RCO International Organ Day: Organ Recital

Before the concert, tea and cake was served; the lemon and blueberry cake sampled by this author was particularly splendid.

After an introduction from one of the Churchwardens, Mr Hill opened the recital with Intrada from Ireland's Miniature Suite for Organ, before playing Bach's chorale prelude on Nun komm', der Heiden Heiland, one of the Leipzig chorale preludes. He closed his trio of pieces with an arrangement of Parry's unusually titled Resignation. Saturday's concert of organ music was interspersed with singing from Aarnav H  (4ths) who, having recently achieved a distinction in his Grade 8 singing, continues to have an appetite for discovering new repertoire. His first set included an aria by Handel, and a lied by Schubert, Du bist die Ruh. His second set was sacred, drawing from a cantata by Mozart, an oratorio by Handel, and Faure's Requiem. Ethan G (U3rds) played three preludes, the first from the Eight Short Preludes and Fugues, the second by Henry Coleman, and the third by Krebs, who may well have written the first one too. Mr Tonks followed Aarnav's second set with four French pieces, each exhibiting a different dimension of the organ. The first piece was Titelouze's Premier Verset from Ad Coenam, a robust introduction to the set. The second was a rather intriguing and alluring number by Marcel Fournier entitled Cloches, in which the composer sought to imitate the sound of church bells, though more like a carillon than English change-ringing. The final two pieces were drawn from Leon Boellmann's famous Suite Gothique, the first and second movements. Aarnav's final set included a late nineteenth-century operatic aria and a song from Broadway. Mrs Stubbs closed the recital with her exciting rendition of Andriessen's Theme and Variations. Of interest to Merchant Taylors', the work is dedicated to Lady Susi Jeans, organist and wife of the illustrious OMT astronomer, Sir James Jeans, who donated the school's telescope.

After the concert had ended, Mrs Stubbs was thanked, and presented with a bouquet of flowers. She then invited as many as were there present to retire to the Chancel to learn more about the workings of the organ. Following a demonstration by the players on some spare organ pipes (from Mr Hill's collection of miscellaneous superfluities rather than pilfered from a passing organ), the audience was invited to play the instrument. After the obligatory photo for this inimitable newsletter, the staff departed to a nearby watering hole.