As regards the Whitlock, someone should wake up to the fact he was actually at Rochester Cathedral, and loved that organ. despite two major rebuilds since his time, the organ still is very recognisable, and more importantly retains the exact coulours needed for his music. In all his music you can hear the Rochester influence. Priory diod issue a CD of choral works there, but no one has ever bothered to do anything solo organ wise, not even the five pieces dedicated to locals. His music has always featured at rochester, and I well recall both Robert Ashfield and Joe Levett playing his music. Joe Levett having died only a few years ago was a real loss, as one woh knew him personally, and me him. He was a mine of information concerning both Whitlock and his use of that organ. Instead we get treated to everyone else recording his stuff at St Pauls and so on, and that organ does not quite suit his music in the way Rochester does. Too thin and too much acoustic for a start. Then there are other composers with strong cathedral associations, Harvey Grace at Chichester, Blair at Worcester, the list could go on. Again, it took Amphion to actually reissue any of the old Whitlock recordings at Rochester, and the BBC to broadcast a recital of his music some years ago.
Who Decides Who Gets To Play What Organs And Why?
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