Organ seminars British and French Organ Music Seminars 2013 By Cliff Varnon and Helen VanAbbema Rodgers British Organ Music Seminar an exciting masterclass on French and this period, the organ is set consider- Westminster Abbey, or Westminster July 25–29, 2013 German works, played by members of ably sharper than modern concert Cathedral. The seminar ended with The ninth British Organ Music Semi- our group. Later in the day we attended pitch. David Humphreys, assistant a visit to Westminster Cathedral, just nar was held for four days in London, Evensong at Westminster Abbey, which director of music of the cathedral, gave down the street from the abbey. It con- beginning on July 25. The seminar began was sung by a visiting choir from Breda a brilliant demonstration, after which tains the Apse Organ built by T. C. Lewis with a train ride to Cambridge to visit Cathedral in the Netherlands. Follow- participants had ample playing time prior to World War I and the Grand the chapel of Emmanuel College, with ing the service, Peter Holder, organ on the instrument. In the afternoon, Organ, which is one of the two heroic its three-manual 1988 Kenneth Jones scholar of the Abbey, talked to the we traveled to Cambridge for some instruments built by Henry Willis III, tracker instrument, which used the case group about the history of the organ and free time, shopping in the local music the other being the Liverpool Anglican and some of the pipework of the original gave a demonstration of the stops. The store, and having afternoon tea. In the Cathedral. Peter Stevens, the assistant Father Smith instrument of 1688. Colin organ was originally built in 1727 by evening we attended Evensong at Ely master of music, talked about the history Walsh, organist laureate of Lincoln Schrider & Jordan, with several rebuilds Cathedral, followed by a demonstration of the instrument, gave a fine demon- Cathedral and a visiting organ teacher by William Hill in the 19th century and of the organ by assistant organist Jona- stration of the organ, and assisted par- at the University of Cambridge, was our most recently by Harrison & Harrison. than Lilley. The organ was first built ticipants as they played this magnificent host. He conducted a workshop on litur- Afterwards, participants were given the in 1685 by Renatus Harris. Elliot and instrument, which made a spectacular gical improvisation with several reluctant chance to play the instrument. Hill installed a new organ with existing end to an eventful seminar. volunteers followed by a session of vari- We then went across the street to pipework in 1831, with William Hill —Cliff Varnon ous British organ works, performed by Central Methodist Hall. The organ, with doing restoration work in 1850. In 1908, Church of the Holy Comforter members of the group. its imposing 32-foot façade, was built by Harrison & Harrison built a mostly new Cleburne, Texas On July 26, we visited the French Hill & Son in 1912 and was later rebuilt organ, using pipework from the previ- Church of Notre Dame de France, by Rushworth & Dreaper in 1970. A ous instruments, with a restoration in French Organ Music Seminar where we attended classes all day. The major rebuild by Harrison & Harrison 1974–1975 supervised by Arthur Wills, July 29–August 7, 2013 church, which serves a large French in 2011 was based on the original Hill who was then the cathedral organist. population in London, is located near scheme. Gerard Brooks, the director The final day of the seminar was Sun- “If you listen, you will learn.” Leicester Square and dates back to of music, is associated with French rep- day, so participants attended services at —Thomas LaCôte, La Trinité, Paris 1861. The organ was originally built ertoire and has recorded the complete various churches, including St. Paul’s Organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll by August Gern, who had worked works of Gigout. His class for the eve- Cathedral. In the afternoon we visited listened to the sounds in his head before with Cavaillé-Coll. It has undergone ning was on the organ works of Gigout All Soul’s Langham Place, which is a he started building the romantic organ. several rebuilds, most recently by B. (other than the well-known Dix Pièces), familiar landmark at the end of Regent Louis Robilliard of Lyon told us that if C. Shepherd & Son in 1986. Duncan along with works of Saint-Saëns. Street. In 1913, Alfred Hunter installed there had been no Cavaillé-Coll, there Middleton, the organiste titulaire at On July 27, we traveled to Peter- a new instrument in this church, replac- would be no romantic organ music. the church since 1989, had studied borough Cathedral to play one of the ing the original organ built by Bishop When Widor sat at the Cavaillé-Coll, liturgical and concert improvisation finest William Hill organs in the coun- in 1824. This Hunter instrument was he listened, and came up with ideas for in Bordeaux and Lourdes; he led us in try. Built in 1894, Hill, one of the two rebuilt and enlarged by Henry Willis III his symphonies. Vierne and Guilmant the opening session on improvisation. most celebrated organ builders of the in 1951, with the most recent restoration listened and did the same. A stunning In the next masterclass, participants nineteenth century, incorporated the by Harrison & Harrison in 1976. Gerard reminder to the organist: the dream organ played British organ works with John existing pipework in his four-manual Brooks conducted a masterclass, played came before the compositions. Here’s a Hosking, assistant organist of St. Asaph organ masterpiece of 86 stops. Its last by the members of our group. Later dream: to travel back in time, attend a Cathedral in Wales. In the afternoon restoration took place after a fire in in the afternoon, participants could concert at the Palais du Trocadéro, and session, Dame Gillian Weir conducted 2001. Like other Hill instruments of attend recitals at St. Paul’s Cathedral, listen to the now-extinct Cavaillé-Coll as Widor conducts his Third Symphony with Vierne at the organ! Thanks and appreciation are due to Christina Harmon, Dallas organist, teacher, and composer who led this group of American organists. Through her well-established FOMS program, we are privileged to experience the French tradition. Additional indispens- able co-directors this year were Cliff Varnon and Masako Gaskin. All three worked hard to keep this group of organists, organ students, and organ lovers happy and informed. For more information and notice of future events, see www.bfoms.com. Participants varied from virtuosos with ever-expanding organ repertoire to lifelong students who treasure their favorite pieces and still look for interpre- tation ideas from close connections to the source. In addition to masterclasses, there were classes in improvisation and ample opportunities for private lessons. Our youngest organist was 15 and the oldest 83! How fortunate for this group that there are still essentially unaltered romantic organs in existence that we are able to touch and play. The first on this trip was the Cavaillé-Coll in Lyon at St. Francois de Sales, the Widor family par- ish, where Charles-Marie was baptized Jean-Baptiste Robin teaching at the Royal Chapel of Versailles Peter Holder talks to the group at Westminster Abbey and later first performed Symphony V. 20 n THE DIAPASON n JANUARY 2014 WWW.THEDIAPASON.COM John Hosking with Lynnette McGee at the French French Organ Music Seminar participants at the organ Jill Hunt listens to Gillian Weir at London’s Church of Church of Notre Dame de France in London of Manigod, built in 1996 by Italian firm B. Formentelli Notre Dame de France July 29–30: Lyon and Chambéry August 4–7: Paris Blanc told us that Duruflé was not a one of four titular organists. The others The perfect warm-up act to the In Paris we visited the always-amazing man for big chords, but rather the musi- are Michel Bouvard, François Espinasse, frenzied pace of Paris was the time organ at St. Sulpice (suffering from the cal line. He favored flutes and celestes. and Frédéric Desenclos, with Michel spent in Lyon and the Alps, organized unusual heat of Paris in August), as well He also told us that the famous story of Chapuis serving as honorary titulaire. by the organist of Chambéry Cathe- as the Cavaillé-Coll of Notre-Dame des Duruflé not liking his Toccata was not To be in France and therefore in the dral, Thibaut Duret, with the help Champs, Aristide Cavaillé-Coll’s own necessarily true, but that at the time he center of the vital and enduring influence of François Espinasse, professor of parish, built in 1877. This organ was was very tired and had composed this of the world’s greatest organ tradition is organ at the National Conservatory of extensively altered by Schwenkedel, piece during a very stressful period in as fascinating and transforming as ever. Lyon. Françoise Webb, the charming although, fortunately, the Barker action his life. The spirits of Widor, Vierne, Messiaen, French native who spent her youth was retained. Thanks to Cavaillé-Coll, Our last day was spent with Jean- et al. continue to permeate the sensibili- in Reims, assisted with the prepara- who was on the building committee for Baptiste Robin in Versailles and ties and ethos of this beautiful part of the tions and organization. Our first day the church, also built in 1877, the acous- included a concert by him on the Clic- world through the brilliant French artists was spent with Louis Robilliard at tics for the organ are some of the best quot organ (modified by Cavaillé-Coll) at of the present.