Jonathan Dods

First recital of the new term at Bedford Park, London W4. Friday 2nd Sept 12.30. Retiring collection. James Perkins: Toccata in D minor BuxWV 155 – Dietrich Buxtehude (c1637 – 1707) Cornet Voluntary – John Robinson (1682 – 1762) Offertory on the Grand Jeux (from Mass for the Parishes) – Francois Couperin (1668 – 1733) Six Pieces for Organ – Christopher Steel (1938 – 1991) Intrada 2. Flourish 3. Nocturne 4. Dance 5. Meditation 6. Postlude Litanies – Jehan Alain (1911 – 1940) Prelude and Fugue in G Major BWV 541 – J.S. Bach (1685 – 1750)

Looking forward to Duo Svyati's recital at St Michael and All Angels Bedford Park, London W4 on 10th June. 12.30pm, entry free. Abendlied – Joseph Rheinberger Sonata in D major (Lento - Allegro - Largo - Allegro) – GP Telemann Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ – JS Bach Humoresque – Joseph Jongen Romance 'The Gadfly' – Dimitri Shostakovich The day that was – Ad Wammes Easy does it – Iain Farrington

Thomas Allery St Michael and All Angels, Bedford Park March 4th 2022, 12.30pm. Entry free. Bataglia Johann Caspar Kerll (1627 – 93) 5 Chorale Partita 'Christus, der ist mein leben' Johann Pachelbel (1653 – 1706) 8 Prélude du Premier ton Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers (1632 - 1714) 2 Fugue grave pour l’Orgue Jean Henri D’Anglebert (1621 – 91) 3 Tierce en taille Louis Marchand (1669 – 1732) 2 Praeambulum in d Heinrich Scheidemann (1595 – 1663) 4 Dies sind die heil’gen zehn Gebot BWV 678 J S Bach 6 Marche triomphale Lemmens 4

Next recital at St Michael and All Angels Bedford Park on Friday 7th January. Starting the celebrations of 200 years since the birth of Franck. - Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911): Allegro assai from Sonata No. 4 Op. 61 in d minor - Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924): Praeludium und Doppelfuge zum Choral op.7/76 - César Franck (1822-1890): Choral No. 2 in b minor - Eugène Gigout (1844-1925): Prélude-Choral et Allegro - Thierry Escaich (*1965): Évocation I - Luigi Del Prete (*1977): Preludio Maria Greco was born in Acri (Italy) in 1995. She started studying organ with prof. Federico Vallini at the "S. Giacomantonio" Music Conservatory in Cosenza, where she received her diploma with full marks with prof. Emanuele Cardi in 2016. In 2018 she received with full marks and honours a Double Degree Master Program between the Istituto Pontificio di Musica Sacra in Rome and the "S. Giacomantonio" Music Conservatory in Cosenza studying with prof. Roberto Marini in Rome and prof. Emanuele Cardi in Cosenza. In 2021 she received a Master in organ performance at the "Universität der Künste" in Berlin under the guidance of prof. Paolo Crivellaro. She has performed organ concerts in Italy, Germany and the Netherlands and attended masterclasses with some of the most important organ professors such as Guy Bovet, Ludger Lohmann, Daniel Zaretsky, Peter Westerbrink, Istvan Ruppert, Winfried Bönig and Maurice Clerc. She has been selected as one of the finalists of the "Agati Tronci International Organ Competition" in Pistoia in 2017 and of the “Domenico Alari International Organ Competition” (RM) in 2019. In 2018 she won the third prize at the 7th International Organ Competition “Premio Elvira Di Renna” in Faiano. In 2021 she has recorded her first CD “Portrait of the Ghilardi Organ in Battipaglia” for FSB Musique

Might this be the one? https://www.shorterhouse.com/composer/david-bevan/

... and again, Friday 3rd December, Polina Sosnina plays Vierne 3 which I'm really looking forward to!

The next in our regular recitals at St Michael and All Angels, Bedford Park this Friday at 12.30: Jonathan Lilley (Waltham Abbey) Music for the Royal Fireworks G F Handel 1685-1759 Ouverture – Bourrée – La Paix – La Réjouissance Two movements from Suite Brève Jean Langlais 1907-1991 Cantilène – Dialogue sur les mixtures Pensée d’Automne Op.47 No.2 Joseph Jongen 1873-1953 Impromptu from Pièces de Fantaisie, 3rd Suite Op.54 Louis Vierne 1870-1937 Final from Sept Pièces Op.27 Marcel Dupré 1886-1971

The next in our First Friday lunchtime recitals at Bedford Park today at 12.30 Callum Anderson Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707)- Praeludium in G minor (BuxWV 148) Jan Pieterszoon Sweelink- ‘Sol es sein’Johann C.F. Fischer (1656-1746)- Chaconne in F Major (Musikalischer Parnassus) Georg Muffat (1653-1703)-Toccata duodecima et ultima (Appartus Musico-Organisticus) William Walond (1719-1768)- Volunatry V in G Major Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)- Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor (BWV 582)

Friday lunchtime recital St Michael and All Angels, Bedford Park W4 12.30 pm, 3rd September 2021 Jack Spencer L Vierne (1870-1937): from Pieces de Fantasie Suite No 2 3) Hymne au Soleil 5) Claire de Lune C Franck (1822-1890): Pièce hèroïque from 3 Pieces R Goss-Custard (1877-1956): Chelsea Fayre E Coates (1886-1957) arr. JS: Westminster from London Suite P Grainger (1882-1961) arr. Stockmeier: Handel in the Strand E Elgar (1857-1934) arr. Lemare: Pomp and Circumstance March No 1 in D

I haven't got my copy to hand, but I often play it from a manuals only book to be more Handelian (or that's my excuse). Something like this: https://ks4.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/c/ce/IMSLP04566-Arrival_of_Queen_of_Sheba.pdf Playing to the end of the second bar on the bottom system of the first page and then picking it up later. In this copy maybe at the third bar top system of the last page. This also looks like a decent edition: https://ks.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/7/72/IMSLP130565-WIMA.1062-Handel_60_Solomon2_Sinfonia.pdf

Organ recitals have begun again at St Stephen Walbrook in the City of London. Every Friday at 12.30pm. I believe the organ is being looked after by Gary Owens now, and is sounding better than it has for some time. Details of recitalists can be found on their Facebook page.

I know our Basson was noted as 'acoustique" on the draft stop list the builders sent because it was half length in the bottom octave. Odd that they'd want to note it on the stop head, but maybe it doesn't have the same baggage as acoustic (or as our old organ had it 'accoustic') in the UK?

Lack of bass could also be down to the recording. Having started dabbling recently, I've found how my (otherwise decent) Oktava microphones don't pick up as much bass as I would like. I've also found that it's fairly easy to tweak it while editing, which makes me think this hasn't been tweaked.

Stephen Farr is giving the recital this Friday lunchtime at St Michael and All Angels Bedford Park: William Byrd 1543-1625 A Voluntarye for my Ladye Nevell Nikolaus Bruhns 1663 – 1697 Praeludium in e J G Walther 1684 – 1748 Concerto del Sigr Torelli [Vivace – Adagio – Allegro] James Macmillan b.1959 Gaudeamus in loci pace Jean-Adam Guilain fl.1702 Suite du second ton Prélude – Tierce en taille – Duo – Basse de Trompette – Trio de Flûtes – Dialogue – Petit Plein Jeu J S Bach 1685-1750 Fuga sopra il Magnificat BWV 733

A couple of years ago I played in a performance of Wagner's Parsifal at Bedford Park. The orchestral parts had been arranged for piano, and string quartet, with the organ taking the brass and woodwind parts. I say arranged, I got an annotated vocal score which was a bit of a challenge, but the recording sounds good and it seemed to go down well. Certainly it was a thrill to take part in.

I've played for both for a service and a Crucifixion at St John's Smith Square and play occasionally at St Martin in the Fields. In both places there is a camera but no headphones. There didn't seem to be much of a problem. It's really like accompanying a congregation; you get used to playing just a fraction ahead. It really is tiny fraction at St Martin's and not much more at St John's. I guess it favours conductors who have worked in that kind of situation before - those who set the tempo and mostly leave it alone and who listen to the organ rather than expecting it to behave like an orchestral player five feet away. That was the only problem with the Crucifixion, that the conductor wanted the tempo to be more fluid and for the organ's sound to lead as it was heard on the platform. I was told it was nicely together for the audience. So many organists, choirs and instrumental groups pass through St Martin's and I've never known a problem. They do lots of broadcasts and some recordings - I don't know of a Poulenc from there though. I suppose a W end organ with attached console favours a similar approach with clergy and so on - talking it through beforehand, you start when this happens etc. The vergers and I use FB messenger or WhatsApp. The only real problems I know of at Smitf is that there's no camera or signal from the West door for things like weddings (but you could have more than one camera) and if you're on your own and are popping up and down to play and direct for evensong there might be points (eg opening voluntary into unaccompanied introit) where you need to remember to play on the chamber organ, or have someone in the choir who can direct. They haven't yet installed the zip wire. All in all I much prefer attached consoles, even with west end instruments. Admittedly it's a little easier to be where the action is and to be able to hear the effect of choir and organ together, but to be physically connected to the instrument is worth anything.

Charles Andrews (Temple Church) is playing this Friday at 12.30 at Bedford Park: Prélude from Suite op 5 (Duruflé) Dies' sind die heil'gen zehn Gebot BWV678 (Bach) Dialogue sur les Grands Jeux & Tierce en taille (De Grigny) Prelude in B minor (Alcock) I Love Thee, My Lord (Shearing) Prière à Notre Dame (Boëllmann) Fanfare with dances (M Martin)

Looking forward to Nicholas Wearne's recital this Friday 12.30 at St Michael and All Angels Bedford Park: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750): Toccata in C (BWV 564) Charles Villiers Stanford (1852 – 1924): Fantasia and Toccata (Op. 57) Frank Bridge (1879 – 1941): Adagio in E (from Three Pieces for Organ, H. 63) J. S. Bach, arr. Marcel Dupré: Sinfonia (Cantata BWV 29, Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir) Nicholas Wearne is a prize-winning organ recitalist who has performed in venues which include Suntory Hall, Tokyo; St Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, New York; and at Cathedrals in Berlin, Canterbury and Washington. He combines his playing career with the posts of Organ Tutor and Junior Fellow at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where he enjoys working with very inspiring pupils and colleagues. Nicholas grew up in the Tamar Valley, where his first organ teacher was Gabrielle Lewis. Following an organ scholarship at Truro Cathedral, he became Organ Scholar – and later Assistant Organist – at New College, Oxford, and Organist at the University Church. This was followed by positions at St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, and St Martin-in-the-Fields, London. Whilst at Oxford he took BA (hons) in Music and MPhil in Musicology and Performance. Winner of the Poul Ruders Prize at the 2011 Odense International Organ Competition, he was invited to record his performance, and the subsequent release received an ‘Outstanding’ recommendation in International Record Review and an ‘Editor’s Choice’ in Gramophone. Nicholas has been involved in many other critically-acclaimed recording projects as soloist, accompanist or continuo artist, and has recorded and given the first performances of several contemporary works. In addition to his work as a soloist, Nicholas is an experienced accompanist and continuo player who has performed with the Academy of Ancient Music, the European Union Baroque Orchestra and the Dunedin Consort in venues which include the Barbican and the Concertgebouw. He has worked extensively in Asia, Canada, Europe and the US, and broadcast live on BBC radio and television, as well as on other networks. A sought-after educator, before working at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Nicholas taught at New College, Oxford, at Trinity Laban, and at schools in Edinburgh and London. He is frequently invited to tutor on specialist courses by such organisations as the Edinburgh Organ Academy, the St Andrews University Summer Organ School, the Royal College of Organists, and for Oundle for Organists.

The next recital at St Michael and All Angels Bedford Park is a week later to coincide with the Chiswick Book Festival (usually first Friday of the month) Friday 13th September 12.30. Admission free, retiring collection St Michael and All Angels Church London W4 1TT (next to Turnham Green tube) James Johnstone (Guildhall and Trinity Laban), performing music which he has recently recorded and which received a Diapason d'Or François Couperin (1668-1733) Gloria from Messe Solonelle à l’usage des Paroisses Plein jeu | Et in Terra pax. Petitte fugue Sur le Chromhorne | 2e. Couplet du Gloria Duo sur les Tierces| 3e.Couplet Dialogues sur les Trompettes Clairon et Tierces du G.C. Et le bourdon avec le larigot du positif. | 4e. Couplet 3° a 2 Dessus de Chromhorne Et la basse de Tierce | 5e. Couplet Tierce en Taille 6e. Couplet Dialogue sur la Voix humaine | 7e.Couplet Dialogue en 3. Du Cornet et de la tierce | 8e.Couplet Dialogue Sur les Grands Jeux 9e.et dernier Couplet Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr BWV 662 Partita sopra Ach, was soll ich Sünder machen BWV 770 Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707) Toccata in d minor, BuxWV 155

St Mary's Twickenham has a lovely mechanical action and a swell sub octave coupler which might mean you didn't need the bassoon. I sometimes wonder about this 4' harmonic flute business. Doesn't it mean if you want that as a solo colour you have to play down the octave. It's a different timbre for the 8+4 combination, but I'm not sure I'd much to have a 4' harmonic over an open 4'. More open 8' flutes would be good though. I remember playing at St Michael's Highgate and being overwhelmed by 3 stopped flutes at 8' and no harmonic flutes at all! I had assumed your 8' flute on the bombarde would be harmonic. I miss a mixture under expression. I don't miss a third pedal 16' flue. I occasionally regret not going for a vox humana on the recit at Bedford Park. One was mooted, and after we added the Basson it was just about the only other possible addition, but at the time I couldn't see the point. Ah well, I've left that for my successor to do.

True - it certainly means that it’s the mixture rather than the reeds which come on last in the crescendo at Bedford Park.

Well I've got to approve because I think I can see a little https://www.npor.org.uk/NPORView.html?RI=K01266 in there! Would the Bombarde also be enclosed?

I played the organ at St Mary's University Twickenham this morning. It's quite patchy, but holding up remarkably well if it hasn't had much doing to it since 1964. It makes a decent sound, and the tromba unit was rather fine, with a nice edge to it. Someone told me they're running it down in hopes of getting rid of it, but the choir director was sitting next to a university trustee and put in a good word, so maybe there's hope.

Good spot, thanks!

St Michael and All Angels Bedford Park, London, W4 Friday 7th June 12.30pm (next to Turnham Green tube) Oxbridge Organ Duo (Julian Collings and Benedict Lewis Smith) http://www.oxbridgeorganduo.com David Briggs (b. 1962) Variations on ‘Veni Creator Spiritus’ Theme - Intermezzo - Assez Lent - Tres Lent - Fanfare sur les Jeux d'Anches - Scherzo - Ricercare - Duo pour Pedalier - Final Thomas Tomkins (1572-1656) - Fancy for two to play Ad Wammes (b. 1953) Wave - Gentle breeze - Row the boat - A sunny afternoon on the lake - Breeze in gently Nicolas Carleton (c.1570-1630) - A Verse Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-1876) Duet for Organ in C Major - Allegro - Andante - Fuga. Alla Capella Free admission