THE ORGANIST The Newsletter of the Essex Organists’ Association

May -June 2016 www.essexorganists.net

EDITORIAL

ome of this Newsletter’s pieces are not, strictly speaking, about Essex events or organs. However, one of them, the London Organ Day, has been reported (and well received) in S previous years. And it’s always good to give our readers a report on a non-EOA event when it is attended by a number of our members. This year there was a handful of our members present at LOD 2016 for what was clearly a brilliant day’s entertainment and learning. Unable to attend it myself this year because of health issues (and train running problems!), the good accounts of it written by two EOA members are I hope you’ll agree, well worth Featured in this issue: including in this edition. John Utting’s report is a fairly personal reaction to the event, while Richard  P.2 Subscriptions 2016/2017 Brasier’s is more comprehensive. - Michael Little Richard also gives us an interesting and vivid  p.2 London Organ Day account of the new organ development at - John Utting/Richard Brasier Sevenoaks School, where he is Organ Tutor. All  P.4 Registration Workshop credit to him as instigator and manager of this - Richard Brasier important project and his involvement in the  P.6 The EOA Interview project gives some reflected kudos to EOA. Richard - John also submitted the report of his Faroe Islands April  P.8 An organ for Sevenoaks School working visit while he was on the flight home! A - Richard Brasier busy man and much in demand is our vice- chairman, Richard.  P.10 My Life in Music - John Dean Reports of two of our own EOA events are also  P.11 Faroes Report given deserved space here: a fascinating - Richard Brasier Registration Workshop conducted by President, Gillian Ward Russell, and a spell-binding  P. 12 A Study Day on the restored 1821 H.C. autobiographical talk given by John Dean. John Lincoln Organ, Thaxted Dean also returns to demonstrating his - Gillian Ward Russell interviewing skills (remember his series of  P. 12 Forthcoming EOA events in 2016/2017 interviews with selected EOA members some years  P.13 Organ Concert for EOA to be given by ago when he was my predecessor as editor?), this Gillian Ward Russell time with James Davy of Cathedral as his subject. We are very pleased that James agreed  P.14 Other events in 2016 to be interviewed in this way. I hope there will be a stop press report of results of the EOA Organ Competition at New Hall School. In any case, a full report will certainly appear in our next issue. Finally, I must mention Marcus Knight. During my editorship over recent years, Marcus has been a regular correspondent to The Essex Organist with reminiscences and feedback reflecting his faithful and assiduous reading of The Essex Organist, invaluable material for any editor. He has not been slow to praise as well as criticise, but always constructively. However, Marcus has notified our Secretary that his frailty now prevents further activity with EOA, so I guess that means no more letters to the Editor. A big thank you to Marcus for his erstwhile regular contributions. Alwyn Jones, Editor

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Subscriptions 2016/2017

Members are reminded that annual subscriptions are due on 1st September 2016. The current rates are as follows.

Single Membership £17 Joint/Family Membership £24 Student Membership £5

Thank you for your continued support of the Essex Organists’ Association.

Michael Little, EOA Treasurer

London Organ Day 2016

1. Reviewed by John Utting

This year’s event took place in the atmospheric surroundings of , using the wonderful T.C.Lewis organ, recently restored to its original state by Harrison’s. This year the centenary of the death of Max Reger was used to explore his music and some of the composers, writers and artists who influenced him, using the usual format of three one-hour long recitals and three talks with musical illustrations. I have to admit to knowing very little about this composer although he is held in high esteem by many musicians, so I was pleased to have the chance to learn more. I want to give you my personal impressions rather than a detailed analysis of everything, which I am not qualified to do anyway. First, as always the venue was in a very interesting part of London. Apart from the Cathedral itself, which goes right back to Norman times with many changes over the centuries, it is very close to Borough Market, which could be the best gourmet market in Britain. Second, the speakers and the players were, as ever, of the very highest quality, including Tom Bell, Henry Fairs and Bernard Haas from Munich. We heard a huge range of exciting sounds from the organ; what I enjoyed most were the gorgeous quiet stops of the swell and solo departments. The first talk was given by Director of Music Peter Wright, including how the choir was built up in the face of huge post war difficulties. He gave a history of the organ, which included a rather alarming attempt to increase the wind pressure to make the organ louder, before returning to the original pressure and the original sound. We then heard from Graham Barber who is a Reger specialist and is currently performing a complete cycle of his The T.C. Lewis Organ at Soiuthwark works. The third speaker was Tom Dagget, and he Cathedral took us right away from German composers and into

Public Domain Photograph ‘outreach’; his title is Organ Outreach Fellow at St.Paul’s Cathedral. He takes an electronic organ into

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schools to introduce children to the organ, as well as starting them singing. He often brings them back to St.Paul’s, which must be a great experience for them. It was very inspiring to hear about. I wonder if we could do anything like it ourselves? So, after hearing six lengthy works by Reger, what did I think of him? He wrote some hundreds of works during his short life and I think the quality of his compositions is quite variable. Fantasie and Fugue on BACH is wonderful, but one of his Sonatas in d minor seemed lacking in form and was difficult to follow. It lasted about 20 minutes and was played entirely from memory by Bernard Haas. Amazing! Every London Organ Day I have been to has been superb. They seem able to come up with a really interesting theme every year, and the speakers and players are top class, always including a guest performer from overseas. This year you could also explore the food market and perhaps cautiously buy some cheese with a name you’ve never heard of. Next year LOD will be held at the Dutch . Never heard of it? Come and find out - it’s very close to Liverpool St. Station, so it’s very easy for Essex people to get to.

2. Reviewed by Richard Brasier

Saturday 5th March saw the 30th annual London Organ Day (LOD) take place at Southwark Cathedral. This year’s programme was entitled German Masters, with a particular focus on the works of Max Reger and those composers who influenced, and were influenced by, him. The day began with coffee in the Cathedral refectory, before Tom Bell (artistic director of LOD) welcomed us all. He then handed over to Peter Wright, the Cathedral’s Director of Music, whose presentation opened with a performance of J.S.Bach’s Prelude in b minor BWV 544. The organ’s brilliant chorus influenced Peter’s opening choice, and he was keen to point out that Lewis was highly influenced by the German builder, Edmund Schulze. The organ is certainly ‘foreign’ in comparison to all the others that were being built at this period in history in the British Isles, and was a superb choice for showcasing music of the ‘German Masters’. Peter then continued with the Introduction and Passacaglia from Josef Rheinberger’s Organ Sonata no.8. Rheinberger’s music is unjustly neglected, but Max Reger adored his work, and was known to be his second biggest musical influence after J.S.Bach. Peter then spoke further about his work in the Cathedral, and that of the Cathedral Choir. Peter was keen to point out that, as with Chelmsford Cathedral, there is no choir school. The boys and girls are sourced from a variety of schools in the area, which can have a defining impact on rehearsal time, and service content. Peter closed his talk with Max Reger’s Dankpsalm, with its outrageous harmonization of the German Hymn, Lobe den Herrn. It was time for another coffee break, before Henry Fairs recital. Henry is Head of Organ at Birmingham Conservatoire. He performed Max Reger’s arrangement of J.S.Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in b flat minor BWV 867 from the Well Tempered Klavier. This was just one example of the many keyboard works that Max Reger transcribed into Symphonic masterpieces. This was followed by a short piece, Melodia, from Reger’s set of 9 pieces, Op.29. Henry was then due to play Felix Mendelssohn’s Prelude and Fugue in d minor, but because of a stomach bug the previous week, he had to change this at the last minute. In its place, he performed J.P.E. Hartmann’s Allegro Moderato from the Sonata in g minor Op.58. He followed this with Robert Schumann’s 4 Skizzen für den Pedalflügel. Originally composed for the Pedal Piano (a piano with pedals!), they are now traditionally performed on the organ. To finish, he performed Max Reger’s mighty Phantasia and

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Fuge on BACH. Henry had described this piece as being a handful before his recital, but his performance was utterly magnificent, and left us in good spirits going into the lunch break. After lunch, Tom Bell presented a recital of music by Johannes Brahms. He opened with an incredibly virtuosic performance of the Prelude and Fugue in g minor, before following with four of the eleven chorale preludes Op.122. These are very intimate works, and were the last compositions that Brahms worked on before his death in 1897. To finish, he presented Brahms’ second Prelude and Fugue, this time in a minor. His performance was met with rapturous applause. The next presentation was given by Graham Barber, who gave an in-depth analysis of Reger’s life and work. Graham discussed the moods and emotions that can be found in Reger’s music, emphasizing these with musical examples. His life was full of highs and lows, and this is certainly reflected in his music. We then received a brief glimpse of Fugue State Films latest project, a DVD on the life of Max Reger, in which we got to hear Reger playing his own music on one of the famous Welte Organ roll systems! The final presentation before the coffee break came from Tom Daggett of St Paul’s Cathedral. Tom runs various outreach projects in London and further afield, with the aim of introducing school children to the organ and its repertoire. Tom showed great enthusiasm for his work, and took great pride in sharing the results of the numerous projects he has undertaken over the past few years, which in turn has inspired thousands of young people to try the organ. He spoke of how he plans to develop his work on a national level and how he hopes that his work will encourage a new generation of organists. Following the final coffee break of the day, we were all set for Bernhard Haas’s much-anticipated recital. Bernhard is Professor of Organ at the Munich Conservatory, and is a leading expert in the music of Reger. He certainly didn’t disappoint. He opened with a thrilling performance of Reger’s Second Organ Sonata, which was followed by the hauntingly beautiful Praeludium in e minor, from Reger’s Op.80. The performance was all the more impressive for his ability to circumnavigate the music, and the Southwark organ with nothing more than a notebook to remind him of his registrations. He continued with César Franck’s Fantasie in A, and two of Robert Schumann’s Fugues on BACH. To finish, he performed Franz Schmidt’s highly virtuosic Toccata in C major. This piece, in trio form is hard enough on any organ, but those who know the Southwark organ well, will know that the distance between the console and pipes is significant enough to cause problems, even with the adjacent choir organ coupled through. His performance was nothing short of a miracle, and drew extended applause from the highly appreciative audience. Next year’s London Organ Day will be held at the Dutch Church, where attendees will given the opportunity to learn about the music of Sweelinck, Buxtehude, Bach and Frescobaldi. Richard Brasier

EOA Event: Registration Workshop conducted by Gillian Ward Russell

Coggeshall, St Peter ad Vincula Church: Saturday 9th April

There were three players for this workshop, all ready and eager to put their knowledge to the test in public and to learn more from Gillian. There were also some dozen or so members and friends there to watch, listen and learn. (A few members did send apologies, being unable to unload prior commitments; this is always good to know). No offence to John Utting, but it was wonderful to have two younger players to take up the challenge, but his willingness to learn in spite of being so well experienced in itself inspired our admiration.

The first to step up to the organ was Alice Collier-Smith (aged 12), a member of St John’s choir, Danbury, and currently taking music lessons, including organ, at her school (the Ursuline in Brentwood). Gillian didn’t have to ask twice for the first volunteer which demonstrated Alice’s

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keenness to learn. She had chosen to offer two pieces to register (D’Aquin’s Le Coucou and Schumann’s Happy Farmer). Gillian started by first putting relevant questions to her (and, indeed, to the audience) to see how much she knows currently and what ideas she has already developed about registration selection in general and then for this piece in particular. It was interesting to hear how carefully Gillian posed questions which could draw out Alice’s confidence. Some of the issues that were raised by this Workshop included first of all discovering what the instrument has to offer, and (if it is an organ one is playing for the first time) how to go about making those discoveries in a logical manner. It was immediately clear that registration is not a ‘science’ but calls upon the player’s imagination and willingness to examine each organ as an individual instrument and how registration selection offers the opportunity to interpret and colour a composition. The organ at St Peter’s is an excellent choice because of the options it offers for the player to find unique ways to express each piece they play.

Alice interacting with Gillian at the Registration Workshop Next to come forward at Gillian’s

Photos © Alwyn Jones invitation was 14-year-old Amelia, who is a student at Sevenoaks School in Kent and has lessons with Richard Brasier. (See Richard’s article elsewhere in this Newsletter about this school’s organ project). Points and ideas covered by this session included Classical French registration (Amelia played Variations on O Filii et Filiae by Dandrieu). Gillian explained that this French repertoire was all about colour, even to the extent that composers often gave the registration as the title of the piece! She questioned Amelia as to her personal preference for a choice of Flute stop and also made the point that, with any registration, the music must sound appealing and comfortable for the audience. Sometimes organists are at great pains to follow the printed instructions on the score to the letter, but if the resulting sound fails to gel or does not balance, then common sense must prevail.

Finally, EOA member John Utting came forward and played the first movement of Mendelssohn’s Third Organ Sonata. Gillian and he first discussed how he would propose it be registered and then we heard a number of versions and possibilities (Gillian said that Mendelssohn, in his preface to the Six Sonatas, showed a flexible approach to the registrations). The interaction between John and Gillian was interesting for the attendees to witness, and we were able to see the importance of the player using his or her imagination and really listening to the sounds produced.

After Gillian had summed up the afternoon’s work, we all socialised over tea and cakes kindly prepared by Phillip Prior, Director of Music at St Peter ad Vincula. Alwyn Jones

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The EOA Interview: James Davy talks to John Dean James Davy has been Director of Music, Organist, and Master of the Choristers at Chelmsford Cathedral since August 2012. He was interviewed by John Dean on 16th November 2015.

John: Where were you born and brought up?

James: I can claim to be an Essex boy as I was born in Harold Wood and lived in Shenfield for the first year of my life, but I actually grew up in Suffolk, in the village of Kirton, where my parents ran the local village shop. They now live in Felixstowe.

John: Do you have any brothers and/or sisters?

James: Yes: I have one (older) sister who is a photographer (and took the photograph I most often use for publicity).

John: How did your musical career begin?

James: I was a boarding chorister at in Nottinghamshire for four years, where I followed two cousins into the choir. This was a great experience. The choir made CDs, did radio broadcasts, and we went on tours to the Netherlands, to Zürich in Switzerland and to Prague in the Czech Republic, just after the split with Slovakia.

John: At what point did you decide that you wanted to be a full-time musician?

James: Well I was actually doing it before I knew that I wanted to do it full-time! After leaving Southwell Minster Choir I played the organ in local churches and joined the churches’ choirs. I was then asked to direct after the choirmaster died suddenly. I spent a couple of years learning from that experience before I went to as organ scholar in my gap year.

John: After Portsmouth?

James: I studied music at Durham University, obtaining first my ARCO diploma, and then my BA (Hons) in Music. During those three years I was organ scholar at and at University College (Castle) concurrently in my second year. Then after a year as Assistant Organist of Winchester College, I spent two very fulfilling years as Organ Scholar at St Albans Abbey. In my last term there I was acting Assistant Master of Music, which was useful experience as I had then been appointed Assistant Director of Music at , starting there in 2006.

John: And then to Chelmsford in 2012. How do Blackburn and Chelmsford compare?

James: Well there are some similarities. They are both "modern" Cathedrals, (Blackburn became one in 1926) and both are located in communities of similar sizes, and both are off the tourist trail. But Chelmsford is now a typical example of Cathedral music in the traditional style, whereas Blackburn has a wider musical programme with seven choirs. The building itself is quite a bit larger, and has a fine acoustic and a super organ, designed by Francis Jackson and the then Director of Music John Bertalot.

John: What is the most difficult part of your present job here in Chelmsford?

James: Controlling everything we are doing - and we are doing a lot. E-mail handling and administration takes so much time, and the music often seems to come second. As I gain experience, though, I am learning how to take control of the job (rather than the other way around) without in any way compromising quality.

John: Are you able to attract sufficient choristers of high calibre?

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James: We certainly are. We have a very strong choir of both men and boys, and it is growing in size and we are able to do new things. For the girls' choir we have more applications than we can accept.

John: Are the clergy supportive?

James: Indeed they are! We have warm support both from clergy and the congregations. There is a very good atmosphere here.

John: How do you rate the Cathedral organs?

James: The chancel organ is very good for what it does. It is in the right place and does an excellent job to accompany the choir. The nave organ, which has a beautiful case and some delicate and beautiful stops, doesn't quite fill the building when it is full. I don't think anything can be done about that; the available space under the tower was quite a limiting factor.

John: And you are Director of the Chelmsford Singers. Tell me about that, please.

James: The Chelmsford Singers is a choir I’m very glad to be associated with: the programme is adventurous and the membership continues to grow. We have a particular emphasis on performing works by contemporary composers and (where possible) collaborating with them on the concert performances. This gives the music a real living quality and the choir members clearly enjoy the experience.

John: Now a few more personal questions. You got married not long ago, soon after coming to Chelmsford?

James: Yes. Sarah and I met in Blackburn where her brother had been organ scholar and she joined my choir. We were married in 2013. She is a dressage rider and trainer, working all over East Anglia but mostly in Essex. We both love horse riding.

John: Your musical likes and dislikes?

James: Benjamin Britten above all, and it’s been wonderful to have had the opportunity to act as chorus master for a production of Owen Wingrave at the Aldeburgh Festival. As for dislikes I am sure your members will be horrified to hear that I don't have a great deal of time for much of Mozart's music. It doesn't speak to me in the way that it does to others; the music of Haydn, on the other hand, I find does.

John: You are young enough to change your mind later on about Mozart. But are there any composers whose work you feel to be unjustly neglected?

James: Oh yes. André Caplet, who is mostly remembered for his orchestrations of Debussy, including Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien, but whose own Le Miroir de Jésus for women’s voices, strings and harp is well worth discovering; Lili Boulanger, sister of the more famous Nadia, who died young but not before writing some extraordinary music; and David Cooper, formerly Organist of , much of whose wonderful and beautifully-crafted music has not even been published, although we manage to sing a good deal of it here.

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John: And you are a composer yourself. Tell me what you are most satisfied with and what you are working on at the moment. When can we expect to hear some of it?

James: I recently reached the final of a composition competition organised by St Paul’s Cathedral, with my colleague Laurence Lyndon-Jones also being shortlisted. Sadly, neither of us won. I’m currently working on a piece for another competition; as for hearing some, I occasionally programme pieces for the cathedral choir, but would rather other people acted as interpreters – I’m not good at self- promotion.

John: Other interests?

James: I love the sea. I grew up beside it, and though I am not a sailor I do not want to live far from it. Photography, especially the work of Ansel Adams. Horse riding with Sarah. And I love to cook, especially puddings. I am not a bake-off freak, but I love to see people enjoying good food. Especially French food.

John: Finally, your advice to would-be organists and other musicians.

James: Get practising. Find a teacher with whom you can connect well. When things are not going well, remember why you wanted to do it. Some people drop out too soon; stay with it. Sit at the feet of good improvisers, arrangers and composers. I have had great opportunities offered to me and I have always taken them. Make sure you do the same. John Dean

A New Organ for Sevenoaks School Sevenoaks School, Kent, is a school of high academic achievement, with many of its former pupils assuming top roles in British life.

The music department at the school occupies part of the recently completed £13m Performing Arts Centre. Facilities include a multi-purpose concert hall, a recital room for chamber music, recording studios, computer suites and numerous teaching/practise rooms for staff and students. Students also have access to a host of instruments, including two model-D Steinway Concert Grand Pianos, a Harpsichord, and all the other instruments you would expect to find in a school music department. In a nutshell, it is rapidly becoming a major venue for the performing arts in the South East.

When taking on the role of organ tutor at the school in 2014, the only thing missing from this world- class facility was an organ. Many top schools have them, including the famous Marcussen organ in nearby Tonbridge School. Until December of last year, I have been teaching at St Nicholas Church across the road from the school. The church doesn’t have a pipe organ, but a 3 manual Bradford electronic, which has all the stops you would expect to find on a standard instrument of this size. Over time, the electronics have worn down, and the organ has become unreliable, often cutting out during lessons, and once even during an exam…!

It was time to act, as it seemed unjust that students and staff elsewhere could have access to such top facilities, whereas my students and myself were left to fight a losing battle against ageing technology.

After many meetings, and a lot of persuasion, the school Governors finally agreed to sanction funds for a new teaching instrument. The need for tact was paramount, as the school had not long before spent a significant amount of money on their flagship music building. It meant the budget for a new organ was limited, but at least we finally had one!

Before choosing a builder, there were many things to consider. Where would the organ go? What was its main purpose? For me, the instrument had to be of good quality, be tracker action, and be able to cover a wide range of repertoire comfortably.

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The first problem to solve was its location. We didn’t have a large Chapel to use, such as Tonbridge does. Based on this fact, it couldn’t possibly be ‘fixed’ in one place if it were to live in the music building, as this would severely limit access to it. We agreed that a portable chamber instrument was the way forward, so that we could move it around the building if necessary.

I then approached a number of builders to see what they could offer us within our budget. There were many interesting offers, but we finally agreed a contract with the Spanish company, Grenzing. This was interesting for me on two levels – I had never had the chance to explore Grenzing’s organs before, and it would be the first of his instruments to be permanently based in the UK.

What we now have is a very attractive, and versatile chamber instrument, that is certainly on par with other instruments in the school. The organ is flexible enough to cover much of the repertoire, has a wonderfully responsive tracker action, and is compact enough for me The new Grenzing organ at Sevenoaks School to be able to teach students the working of the Photo: Richard Brasier organ, and how to perform general maintenance.

The result is certainly better than before, and makes for a much more pleasing teaching experience. At least I know that when I eventually leave the school, the organ facility will be well represented.

Specification Richard Brasier I. Manual C1 - f''', 54 notes Régale 8'

II. Manual C1 - f''', divided stops in between c and cx Bourdon 8' Flûte à chem. 4' Nazard 2 2/3' Doublette 2' Tierce 1 3/5'

Pedal C - d', 27 notes

Douçaine 16'

Couplers

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John Dean’s presentation: “My Life in Music”: Feb 29th 2016 For various reasons, the EOA had been short of an arranged event for February. Until, that is, New Year’s Day when Gillian and I had invited Beryl and John Dean to join us for lunch and a sociable watching together of the New Year’s Day Concert from Vienna. It’s always an important concert for us as January 1st is our wedding anniversary. During a convivial lunch, John was entertaining us with some fascinating anecdotes from his career as a well-travelled employee of The Bible Society. Gillian then had the bright idea of asking John to give a talk to EOA members and friends based on his travels which had afforded him many opportunities to enhance his love and knowledge of music. After brushing aside John’s natural modesty, we were able to persuade him to agree to the proposal and he immediately set about preparing a presentation with quiet enthusiasm.

As there wasn’t a huge amount of time to let members know about it and to book a venue (27th February was the only date we were able to find in our own diaries), and it was too late for the Jan-Feb Newsletter deadline, we agreed to hold the event at our home in Danbury. Chris Tutin got an announcement onto the EOA webpage and Gillian rang round to drum up interest. We quite expected the short notice to mean that there would be few takers and so John agreed that he would prepare a suitable range of visuals and music excerpts which he could play on our home TV set which his son Tim had connected to their laptop. Beryl was happy to attend in support, bringing with her their daughter Judith and two Scandinavian friends who were visiting. Tim came along as ‘technical assistant’ to ensure everything worked satisfactorily. Add a handful of EOA members to this gathering and we had a full sitting room with all seats taken!

John had conscientiously prepared his presentation and so there followed a fascinating illustrated biographical talk, tracing John’s ever-growing love of music, from childhood onward - with encouragement from his parents, though with an unfortunate succession of piano teachers, none of whom taught John anything about the importance of fingering! After Rydal schooldays in North Wales, and National Service in RAF Cyprus, John, a new convert to the Christian faith, applied for a job with The Bible Society, which to his great delight he was successful in obtaining. Getting this job had an enormous effect on the quality and direction of the rest of his life.

In the Bible Society John met and married Beryl, and subsequently the two children came along to make up a very happy family. When the opportunity to live and work with the American Bible Society in New York arose, the family took it, and the children grew up as Stateside youngsters, presumably with appropriate accents, though there are no detectable traces of it now. Their move to America was aboard a brand new Queen Elizabeth II liner, which had had some teething troubles, so it was very light on American passengers!

While in America John took in all the great opera performances he was able. These included a dress rehearsal of Richard Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten at the Metropolitan Opera House.

After two years the family returned to Europe and from here John was appointed by the United Bible Societies as their world service officer for Africa and Europe and later for Africa and the Americas. In his last nine years of full time employment he worked in Eastern

Europe and the former Soviet Union, helping to establish new Bible Societies in a number of countries, including Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. His photographic records of these places made for entertaining watching and we were also able to listen to some of John’s favourite music.

There was so much material and variety in this presentation that it is difficult to do justice to it in a summary report like this.

Alwyn Jones

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Teaching visit to the Faroe Islands

From 15th to 20th April 2016 I was lucky enough to be able to visit the Faroe Islands. Where are the Faroe Islands, I hear you ask? They are an archipelago of 18 Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, that are located between Scotland, Denmark and Iceland, with a total population of around 48,000 people. They normally attract tourists from across the world for their outstanding natural beauty, the never-ending network of volcanic mountains and waterfalls, and the many fascinating species of wildlife, including Puffins, Grey Seals, Pilot Whales and Gannets. Therefore, it was a great surprise to have been approached by the Faroese Organists’ Association to present a week of lectures, masterclasses and recitals on the History of the English Organ and its repertoire.

During the planning phases of this trip, it became clear to me that the Faroe Islands have a very active organ scene, but that general knowledge of certain repertoires was lacking. This became even more apparent on my arrival. As also did previous warnings that the weather would change every 15 minutes; due to the Islands’ oceanic climate, I experienced snow, hail, fog, rain, thunder and sun, all within the space of 3 hours!

Following a recital in Tórshavn Cathedral on the Saturday, I presented a lecture on the History of the English organ and its repertoire. The lecture pieced together the puzzle of the pipe organ’s The Christian Kruse organ at Tórshavn Cathedral history in England, starting in the 10th Public domain photograph century, and coming right up to the 21st. They took great delight in learning that many of the features that could be found on their instruments, were in fact developed in England. The next day, I performed two recitals - one in Fuglafjørdur (The home of the Faroese Whaling culture) on a Marcussen organ from 1989, and one in Sandavágur, on an organ built by local Faroese builder, Christian Kruse. Although whaling is condemned in many parts of the world, it was of great interest to hear that whaling is not considered a sport in the Faroe Islands, but is a way of ensuring the survival of the people. Whales are killed in the most humane way possible, with their meat being shared freely amongst everybody! It was a joy to visit these two towns, and to learn further about the culture of the Faroese people.

To my surprise, English hymns are widely sung in Faroese churches, and many famous and familiar tunes appear in the Faroese Hymnal. The following day, there was a general gathering in the town of Glyvra, to sing English hymns interspersed with English organ music. At least 300 people gathered in the tiny church for the ‘Sangkvøld’, which was to be broadcast on Faroese National Radio. The organ in this church was a very fine instrument by Frobenius, and everybody sang with great gusto.

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The remainder of the trip involved my giving both individual and group masterclasses, with students presenting English organ music of all periods. Their enthusiasm was infectious. My trip was completed with a student recital in another of the local churches in Tórshavn. They all played brilliantly, and it was a very fine way to conclude my visit to the most wonderful of countries.

Richard Brasier

Cambridge Academy of Organ Studies Presents:

A Study Day on the restored 1821 H.C. Lincoln Organ, Thaxted Parish Church Led by Gillian Ward Russell Saturday, 28th May , 2016 Gillian Ward Russell is a leading expert on the organ of the Georgian era and its music, in particular the organ music of her ancestor William Russell. Her research led to the publication of Russell’s complete Voluntaries in a facsimile edition. The Lincoln organ, built for a London chapel in 1821, has been in Thaxted Church since 1858. It is one of the most important historic organs in the UK, retaining the special features of the late Georgian organ. Composers known to have played it through its long history include Charles Wesley, Gustav Holst, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. It has recently been restored to its full glory and offers unique insights into the music of its time.

10.30am Registration

11.00am Start

5.00 Finish Observers are most welcome.

Applications to play in the masterclass (offer English music from the 18th and early 19th centuries, by composers such as Boyce, Stanley, the Wesleys, William Russell) to be sent to Anne Page at: annep- [email protected]

Prices: £30 (£15 for full-time students).

FORTHCOMING EOA EVENTS 2016

Saturday 14th May 2016, 7.30pm. St Peter ad Vincula, . An organ recital by Gillian Ward Russell to mark her retirement as President (see separate notice for details).

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ORGAN CONCERT for EOA given by GILLIAN WARD RUSSELL to mark her retirement as President

St Peter ad Vincula Church, Coggeshall Sat 14 May at 7.30.

Admission £7.50 Further details are available from Philip Prior 07811 469105.

Gillian’s programme is in two parts, each with a title, and all introduced in her usual engaging way. The first half, entitled A Four-course Meal, consists of jubilant music by Bull, Bach, Jongen, Gigout, and Widor; and the second half, entitled Something old, Something new, Something borrowed, Something blue, includes music by Praeto- rius, Ronald Watson, Berlioz, and Noel Rawsthorne.

Come and be entertained and inspired, and, above all, show your appreciation to Gilli- an for 30 active years as our President!

Saturday 4th June 2016, 4pm-7pm. Essex Organists Association 2016 AGM and tea. Meeting Room, St John the Baptist Church, Danbury. A new EOA President will be elected at this AGM.

Saturday 24th September 2016, 2-5pm, Video presentation in Southminster, at the home of members Stephen and Margaret Dodds. The DVD is entitled Pronkjuwelen in Stad Ommeland and presents an authoritative history of the richest collection of historic pipe organs in the world, those in the Dutch province of Groningen. The presentation includes performances by Sietze de Vries of repertoire from Scheidemann to Schumann, and a series of historically styled improvisations. There are also interviews with Cor Edskes (the leading authority on historic instruments in Europe) and Jürgen Ahrend (Organ builder). The DVD includes never before seen footage of the organs.

This event will take place at the home of Stephen and Margaret Dodds in Southminster. There could also be a morning visit to a local organ, before the video. Places will be very limited, so please sign up early to avoid disappointment! In the first instance please contact Richard Brasier for more information and to register your interest in attending. Further details, including the Dodds’ address and how to find it will be given later.

Saturday 5th November - All day visit to organs in Brentwood including the Cathedral and St Thomas's Church; both fine 3 manual instruments that have recently had work done on them.

2017

Saturday 8th July 2017 - Masterclass and Recital with Giampaolo di Rosa (International Concert Organist) - St Laurence Parish Church, Upminster.

We are delighted to announce that Giampaolo di Rosa, titular head of the Portuguese Church in Rome, will present an improvisation workshop based around the music of Girolamo Frescobaldi and his contemporaries. Participants will be taught how to improvise in this simple style, and will

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also have the opportunity to present repertoire from the period.

The day will end with a recital as part of the St Laurence Summer Organ Festival. Active and non-active places will be available. Please contact Richard Brasier for more information.

OTHER EVENTS IN 2016

Brentwood Cathedral, Royal College of Music Organ Showcase 2016, Eighth Recital Series. By kind permission of David Graham, Professor in charge of the RCM Organ. Wednesdays 1.00pm - 1.40pm.

Saturday 28th May 2016, 1030-5.00pm Thaxted Parish Church: Cambridge Academy of Organ Studies. Study Day on restored Lincoln Organ, led by Gillian Ward Russell. (See announcement elsewhere in this Newsletter.)

The Essex Organists’ Association Affiliated to the Incorporated Association of Organists

President: Dr Gillian Ward Russell BA (Hons) MPhil PhD FRCO ARCM LRAM LTCL  15 The Heights Danbury Essex CM3 4AG 01245 226551 [email protected]

Editor: Alwyn Jones  15 The Heights Danbury Essex CM3 4AG  01245 226551 [email protected] Layout and presentation: Stuart Pegler  1 Kestrel Mews Maldon CM9 5LJ  01621 850530  [email protected]

Distribution and Treasurer: Michael Little  11 Long Brandocks Writtle Essex CM1 3LT  01245 421023  [email protected]

Website and publicity: Chris Tutin  12 Curlew Close Heybridge Maldon CM9 4YB  01621 842676  [email protected] www.essexorganists.net

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