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SUMMER ORGAN FESTIVAL 2021

Series Programme | £1.00

A very warm welcome to for our 2021 Summer Organ Festival! Our magnificent organ by Harrison and Harrison is one of the things we won’t be able to take with us when we vacate the Cathedral for the forthcoming building works, so we expect this will be the last opportunity to hear the instrument in concert before 2024. ’s resident organists, David Cowen, myself, and Rosie Vinter, are joined by Alexander Binns, appointed Director of at Cathedral in 2019, to present varied and exciting programmes, so whatever your taste in organ music, we hope you’ll enjoy what we have to offer. More information of music events are available on the Cathedral website – www.leicestercathedral.org – and the Cathedral’s Facebook page. We are grateful for listings on www.organrecitals.com.

Christopher Ouvry-Johns Director of Music

Do you know a child that enjoys singing? Join us for our ‘Be A Chorister For A Day’ event on 6 November, ahead of auditions on 13 November

0116 261 5374 [email protected] ALEXANDER BINNS 10 August Assistant Director of Music at . In 2015 Alexander graduated with distinction from the , where he studied the organ with Susan Landale and David Titterington, improvisation with Gerard Brooks, conducting with Paul Brough, choral conducting with Patrick Russill, harmonium with Anne Page and continuo with Terence Charlston. Alongside his studies Alexander held the position of at , the Royal Hospital Chelsea and St Marylebone . During his gap year, he held the Organ Scholarship at St George's Chapel Windsor Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) Castle, where he regularly accompanied and Prelude and Fugue in E minor conducted the world famous Chapel BWV 548 and played for many members of the British Royal Family, including at the celebrated Carl Philip Emmanuel Bach (1714–1788) Garter Day Service. Sonata in D Described by the Organ Magazine as 'one of Allegro di molto our finest young players', Alexander has Adagio e mesto performed at many prestigious venues Allegro including Westminster , St Paul's Cathedral, St George's Chapel Windsor Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) Castle, , Wigmore Hall, Fantasia in F minor K608 Snape Maltings and abroad in the Netherlands, Iceland, France, Poland, Ireland, Harrison Oxley (1933–2009) Italy and Germany. He has also performed on Elegy RTE Television (Ireland) and BBC Radio. Harrison Oxley As an orchestral player Alexander has A Tune performed with the Philharmonic , the Royal Academy of Music Edward Elgar (1857–1934), arr. Herbert Symphony Orchestra, has toured Europe with Brewer (1865–1928) the European Union Youth Orchestra, and Chanson de Nuit has worked under the batons of Marin Alsop, Gianandrea Noseda and Trevor Pinnock. He Edward Elgar, arr. Iain Farrington (b.1977) has played continuo with the Monteverdi Pomp and Circumstance March String Band and has premiered works by No. 5 leading composers Diana Burrell, Simon Lindley, David Fawcett and Lloyd Coleman. In 2015, Alexander co-founded the Apollon Alexander Binns is the Director of Music at Duo, with his wife, violinist Dora . At the Cathedral he is Chatzigeorgiou, a violin and organ duo which responsible for the operation of Derby aims to explore and promote repertoire for Cathedral Music Department and for this seldom heard pair of instruments. directing the Cathedral Choir for services, concerts, broadcasts, recordings and tours. For more details visit Prior to moving to Derby Alexander was www.alexanderbinns.co.uk ROSIE VINTER 24 August Rosie Vinter is Assistant Director of Music and Head of Music Outreach at Leicester Cathedral. Prior to taking up this post in 2019, Rosie studied for two BAs in Theology and Religion, and Music with Vocal Teaching at Chichester University, as well as for a Master’s Music Performance at the London College of Music. She has since been teaching music at Abbots Bromley School and Cathedral School, and has held posts as organ scholar at Cathedral, Temple Church and . She holds Associate diplomas with the London College of Music in Classical Voice and with the Royal College of Organists. Rosie has a particular interest in music education, especially with young beginners, and leads the Cathedral’s music outreach programme DioSing!, which provides class music and singing lessons for children in local William Walton (1902–1983) schools. DioSing!’s curriculum includes a range Imperial of exciting topics including singing skills, an introduction to the orchestra, hand bells, Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958) composition, music from different times and Prelude on Rhosymedre cultures, and the opportunity to record and perform either in person to an audience or Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) online on YouTube. Piece d’Orgue ‘Fantasia’ BWV572 Rosie’s role at Leicester Cathedral includes singing with, directing and accompanying the Camille -Saëns (1835–1921) choirs, and training the probationers (new Allegro giocoso choristers).

Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847) Prelude and Fugue in G Op.37, No.2

Léon Boëllmann (1862–1897) Suite Gothique Introduction Choral – Menuet Gothique – Prière à Notre-Dame – Toccata Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wély (1817–1869) Sortie in E-flat

Christopher Ouvry-Johns | Director of Music, Leicester Cathedral

at national and international events, including radio and television broadcasts, and in 2010 won the top prizes in the examinations for the Royal College of Organists’ Associateship Diploma. He was Deputy Chorus Master of Leeds Philharmonic Society, assisting in the preparation of the choir for performances conducted by David Hill (among others) and Conductor of Tees Valley Youth Orchestra. Christopher has been Director of Music at Leicester Cathedral since January 2011. He is responsible for the musical provision both at

regular choral services and at the many diocesan and civic occasions to which the Charles-Marie Widor (1844–1937) Cathedral is host. He has twice conducted Symphony for Organ No. 5 in F the Cathedral Choir in the presence of HM minor, Op. 42, No. 1 The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh Allegro vivace – Allegro cantabile – (at the start of the Diamond Jubilee tour in 2012 and the Royal Service in 2017) Andantino quasi allegretto – Adagio and for BBC Television’s Sunday – Toccata broadcast, which came live from Leicester * * * Cathedral in 2014. He was responsible for the musical provision at the ceremonies Christopher Ouvry-Johns was Head surrounding the Reinterment of King Richard Chorister at Derby Cathedral and a Choral III in 2015, watched by over 350 million Scholar at College, Cambridge, before people worldwide, including the premiere of taking up the position of Assistant Judith Bingham’s anthem Ghostly Grace, which Choirmaster at Osnabrück Cathedral in was recorded, along with other repertoire Germany. He studied Church Music at the from those services on the CD He lieth under Robert Schumann College of Music in this stone. He has led workshops on English Düsseldorf, gaining first class marks in Organ Church Music in Germany and directed the and Piano and a distinction in Choral RSCM Cathedral Course in Rochester in Conducting, before returning to the UK to 2016. He is a trustee of the Church Music pursue doctoral research in Linguistics at Society and serves on the committee of the Durham University. Whilst in Durham, he Cathedral Organists’ Association. was Conductor of the University Symphony Orchestra and Cathedral Organ Scholar. When time permits, Christopher continues to enjoy engagements as a bass soloist and as In 2006, Christopher moved to Yorkshire to an orchestral conductor and to arrange and take up the newly created post of Choral compose. One of his hymn arrangements Director in the Roman Catholic of appears in two volumes published by Novello Leeds, where he was responsible for the and his setting of verses from Robert delivery of the singing curriculum in the Herrick’s Litany to the Holy Spirit, composed Catholic primary schools of Bradford and for the installation of the current of conducted the Bradford Catholic Boys’ Choir. Leicester, will be published by the Church As an organist, he accompanied cathedral and Music Society through University diocesan choirs both at regular services and Press later this year. DAVID COWEN 7 September David Cowen has a varied career as a soloist, accompanist and teacher. He has performed alongside many ensembles, including The City of London Sinfonia, Orchestra de Camera, Belmont Ensemble of London, Bardi Symphony Orchestra, The Saraband Consort, Charivari Agréable, and English Cornett & Sackbutt Ensemble. David also works regularly with choirs; in particular Chorale with whom he gives several concerts a year and has recorded a CD, Laudibus in Sanctis. For several years he was also Accompanist and Deputy Chorus Master of Northampton Bach Choir and he has prepared choirs for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. As a soloist, David has played in venues

throughout the UK and abroad, including Maurice Ravel (1875–1937), arr. David Cowen Cathedral, , St Lever du jour from Daphnis et Chloé Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, St Augustin, Paris, Op.28i St Bonaventure, Lyon and the Basilique de Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750), Fourvière, Lyon. He has also performed as a arr. David Cowen soloist with Ensemble Orchestral Lyon- Air from Orchestral Suite No.3 in D Région and the Band of the Grenadier Guards (as soloist in Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony). major BWV1068 David grew up in Northumberland where he Samuel Wesley (1766–1837) was church organist from the age of 13. He Voluntary No.1 has worked at Newcastle, Wells and Adagio – Allegro moderato – Leicester , where he is now the Spiritoso Organist. He has toured France, Germany and Japan, made several recordings and has Simon Mold (b.1957) broadcast on national radio with Leicester Prelude on ‘Rendez à Dieu’ Cathedral Choir and toured Brazil with Choir. For over ten years David Simon Mold was Organist & Director of the Choir at Holy Rondo for Tuba Cross Priory Church, part of Leicester’s Dominican Priory. Simon Mold David studied the organ with Timothy Hone Berceuse en Bleu at and Stephen Farr at Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877–1933) Oxford. As a student at Oxford University, Legend from Triptych Op.141 David was awarded the Organ Scholarship of St Peter’s College and the Fellowship of the Louis Vierne (1870–1937) Royal College of Organists diploma. He from 24 Pièces en style libre continued with private studies in organ and improvisation with Colin Walsh and in Paris Prélude – Divertissement with Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin. A Henri Mulet (1878–1967) committed teacher, David regularly leads Carillon-Sortie classes and workshops as well as working with individuals.

comprehensively improved and six stops were replaced as follows: on the Choir

Organ a new Flauto Traverso 4’, made to the original scales, a Flageolet 2’ and Sesquialtera 12.17 replaced the Dulciana,

Dulcet Fifteenth of the original scheme and the Larigot. The original Trombas, somewhat opaque in tonality, were replaced with new pipework, on lower The organ was built at the west end of the wind pressure, in the style of traditional Cathedral in 1930 by Harrison and English Trumpets. The original Harrison and incorporates pipework from nomenclature was retained, so as to avoid previous instruments by Snetzler (1774) having to grind down and re-engrave the and J W Walker (1873). There are four ivory stop heads. manuals and pedals, 50 stops and all the A booklet written by Simon Headley is usual playing aids. The instrument also available in the Cathedral at a cost of possesses a digital recording and playback £2.50. This gives the complete history system which enables the player to with a full description of the organ. audition the tonal balance of a piece of music from the .

A few modifications have been carried out to the original scheme. In 1978 Harrison and Harrison replaced the Great Harmonics with a Mixture, and the Choir Flauto Traverso with a Larigot.

In 1983 Hill, Norman and Beard converted the action to electro pneumatic, added two pedal stops and increased the number of pistons. New key and pedalboards were installed and a digital recording and playback system added.

In January 2003, Harrison and Harrison commenced a general renovation of the organ. The action and console were restored to the authentic style of 1930 with new keyboards in bone and ebony and new pedals. Playing aids were