by a formidable Pedal Ophicleide.
No disc of South London organs would be complete without an example of the work of Alfred Hunter, who hadhis works in Clapham. The organ at the Church of the Holy Spirit, Clapham has very much the ring ofauthenticity about it, started in 1914 and partially finished in 1921. Recently the organ was beautifully restored byVincent Coggin through the generosity of a Heritage Lottery Award. Plans are now in hand to complete theinstrument using unaltered contemporary Hunter pipework from redundant instruments.
The Edwardian work of J.W. Walker is not well represented in the Diocese; the organ in St Mark's, Woodcote inPurley, dating from 1915, is therefore all the more interesting. Immediately apparent is the huge dynamic rangeof the organ, from its barely audible Choir Gamba to the tutti, which is crowned with a substantial free-tonedTrumpet.
Finally, two instruments which represent modern British organ-building — St Barnabas, Dulwich (1996) byKenneth Tickell, a fine and versatile three-manual organ, and the equally impressive, but very different, three-manual by William Drake at St Paul's, Deptford.
These discs represent a comprehensive historical anthology of organ tone, of instruments large and small, and ofthe very finest products of a number of first-rank English organ-builders.
Harry Bramma
'Grand Chorus'
An architectural summary
The varied character of the Diocese of Southwark, stretching from the industrial and commercial areas close tothe Thames in the north, to countryside on the Sussex border in the south, has an equally diverse heritage ofchurches. Some are mediaeval and remain the centre of earlier villages. Many but by no means all have beenheavily restored or enlarged; a few are still largely unspoiled and in truly rural settings. The variety of churcheswhich protect these organs reflects the development of South London, with the steady growth and migration of itspopulation since the eighteenth century. Sometimes the organs are more engaging than the churches. It isinteresting to note that many of these recordings were made in significant architectural buildings.
Southwark Cathedral is an amalgam of many styles and periods, all happily blending together. Beddington is alarge former village church dating from the eleventh to the nineteenth century, with an outstanding organ screenof 1869 by Morris & Company. St Katherine's, Merstham, still a village church, dates from the early thirteenthcentury onwards. Croydon Parish Church, formerly the largest mediaeval church in Surrey, was destroyed by fireand rebuilt by Scott in 1870. The fine chancel organ case is by his son John Oldrid Scott.
The magnificent baroque church at Deptford (1713-30), by Thomas Archer, is one of England's most importantbuildings. St James's, Bermondsey (1827-9), by James Savage, is a fine Commissioners' church in thefashionable Greek style. Christ Church, Streatham Hill (1840-1) by J. Wild is impressive, and an importantexample of the Rundbogenstil or round-arch style, and is well-sited to be noticed from a distance.
St Giles's, Camberwell (1841-4), by Scott and Moffat, introduces the gothic revival with the Early English style.Externally it is a commanding design and its plain interior has recently been renovated. St John's, UpperNorwood (1876-7) is one of J.L. Pearson's outstanding designs. Even more magnificent is his design for StMichael's, Croydon — a veritable cathedral in miniature. Here Bodley's organ cases are equally splendid. HolyInnocents, South Norwood, 1894-5 is by Bodley, with windows by Kempe; it is a competent design as one wouldexpect from this fine architect and is one of Southwark's hidden gems. All Saints', Tooting Graveney, constructedbetween 1904 and 1906, is a very elegant church by Temple Moore, containing many fine Italian furnishings. Theorgan case is by Walter Tapper.
The only building which is not a church, the Royal Festival Hall, was designed in 1948 by Robert Matthew andSir Leslie Martin — an outstanding and iconic design. This was Britain's first major public building in acontemporary style. St Barnabas's Dulwich brings us up to date; the new church was constructed following thefire of 1992. It is also a contemporary design in which the organ case is fully integrated with the design of theinterior.
This recording not only reflects the best of Southwark's organs but the great wealth of buildings, without whichthe organs could not exist
Barrie Clark
'Grand Chorus'
Of organs, organ-builders,composers and South London
Many of the composers recorded here have a connection with South London, and the various associations aredetailed below.
Having said that, Sir Edward Bairstow's Sonata was written on the Aran Isles in 1937. The Scherzo perfectlydemonstrates the wide range of colour obtainable from T.C. Lewis's organ in Southwark Cathedral, his last greatinstrument and probably the finest in South of the Thames. The Byfield/Gray & Davison organ at Rotherhithewas chosen for the Andante and Variations of Mendelssohn, whose Prelude and Fugue in G is also included. Inaddition to owning a fine town house in Upper Cheyne Row, Chelsea, Thomas Attwood owned an out-of-townvilla at Beulah Hill. During the early part of the nineteenth century Beulah Hill was a spa resort; it is in acommanding position, well away from the London smog and overlooks Surrey to the south and the whole ofLondon to the north. Attwood's villa, Roselawn, was situated close by, only yards from Harold Road, where, thirtyyears later, the conductor August Manns and writer Sir George Grove were to own properties. Mendelssohn wasa guest at Roselawn both in 1829 and 1832. The composer had an accident in 1829, having been thrown from acabriolet in central London. Attwood kindly sent him a get-well hamper and, later, an invitation to his villa inUpper Norwood. The South London historian Alan Warwick tells the story in his book The Pheonix Suburb:'There is a musical composition by Mendelssohn entitled The Evening Bell. It bears the date "Norwood, Surrey,November 1829", and is a little piece for harp and pianoforte. The circumstances surrounding the compositionare that a large party of friends had been to Roselawn to meet Mendelssohn, who had to return to London thatnight. He was in high spirits, and had been extemporising on the piano in his best manner accompanied on theharp by Attwood's daughter. While the music was in progress a ring was heard on the gate bell. It was thecoachman announcing the arrival of the carriage that was to carry him back to London. The summons wasunheeded. It was repeated again and again, till at last Mendelssohn reluctantly dragged himself away from hisfriends. Back in his lodgings in London, and before going to bed, he sat down and composed the piece, and nextday sent it to Attwood and his daughter with a dedication in his own hand-writing. The melody of The EveningBell is frequently interrupted by the gate bell note (A) — an affectionate echo of that musical evening on BeulahHill.'
As a lasting tribute to the friendship between the two composers, Mendelssohn dedicated his Three Preludesand Fugues for Organ, Op.37 to Attwood, who was organist of St Paul's Cathedral between 1796 and 1838. Itseems appropriate to include the second of these works on this recording, together with his less-well-knownAndante and Variations. Attwood's own Dirge, 'Perform'd At the Funeral of Lord Viscount Nelson … St Paul'sCathedral … 9th January 1806' is played on the J.C. Bishop organ at Bermondsey; Attwood owned a house-organ made by Bishop, whom he engaged to work on the organ at St Paul's Cathedral, and he oftenrecommended him to parishes as a good organ-builder.
In attempting to claim Sir Edward Elgar as a composer with South London connections, it is possible to recordthat on 10 October 1889 the great composer moved to 'Oaklands', Fountain Road (now Drive) in UpperNorwood, so that he could be close to the Crystal Palace in order to hear the concerts there — and at which hehoped to get his compositions played. The last movement of his Sonata in G (1895) is recorded here on the fineLewis organ in the Church of St John the Evangelist, Auckland Road, Upper Norwood. The first movement isrecorded on another Lewis organ, this time using the earlier instrument in St Mary's, Beddington. His Sonatawas given its premiere on the four-manual Hill organ in Worcester Cathedral built in 1874. The large Hill organnow at Christ Church, Streatham has therefore been used to record the inner movements of the Sonata.
Although it is possible tenuously to connect William Boyce with South London — he composed songs for thepleasure gardens at Vauxhall — and Herbert Howells, who lived for many years at Barnes, it is difficult to find anexcuse to include music by Vincent Novello or Frank Bridge. Novello's great love was for the music of J.S. Bach— an interest he shared with Samuel Wesley, whose Duetto for his daughter Eliza is included here on the c.1810H.C. Lincoln organ now in the Church of The Epiphany, Merstham. Wesley and Novello were regular duet
partners, but whether they ever shared the bench at St James's, Bermonsdey seems unlikely, as the two hadfallen out at the time the organ was built. The 1829 Bishop organ, with its curious finger-pedalboard, wouldcertainly have been a convenient vehicle on which to explore the works of Bach, particularly as performing themat the organ required the third-hand technique. Samuel Wesley named his son after the great master, and in duecourse, on 8 January 1829, Samuel Sebastian Wesley became organist at St Giles's, Camberwell, a post fromwhich he resigned in November 1832. Wesley later returned to design, and give the opening recital on, theBishop organ at Camberwell in 1844 in the new church. The inter-connecting Bach theme is neatly threadedtogether here with music by Sir William Harris (a chorister at Tulse Hill), whose Prelude 'Composed in theThomaskirche, Leipzig, August, 1931' is played by the present organist at St Giles, and Samuel SebastianWesley's great Choral Song — for that is the proper title of this prelude and fugue — on the other fine Bishoporgan in Southwark, at St James's, Bermondsey.
Other tenuous links with South London may be observed in the careers of William Russell and Sir CharlesVilliers Stanford. The former studied music with William Cope, then 'organist at Southwark'; Stanford's music, onthe other hand, was well featured at the Crystal Palace concerts, and he must have been a regular visitor toNorwood to hear the concerts directed by Manns.
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was an Afro-British composer who lived at Aldwick, St Leonard's Road, Croydon —close to Croydon Parish Church. He is well known for Hiawatha's Wedding Feast, and his career has acquiredan almost iconic status. The score is based on Longfellow's poem and Coleridge-Taylor later sold it to hispublishers for a depressingly small sum and consequently earned nothing from its huge success. On 28 August1912, he collapsed at West Croydon Station from overwork. After struggling home and taking to his bed, wherehe continued to work on his Violin Concerto, he died a few days later at the age of 37 and was buried at BandonHill Cemetery. The scandal which attached to his publishers' refusal to pass on any royalties to his widowbecame the impetus behind the formation of the Performing Rights Society, which was established two yearsafter Coleridge-Taylor's death.
Alfred Hollins is one of South London's most distinguished organists. Although not born south of the Thames, in1878 he moved to the College for the Blind in Norwood, where he continued his studies. Hollins lived betweenNorwood and Gypsy Hill at 'Clovelly', Alexandra Road (now Drive). In his book A Blind Musician Looks Back hedescribes in detail the route from his home to the organ console at the Royal Albert Hall. Hollins's book is aremarkable catalogue of meetings and encounters with the most distinguished musicians of his day. From itspages, for example, we get possibly the only recorded glimpse into the character of his great friend the SouthLondon organ-builder Thomas Christopher Lewis. Hollins records: 'One could not know Lewis all at once. Hewas a big, heavy man, slow in movement and speech. He had a lethargic and melancholy way of speaking, butwhen he was annoyed — and in spite of his slowness he was easily roused — he could be terrifying to anyonewho had angered him. I knew he could teach me a great deal about organs, and I wanted to ask him countlessquestions, but could not bring myself to do so. But once I had got used to his peculiarities of manner he taughtme a great deal, and as time went on he got into the habit of consulting me about organ matters, especially thelaying out of a console, &c. Before he brought out his combination key-touches he came to our house and tookout of his pocket ten small pieces of ivory of key-touch shape and placed them between the black keys of thepiano in different groups, as he thought they should be placed on an organ. I suggested a slight alteration. Hesuggested another. So we went on for an hour. It was always the same with anything new he was trying; he usedto take hours, sometimes days, before he could satisfy himself. At one time he took up bell-founding, and toldme that when he received an order for a ring of bells for St Andrew's, Wells Street, he cast nearly seventy bellsbefore he could get eight that satisfied him as being even in tone.'
The reader wishing to know more of the musical and organological world during Hollins's lifetime will not bedisappointed with his book. He relates encounters with W.T. Best, 'Father' Henry Willis (and later members ofthe dynasty), the brewer John Courage and his family and stories of S.S. Wesley, who, under the influence ofdrink, tried to play the front steps of his house as if they were organ manuals. It seems apposite to record two ofHollins's works as a tribute to this remarkable musician — the Concert Overture in C minor on the Hill/ Harrison& Harrison organ in Croydon Parish Church (Hollins describes playing the Sydney Town Hall organ whilst fullyconstructed in Hill's workshop and during a recital trip to Australia) and his lyrical Song of Sunshine on an organby his friend Lewis. Of the origins of his Concert Overture in C minor, Hollins writes: 'My visit to Paris [1895] hadbeen well worth while … for the experience it brought me from those three great organists, Guilmant, Dubois andClarence Eddy. As a slight acknowledgement of Clarence Eddy's kindness I wrote my second concert overturefor the organ and dedicated it to him. It is a better and more "solid" composition than the first overture, butrequires a bigger organ. It wears well.'
Hollins speaks in almost reverential tones (as he does of his teacher E.J. Hopkins) of the work, personality,compositions and performing style of Henry Smart, whose Andante in G is recorded on the 'Father' Willis organat Holy Trinity, Wandsworth. Smart, like Lewis, was fond of bell tone. Hollins reports that Smart considered theclock bell of St Paul's Cathedral the finest he had ever heard — a deep A flat. 'How fine I thought it then', reports
Hollins, 'and how fine I think it now with its big splash of harmonics.' Smart arranged the chimes for a fine clockmade by Dent for T.C. Lewis, for which there were eight chiming bells and a ninth to strike the hour. Smartbecame blind later in life, which probably helped cement the affinity Hollins felt for him.
Of his encounters with 'Father' Willis, Hollins writes kindly, but on W.T. Best's views of Willis — especially afterthe two had famously fallen out — the blind musician is particularly interesting. Having caught a piston with histhumb, Best observed of Hollins (whom he termed 'Alfred the Great'): 'Ah! Now you've got hold of one of Willis'slittle damn tricks for seducing the thumbs'. Several character sketches of W.T. Best exist, notably themonographs by the almost sycophantic admirer John Mewburn Levien. From Hollins we learn more of a criticalnature: although Best was without doubt one of the great performers of the nineteenth century, Hollins did notentirely warm to his style, preferring the staccato touch of Dr Peace (Best's successor at St George's Hall,Liverpool) which Best described as having 'too much of the cat on hot bricks about it'. The Adagio from Best'slittle-known Sonata in D is included on this recording using the organ at Holy Innocents, South Norwood.
It is from Hollins that we learn more of the Birmingham-born pianist and conductor Walter Bache (1842-1888)who, like his brother, Francis Edward Bache (1833-1858), studied in Leipzig. Francis Edward, a pupil ofSterndale Bennett, acquired a distinct prejudice against the music of Liszt (and others), but, curiously, hisbrother, who studied the piano with Liszt, later became, in effect, his ambassador in London and embarked on alife-long crusade to promote his music in England (where, in Liszt's early career, it was fairly universallydespised). How odd, then, that the Francis Edward Bache organ work recorded here contains an almost directquote from Liszt's well-known BACH organ Fantasia and Fugue. Is the English composer poking fun at theLisztian style? Amidst the Verdi-like jollity, is there an in-joke in which Liszt's music is quoted and promptlyrejected in favour of something much more, well, Victorian? Perhaps we will never know the truth.
William McVicker
'Grand Chorus'
A note on pitch
The listener may perceive that many of the instruments recorded here are set at a variety of pitches. A decisionwas made to record the organs warts-and-all, without any digital repitching.
At the height of the British Empire the sheer numbers of British Army-trained musicians, both serving anddemobilised, probably meant that the prevailing concert pitch during the second half of the nineteenth centurywas strongly influenced by the army's regulation pitch. A high pitch was perhaps considered preferable becauseit was perceived as carrying better outdoors and in large spaces. With the rise of the trade unions and formationof colliery bands, this sharp pitch seems to have become quickly established as the standard for outdoor use andin large concert arenas. Massed brass bands met annually at many town and concert halls up and down the land- and notably at the Royal Albert Hall and, of great significance for South London, at the Crystal Palace inSydenham. The Salvation Army also adopted this pitch and the manufacture of instruments at the high pitchcontinued at Boosey & Hawkes until 1964. Naturally, organs needed to accompany such instruments in concertwork and on civic occasions, and so the sharp pitch was adopted in concert halls and major churches.
Fortunately the story of the rise of pitch in Europe, but most particularly in England, is very well documented, byAlexander Ellis, who not only translated Helmholz's work of 1863 On the Sensations of Tone..., but alsopublished On the measurement & Settlement of Musical Pitch (London, 1877) and 'On the History of MusicalPitch' in the Journal of the Society of Arts in 1880.
By way of summary, between 1852 and 1874 the average pitch of the Philharmonic Orchestra, under thedirection of Michael Costa (1846-54), was said to be a1=452.5Hz, a pitch used by Broadwood's pianomanufacturers until 1874, when a1=454 Hz became more usual for concert work.
In the late 1850s Broadwoods were tuning at three pitches: low pitch was a1=433Hz (close to the 1850s FrenchGovernment Commission Diapason Normal pitch of a1=435Hz); this is sometimes known as 'Broadwood's vocalpitch'. Medium pitch was a1=445.9Hz, which seems to have been used most often for domestic pianos. Highpitch, or 'Philharmonic Pitch', was a1=454Hz and was later revised down slightly to 452Hz, perhaps as a result ofCosta's influence.
Whilst in the 1860s disagreements rumbled on at London's Society of Arts, pitch continued to rise, andeventually a so-called 'medium pitch' was established in 1878, at 445.1Hz. British Army regulation pitch of 1859was c2=537.5Hz (or a1=452Hz) and was adopted as the International Exhibition pitch of 1885. When a newseason of concerts was under discussion in London in 1895, a throat specialist named Dr Cathcart offered tofinance the season, but only on condition that pitch be lowered to the French Diapason Normal of a1=435Hz.And thus, by virtue of financial incentive, a lower pitch was introduced in London's concert-making. By way ofcomparison, pitch in America at this time was higher (i.e., c2=560Hz in New York - that's an astonishinga1=457Hz), but the writer does not know of organs in England pitched higher than the 'Philharmonic Pitch' ofc2=540Hz.
In 1896 this 'New Philharmonic Pitch' was agreed as a1=439Hz, the discrepancy - apparently - partly the resultof misunderstandings of the actual pitch of the Diapason Normal of the French Government Commission (thepitch then rose fractionally after the agreement); this was unfortunate, because, despite the 1896 decision, apitch for piano manufacture was agreed internationally from 1899 as a1=435Hz. So there was an immediatediscrepancy between the 435 and 439 pitches. Any agreements at this time seemed only locally and briefly tohold authority.
As with the terms Cammer-Ton and Chor-Ton, we have to exercise care when describing English 'PhilharmonicPitch' - a term which now refers approximately to Cathcart's preferred pitch. 'Philharmonic pitch' has been used todescribe several pitch areas: 'original' Philharmonic pitch in 1813 was a1=425Hz; a pitch approved by Sir GeorgeSmart in 1820 was a1=433z and is called 'Old Philharmonic Pitch'; 'Philharmonic Pitch' was the high pitch of
a1=454z (described above); and finally the 'New Philharmonic Pitch' was a1=439Hz. The irony is that, in order toachieve this pitch, the conductor Sir Henry Wood, who had a meticulous attitude to tuning and acoustics)insisted that his orchestra tuned to two pitches: stringed instruments (whose pitch flattens as temperature rises)to a1=439Hz and winds (which sharpen as temperature rises) to a1=435.4, the idea, presumably, being that thepitches coincided during performance and 'met' somewhere between the two tuning notes. These two tuningforks are preserved in a display cabinet in the Treasury of the York Gate Collections at the Royal Academy ofMusic.
It is an extraordinary testament to the build-quality of many of the instruments recorded here that they havesurvived, by and large, in a fairly unaltered state. This means that the pitches at which they were finished havesurvived too. The instruments from the earlier part of the nineteenth century are found, as expected, to beroughly at what is now considered concert pitch; these instruments include the Bishop organs in Bermondseyand Camberwell, and the Lincoln organ in Merstham. The influence of the high pitch used at the Crystal Palaceconcerts must have had a strong influence on the pitch at which instruments were constructed in South London.Instruments recorded here at Philharmonic Pitch include the Willis organ at Holy Trinity, Wandsworth, the Hill atChrist Church, Streatham, and the Lewis at St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood. Is this recording of theElgar Sonata at the sharp nineteenth-century pitch an authentic 'first'?
By the late 1890s pitch had fallen slightly, as noted above. There are two books from the period that we can callon for assistance. The first is Thomas Elliston's Organs and Tuning: A Practical Handbook for Organists,published in 1894. The pitches he gives for c2 are 517Hz, 530Hz (actually Broadwood's medium pitch of 538Hzor a1=444Hz), and 540Hz (or a1=454Hz). These he describes as being 'now in use'. For the pitch of c2=535Hz(449.9Hz) we have to look to T.C. Lewis's A Protest against the Modern Development of Unmusical Tone,published in 1897. It seems that this pitch emerged in the mid-1890s as a compromise between 530 and 540Hz.
By way of a summary of these confusing pitches, a table follows:
Pitch description a1 c2'High', 'concert' or 'Philharmonic Pitch' 454Hz 540HzCosta's 1852-1874 Philharmonic pitch (sometimes called 'British Army Regulation Pitch' forthe 1885 Exhibition) 452.5Hz 537.5Hz
Lewis 'protest' pitch (1897) 'Diapason normal' 450Hz 535HzBroadwood's Medium pitch ('530Hz') 444Hz 528HzModern concert pitch 440Hz 523.25HzNew Philharmonic pitch 1896 'Cathcart's' 439Hz 522HzFrench Diapason Normal pitch of 1859 (sometimes called Broadwood's 'vocal pitch') 435Hz 517Hz
The Department of Organ Studies atthe Royal Academy of Music
'The players' expertise was astonishing' (The Times, April 2003, Royal Festival Hall's contemporary organ music project).
The Royal Academy of Music is 'one of the great conservatoires of the world, a powerhouse that has producedthe great and the famous from Sir Simon Rattle to Sir Elton John', The Guardian, October 2004.
The Academy's Organ Department has a worldwide reputation for training both soloists and church musiciansand attracts students from throughout Europe, the United States of America, China, Russia, Australia and NewZealand.
Its distinguished teaching faculty offers a diverse range of specialist performance courses, includingcontemporary music, improvisation, historical performance, and organology (repertoire, organ construction andperformance practice). These courses are complemented by regular masterclasses by such distinguishedteachers as Marie-Claire Alain, Daniel Chorzempa, Helmut Deutsch, Kenneth Gilbert, Kei Koito, Jon Laukvik,Wijnand van de Pol and Daniel Roth. In June 2002, a pioneering harmonium course began under the direction ofAnne Page, and remains the only course of its type in the country.
Students have regular access to organs in the 'classical' and nineteenth-century French symphonic traditions.The four-manual classical organ by Rieger in nearby St Marylebone Parish Church is part-owned by theAcademy and used as its main teaching instrument, as well as a two-manual organ after the great Frenchbuilder, Cavaillé-Coll. A rare Neapolitan organ of 1763 by Michelangelo & Carlo Sanarica, restored in Italy byRiccardo Lorenzini, was installed in the David Josefowitz Recital Hall in 2004. A two-manual Orgue-Celestaharmonium by Alphonse Mustel was purchased for the Academy in 2003, and is in the Keyboard Gallery of theYork Gate Museum.
In recent years, many Academy organ students have gained prizes in international competitions includingOdense (First Prize); Grand Prix Bach de Lausanne (Prix de la Presse); St Moritz (Third Prize); St Albans(Audience Prize); many other former students now hold cathedral appointments, e.g., Westminster, St Paul's,London, Canterbury, Salisbury and Southwark.
The London Society of Organists was established in 1930 and the present Society was its South EasternBranch. From 1961 the Branch became the Southwark and South London Society, with Harold Dexter (thenDirector of Music at Southwark Cathedral) as the first Chairman; the Vice Chairman was Malcolm Hubble. Inthose days the Committee met at Henry Willis's home, The White House in Palace Road, Tulse Hill.
Ever since its beginnings, meetings of the Society have been held for the benefit of organists who are interestedin organ music. These events usually take place in our own area, but sometimes much further afield. TheSociety is ecumenical and meetings take place in churches of all denominations; occasionally visits have been toschools and even stately homes, such as Blenheim Palace.
Southwark Cathedral has often been used as a venue, and the Society has had a long association with variousDirectors of Music there. In June 2005, to celebrate the ninetieth birthday of the ever-young E. H. (John) Warrell,who left Southwark in 1976, the Society and the Dean, the Very Reverend Colin Slee, arranged a weekend ofmusical events involving Mr Warrell and his two successors, Dr Harry Bramma (1976-1989) and the presentDirector, Peter Wright. Harry, who has been a guiding light behind the present recording, went on to become theDirector of the Royal School of Church Music, then based at Addington Palace, near Croydon, and also AllSaints', Margaret Street, in London's West End.
A typical annual format for the Society in recent years: a February visit to about three churches in an area in ornear South London (Beckenham, Greenwich and Clapham); an Annual General Meeting at a venue where theorgan is demonstrated and then tried out by many of those present; a summer visit out of the area. We have nowbegun to venture into France (Calais, Boulogne, St Omer) and Belgium (especially Ypres). Staying in thiscountry, we have had summer jaunts to Winchester, Purbeck and Laycock (in Wiltshire); an early autumnmeeting locally. Sometimes this is an all-day educational or training event, with a theme such as 'improvisation'or 'liturgical accompaniment', with invited experts such as Anne Marsden Thomas and Martin Baker. Youngpeople have had a chance to demonstrate their skills, as in 2004 at St Barnabas, Dulwich. Finally, there's anannual meal, often in central London.
Some of our members have given a lot of their energy to the Society and gone on to lead distinguished careers:Peter Barley has been Director of Music of St Marylebone Parish Church and, since 2002, St Patrick'sCathedral, Dublin. Carleton Etherington became sub-organist at Leeds Parish Church and, since 1996, has beenorganist of Tewkesbury Abbey. Other long-standing and much-loved members have included Arthur Arnold,Harry Coles, Donald Eggleton, George Fill, John Goode, Gerald Gostling, Raymond Gray, Ray Luckett, ArthurNewell, George Nullis, Charles Poupart and Bill Wilson. Present members include E. H. Warrell, who joined in1930, and Malcolm Hubble (1946).
The Southwark and South London Society is one of many such groups affiliated to the Incorporated Associationof Organists. The membership currently stands at about seventy-five; the Chairman is Paul Gobey, theSecretary Susan Heath-Downey, and the Treasurer Robert Bowles.
John Webber
'Grand Chorus'
A note on the recording
When I was first invited to provide an estimate of costs for recording this project I had only a vagueunderstanding of the scale and significance of the work in which I was to become involved. It would besomething of an understatement to describe my role of recording engineer as 'challenging'. Our schedulesometimes necessitated recording three organs in a day and many were housed in buildings alongside majorroads, railway lines or bus stations. One even featured a nursery percussion class in an adjoining room. I hopethat we have avoided the more obtrusive environmental noises, but we have not attempted to eliminate theunintentional sounds of key-actions, noisy blowers or leaking wind-systems.
All the recordings have been made using a single pair of Røde NT2 microphones mounted on a tall stand andfeeding two DAT recorders via a Mackie 1402-VLZ PRO mixer. In each venue we have tried to position themicrophones in such a way that they captured the clarity of direct sound blended with the building's acoustic.Needless to say, some church buildings have acoustics that provide a wonderful bloom to the organ, whileothers are so 'dead' that a blend is difficult to achieve. At each venue we turned an adjacent room into a studio inorder that the producers and organists were able to listen to the recorded sound via speakers and headphones.We have endeavoured to keep editing to a minimum but some has been inevitable. My colleague Timothy Yeohas carried out this difficult task with tremendous skill.
I believe that this unique partnership between the Royal Academy of Music and the Southwark and SouthLondon Society of Organists has resulted in a fascinating and valuable set of recordings.
It has been a great privilege to work with some outstanding young organists and a distinguished team ofproducers. As you listen to these recordings I hope you will experience something of the excitement andpleasure that we have shared in recording these remarkable organs.
Christopher Town
Christopher Town Recording Service, 96 Ridgeway Drive, Bromley, Kent, BR1 5DD. Tel: 020 8851 9116Email: [email protected]
Photographs of members of the production team
Harry Bramma,Christopher Town andRiccardo Bonci
Sunny Son, ChristopherTown, Arnfinn Tobiassenand David Titterington atSouth Norwood, HolyInnocents
Christopher Town, HarryBramma, Riccardo Bonci, JoFort, Tim Yeo and DavidTitterington at one of the firstsessions in Bermondsey
Ourania Gassiou andNicolas Kynaston atTulse Hill, Holy Trinity
Adam Baker began studying the organ while at the King's School in Canterbury, where he was an Academicand Music scholar. In his gap-year Adam was the organ scholar at Croydon Parish Church. During this time healso took the foundation-year organ course at the Royal Academy of Music. Presently, Adam is the SeniorOrgan Scholar at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he studies History of Art, focusing on Early Mediaeval Artand the Architecture of Britain and Rome.
Riccardo Bonci studied piano and organ in Italy in the conservatoires of Terni andPerugia, and graduated in both instruments cum laude; as a specialism he trainedas an opera répétiteur. Riccardo attended masterclasses with a number ofdistinguished musicians. He took the Postgraduate Performance Organ course atthe Royal Academy of Music, studying with David Titterington and Susan Landaleand graduated in 2005 with Distinction and the award of DipRAM, the Academy'shighest performing award. He held the Academy's Pidem Organ Fellowshipbetween 2005 and 2006. He is currently Organ Scholar at St Barnabas, Dulwich,under the direction of Dr William McVicker.
Jessica Cottis is a first-class honours graduate of the Australian NationalUniversity, where she studied the organ, piano and musicology. Prizewinner in the2000 Australian Young Performers' Competition, she appeared with orchestrasacross Australia and performed at London's Westminster Cathedral a year later.She continued her studies with Nicolas Kynaston and Susan Landale at the RoyalAcademy of Music on a postgraduate course, where she was recipient of theWhalley and E. Power Biggs Awards. She is Musical Director of The King's Operaand most recently conducted Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro. In 2006 Jessica will jointhe Academy's postgraduate conducting course.
Martin Ford is currently Organ Scholar at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he is reading Music. Prior to this, hetook a gap-year, during which he was the Organ Scholar at Southwark Cathedral and studied at the RoyalAcademy of Music with Susan Landale and David Titterington. He currently studies with David Sanger. He hasgiven numerous organ recitals, at venues including Douai Abbey, Romsey Abbey, St Martin-in-the-Fields,Queen's College, Oxford, Southwark Cathedral and St Paul's Cathedral; he can be heard accompanying thechoir of Southwark Cathedral on a CD of Christmas carols released in 2005.
Joseph Fort (pictured left) is the Senior Organ Scholar at Emmanuel College,Cambridge, where he is reading Music and was recently awarded an AcademicScholarship. Prior to this he studied on the foundation course at the Royal Academyof Music, with Susan Landale, and simultaneously held the Organ Scholarship at AllSaints', Margaret Street, London. He has given recitals at St Paul's Cathedral, StJohn's College, Cambridge and at the 2005 Three Choirs Festival in Worcester. Hehas performed a concerto with the Guildford Symphony Orchestra. Joseph studiedat the Junior Department of the Royal College of Music for seven years, and playedthe bassoon in the National Youth Orchestra.
Karl Dorman studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Nicolas Kynaston and is now completing his
f
undergraduate studies at the Birmingham Conservatoire. He was Director of Music at St Philip's and All Saints',Kew, a post he combined with that of associate conductor of Sine Nomine, a professional chamber choir basedin the Midlands. He has given recitals at Coventry Central Hall, and All Saints', Margaret Street.
Alexander Eadon is a former chorister of King's College, Cambridge and was aMusic Scholar at Harrow School. He is a final year student taking the BMus at theRoyal Academy of Music (studying organ with David Titterington) and in 2006 hewon a discretionary award. Alexander is Director of Music at Christ Church,Southgate.
Born in Athens, Ourania Gassiou studied the piano with Vinia Tsopela and theorgan with Nicolas Kynaston in the Athens Concert Hall with a three-yearscholarship awarded by the Friends of Music Society. In 2004 she received ascholarship to study under Nicolas Kynaston at the Royal Academy of Music. Shewas awarded various prizes and graduated with distinction and DipRAM, the highestaward for performance. She won Third Prize in the International Organ Competitionof St Moritz in 2005, First Prize in the Panhellenic Piano Competition in Andros andSecond Prize in the Panhellenic Piano Competition. In 2005 she was awarded anEric Thompson Trust grant to continue private tuition with Johannes Geffert inCologne. She is currently a scholar of the Alexandros Onassis Public BenefitFoundation.
Eleni Keventsidou graduated in piano in 1995, with a unanimous First Prize, fromthe National Athens Conservatory. In 1998 she won the second prize in theThirteenth Panhellenic Piano Competition and was then awarded a three-yearscholarship by the Friends of Music Society to study the organ with NicolasKynaston at the Athens Concert Hall. She continued her studies with NicolasKynaston and David Titterington at the Royal Academy of Music, where she wonseveral prizes and awards and graduated with distinction. In 2003 Eleni wasawarded a scholarship from the Alexander S. Onassis Scholarship Foundation. Shehas performed in Greece, UK, France, Spain and Germany and is currently she isOrganist-in-Residence at Tonbridge School.
William McVicker read Music at St Hild and St Bede College, Durham and won anOrgan Scholarship, a British Academy Scholarship and a Bowes Bequest to studythe organ in Paris. He was later appointed Caedmon Fellow in Music at theUniversity of Durham before being awarded a PhD. William is Director of Music at StBarnabas, Dulwich, Organ Curator at the Royal Festival Hall, and teachesOrganology at the Royal Academy of Music. Having spent many years conductingand performing as a soloist and duettist, he now concentrates on organ consultancywork and is Chairman of the Association of Independent Organ Advisers. He is stillactive as a performer and recently gave concerts in Bath, Bristol, Cambridge and,with the violinist Levon Chilingirian, in Singapore.
Aleksandr Nisse was greatly influenced by his father's teacher, Helmut Walcha. He studied the piano withValery Krol and began organ studies in 1999 with Susan Landale in Paris. Between 2001 and 2004 he studiedwith Louis Robilliard at the Conservatoire National de Region de Lyon, where he was awarded a unanimousPremier Prix de Perfectionnement with distinction. Since 2005 has been studying with Susan Landale and LionelRogg on the postgraduate performance course at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
David Pipe was educated at Epsom College, where he held a Major MusicScholarship, and later studied on the Foundation Course at the Royal Academy ofMusic with David Titterington concurrently holding the organ scholarship at AllSaints', Margaret Street; he then read music at Cambridge University, winning theOrgan Scholarship at Downing College. He became a Fellow of the Royal College ofOrganists in January 2004, before returning to the Royal Academy of Music to studythe organ with Susan Landale, having been awarded a postgraduate entrancescholarship on the Master's course. He is Organ Scholar at Southwark Cathedraland performs regularly as a recitalist.
Andrew Scott began his musical education in 1989 as a chorister at Christ Church,North Shields under the tutelage of Dr Russell Missin. In 1994 he was awarded anOrgan Scholarship before being promoted to Assistant Organist and Director ofMusic. On leaving school, Andrew was apprenticed to Harrison & Harrison Ltd,Organ-Builders of Durham to train as a professional organ-builder. He moved toLondon in June 2000 to take up the position of London Tuner for Harrison &Harrison and is responsible for the tuning and maintenance of the instruments inmost of the main London venues including Westminster Abbey, WestminsterCathedral and the Royal Festival Hall. Andrew spent five years as Organist at StMargaret's, Lee, before taking up the post of Assistant Director of Music andDirector of the Girls' Choir at Croydon Parish Church in September 2005.
Sunny Son received a bachelor's degree in organ performance from the Universityof North Texas, where she studied the organ, harpsichord and continuo playing withDr Lenora McCroskey. In 2002 she went to the University of Kansas, where shecompleted her Master's degree, and studied with Dr James Higdon. At bothinstitutions she was awarded several major prizes and received scholarships. Sunnyhas won several competitions, including the 1999 William C. Hall Pipe OrganCompetition in San Antonio,TX, the AGO Regional Young Artists' OrganCompetition for Region VII in 1999, and the 2002 Ottumwa UndergraduateCompetition in Iowa. She is currently on the Postgraduate Diploma course, studyingwith David Titterington and Susan Landale, at the Royal Academy of Music inLondon.
David Titterington was Organ Scholar at Pembroke College, Oxford and continuedhis studies with Marie-Claire Alain and Susan Landale at the Conservatoire deRueil-Malmaison, Paris, winning a Premièr Prix à l'unanimité avec les felicitations duJury. Following his debut at the Royal Festival Hall, in 1986, he has performedworld-wide at leading international festivals including Sydney Bicentennial, HongKong, New Zealand, Israel, BBC Proms, Cheltenham, Leon, Schleswig Holstein,and with leading orchestras (Berlin Symphony, BBC Symphony, Lahti Symphony,City of London Sinfonia), ensembles and soloists. He gives recitals andmasterclasses and is a member of many international juries. In 1999 he wasawarded an honorary Professorship and Doctor honoris causa by the StateUniversity of Budapest, the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, where he was VisitingProfessor 1997-2004, and Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists.In 1991 he was appointed a professor of organ at the Royal Academy of Music andsince 1996 has been Head of Organ Studies.
Arnfinn Tobiassen is currently a postgraduate organ student at the Royal Academyof Music under Susan Landale and Lionel Rogg, having previously completed hisundergraduate degree, studying with David Titterington and James O'Donnell. Atthe Academy he has received several major prizes, attending masterclasses with anumber of distinguished musicians. Arnfinn was awarded the John S. CohenCharitable Trust Bursary to attend Dartington International Summer School in 2005.In addition to being the Organ Scholar at St Paul's, Knightsbridge, he is also one ofthe assistant organists at the Dutch Church in London.
Nic Turner began his organ studies at Bolton School with Norman Harper, andcontinued with Graham Barber at Leeds University and Simon Lindley at LeedsParish Church. Nic moved to London in 1986, and is now in his second term asOrganist and Director of Music at St Giles's, Camberwell. He has performed in manyUK cathedrals, including St Paul's, Southwark, Lincoln, Norwich, Brecon and StMary's Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh. He is accompanist for the TriptychSingers, and accompanies the choir of Wimbledon Parish Church at services andconcerts.
John Webber, a member of the Southwark and South London Society of Organistssince 1967, studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Harold Dexterand Nicholas Danby. John was appointed organist of St Swithun's, Hither Green atthe age of 15 and passed the ARCO at 18 and FRCO at 21. In 1982 he gained theDurham BMus (Hons) and shortly afterwards the CHM and ADCM diplomas. Johnheld appointments at St George's, Beckenham, Chelsea Old Church and StGeorge's, Bickley and is currently based at St John's, East Dulwich. John runs theBeckenham Junior Choir, which he founded in 1993.
Thomas Wilson completed his undergraduate music studies at Victoria University,Wellington, New Zealand, and moved to London in 2003 to undertake postgraduatestudies with David Titterington in organ and musicology at the Royal Academy ofMusic, where his research interests included the organ music of Buxtehude and thechoral music of J.S. Bach. At the Academy he won prizes for organ-playing andimprovisation and performed in several high-profile concerts, accompanying thecellist Stephen Isserlis at the Wigmore Hall and giving a concerto performance inNeresheim Abbey with the Royal Academy Baroque Orchestra. Thomas has beenAssistant Organist at Westminster Cathedral since October 2004. In addition toworking with the Cathedral choir he has specific responsibility for music at non-choral services. He was previously Assistant Director and Organist for the choir ofEaling Abbey. In addition to his duties as one of the Cathedral organists, Thomashas recently been appointed Precentor of Westminster Cathedral.
'Grand Chorus'
Thanks
This project would not have been possible without the considerable goodwill of very many people. Thanks aretherefore due to the following, with apologies for any omissions:
For the Southwark and South London Society of Organists: Paul Gobey, Steve Robson, Robert Bowles, SusanHeath-Downey and the late Alan Pfaff.
For the Royal Academy of Music: The Principal, Professor Curtis Price, KBE; the Vice Principal, ProfessorJonathan Freeman-Attwood; David Titterington, Nicolas Kynaston and Susan Landale, with administrativesupport from Helen Thorpe. The booklet was typeset by Peter Craik, for whose skill and patience we are grateful.
Beddington, St Mary: The Reverend Justine Middlemiss
Bermondsey, St James: The Reverend Stewart Hartley, Pat O'Connor and Betty Peart
Camberwell, St Giles: The Reverend Nicholas George and Nic Turner
Clapham, Holy Spirit: The Reverend Jeremy Blunden and Robert Bowles
Croydon Parish Church (St John the Baptist): Canon Colin Boswell, Nigel McLintock and Andrew Scott
Deptford, St Paul: The Reverend Peter Fellowes, E.H. Warrall, and Anne Rickwood
Dulwich, St Barnabas: The Reverend Dianna Gwilliams, Sarah Streatfeild and Anna Picken
Hither Green, St Swithun: The Reverend Robert Daniell
Merstham, United Benefice of The Epiphany and St Katherine: The Reverend John E. Smith, The ReverendValerie Williams and Gillian Buchanan
Rotherhithe, St Mary: the late The Reverend C.E. Nicholas Richards and Alan Phillips
Royal Festival Hall: Amelia Freedman, CBE and Melanie Wilson
Southwark Cathedral: The Dean and Chapter and Peter Wright
South Norwood, Holy Innocents: The Reverend Nicola Jane Coleman and her husband
Streatham, Christ Church: The Reverend Steven Tricklebank and Dr Robin Field
Tooting Graveney, All Saints: The Reverend Simon Metzner, Mrs Cheryl Clarke and Tim Petts
Tooting, St Augustine: The Reverend Hugh Grear
Tulse Hill, Holy Trinity: The Reverend Dr Bill Musk
Upper Norwood, St John the Evangelist: The Reverend Beverley Mason and Adrian Adams
Wandsworth, Holy Trinity: The Reverend Gregory Prior
West Croydon, St Michael and All Angels: The Reverend Donald Minchew
Woodcote (Purley), St Mark: The Reverend John Paton
Thanks to Relf Clark for proof-reading the liner booklet and for valuable historical and editorial suggestions; toWilliam Drake, Dominic Gwynn, William McVicker and Andrew Scott for preparing a number of the organs,correcting technical faults and tuning the instruments, and to our recording team, Christopher Town and TimYeo.
