Christchurch Priory Lunchtime Organ Recitals Thursday 26th November at 12.30

GEOFFREY MORGAN (Christchurch Priory)

Free Admission • Retiring Collection

Programme

Marche Triomphale Walter Alcock 1861-1947

‘The Last Spring’ Op 34 Edvard Grieg 1843-1907

Toccata in F (BWV 540) Johann Sebastian Bach 1685-1750

Allegretto Grazioso Alfred Hollins 1865-1944

Introduction and Allegro Alexandre Guilmant 1837-1911

Light lunches, and refreshments are available in Priory House before and after the recitals.

NEXT RECITAL: 28th January 2016 12.30 p.m.

Ben Sheen (St Thomas 5th Avenue, New York)

For future organ recital details please go to: www.organrecitals.com/christchurch

Today’s performer

Geoffrey Morgan has enjoyed an unconventional career. Brought up in the Free Church, he was twenty before he played for his first Evensong. As a very young schoolboy, however, he played regularly in Baptist, Methodist and Congregational churches, where he developed his love for hymns and their accompaniment. His first official post as a church organist was at the age of thirteen and, just four years later, in 1963 Charles Smart engaged him to play the organ for a compilation of hymns recorded as an LP on the Decca label, involving such well- known singers as Heather Harper and Wilfred Brown, and the percussionist James Blades. Upon leaving school at sixteen, Geoffrey started an apprenticeship with J. W. Walker and Sons Ltd. and his fascination with organbuilding has remained with him ever since; though he eventually became a graduate student at Trinity College of Music. His teachers there included Harry Gabb and Charles Proctor, who quickly appointed him as organist to the Alexandra Choir. Thus it was that from the age of only twenty-one Geoffrey was regularly playing for concerts at the Royal Albert Hall and on London's South Bank. In 1965 he played in the London master classes of Flor Peeters; and in 1969, a scholarship from the British Council enabled him to undertake further study with Dr Peeters in Belgium. In 1975, Geoffrey's promising career as a teacher was interrupted when he won first prize in the London Organ Week competition and later, at aged thirty-one, the organ scholarship to Magdalen College Oxford. From this followed the post of Assistant Organist at Westminster Abbey, where for much of the time he worked under the direction of Simon Preston, playing for many special services and performing at the Royal Wedding of 1986. After ten years at the Abbey, Geoffrey became Visiting Professor of Organ at Yale University, U.S.A., later taking up the post of Sub Organist at Guildford Cathedral in 1989, where he was also Diocesan Organ Adviser, and Conductor of the Fleet Choral Society. Geoffrey has been involved in many recordings and BBC broadcasts, both as a soloist and accompanist. His solo CD "English Contrasts", recorded at Guildford Cathedral, received a five-star category in "Choir and Organ". Since 2002, in addition to pursuing his own freelance work, he has been organist of Christchurch Priory, where he is custodian of one of the finest organs on the South Coast. Engagements for 2016 include recitals in three cathedrals. He has played the organ on tour in France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Australia and USA. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and of Trinity College of Music; and in 2006 was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Guild of Church Musicians, for his services to Church Music.

Christchurch Priory Church

Organ Recitals Thursdays at 12.30 pm

Ben Sheen January 28th 2016 St Thomas, 5th Avenue, New York

Geoffrey Morgan February 4th Christchurch Priory

Norman Harper February 11th Southwark R.C. Cathedral

Oliver Hancock February 18th Portsmouth Cathedral

Simon Earl February 25th Christchurch Priory

David Beeby March 3rd Bournemouth

Katherine Dienes-Williams March 10th Guildford Cathedral

Jeremy Woodside March 17th Repton School

Peter King April 21st Bath Abbey

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 40-minutes of varied music on our magnificent 4000-pipe organ. Performer on view.

 Lunches and light refreshments available 10.00am-4.00pm.

 Admission free; retiring collection www.organrecitals.com/christchurch