Winter Organ Festival
We are delighted to welcome three top players over the next three
months. All recitals will start at 7.00p.m. with refreshments served before and
after. Programmes at the door at £10.00; concessions at £5.00. Download the poster.
28th February 2013
Martin Baker: Westminster Cathedral
Contrapunctus I (Art of Fugue) JS Bach
Choral no. 2 in B minor Franck
Contrapunctus XI (Art of Fugue) JS Bach
Introduction and Passacaglia in F minor Reger
Contrapunctus XIV (Art of Fugue) JS Bach
Improvisation
Born in Manchester in 1967, Martin Baker studied at the Royal Northern College of Music Junior School, Chetham’s School of Music and Downing College, Cambridge, then held positions at London’s Westminster and St Paul’s Cathedrals before being appointed to Westminster Abbey at the age of 24. During his eight years at the Abbey, initially as Sub-Organist and subsequently as Acting Organist and Master of the Choristers, his performances on broadcasts and recordings with the Abbey Choir received wide critical acclaim.
Martin Baker was appointed to Westminster Cathedral as Master of Music in 2000, since when the choir has maintained its high profile both in the Roman Catholic Church and in the musical world in general. He has commissioned and directed the choir in the premieres of a number of new choral works, including masses by James MacMillan, Peter Maxwell Davies, Judith Bingham, John Tavener and Stephen Hough, as well as James MacMillan’s motet Tu es Petrus for choir, brass, organ and percussion, which greeted Pope Benedict on his entrance into the Cathedral last year. The choir has continued its series of acclaimed recordings on the Hyperion label, the most recent release being two Masses by Victoria: Missa de Beata Maria Virgine and Missa Surge propera. Under his direction the choir has given concerts regularly in the UK, participating in many prestigious festivals such as South Bank's Messiaen and Maxwell Davies celebrations, and toured in Hungary, Germany, Belgium, Norway and Italy. In October 2011
the choir gave eight concerts across the USA.
As an organist, Martin Baker is much in demand. Performing regularly in the UK, he has recently given concerts in France, Holland, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Austria, the USA, and Russia. The winner of the St Alban’s Improvisation competition in 1997, improvisation features regularly in his recital programmes.
17th January 2013
Colin Walsh: Organist Laureate, Lincoln Cathedral
More Seasonal Music and Appeal Launch
Epiphanie Litaize
Noel & Rosace (Esquisses Byzantines) Mulet
In Dulci Jubilo BWV 608, Das alte Jahr vergangen ist BWV 614 and In dir ist Freude BWV 616 JS Bach
Choral No 1 in E Franck
Pastorale, Intermezzo & Exultemus Whitlock
Adeste Fidelis (written for Colin Walsh) Langlais
Dieu parmi nous Messiaen
Colin Walsh is at the front of his generation of organists in England. He has played many recitals in England in cathedrals, abbeys, college chapels and two at the Royal Festival Hall.
Further afield, he has played in most European countries, Russia, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the USA. During the summer of 2005 he was involved in the third performance of John Tavener’s ‘The veil of the Temple’ as part of the Holland Festival in the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam and plays the organ for the Universal Label on a CD entitled ‘The Choirboys’. In 2006 he toured New Zealand as European artist of the Organists’ Congress and has recently given concerts in the Svetlanov Hall, Moscow, Cologne Cathedral, Notre Dame de Paris and Saint Sulpice.
His many recordings on the Priory label include two early recitals of modern French music from Salisbury, Vierne and Duruflé from St Albans and Vierne (second and third symphonies; twenty-four pièces en style libre) from Lincoln. The restoration of the Lincoln organ in 1998 was accompanied by a CD of more popular music on the Cantoris label and a recording of French music on the Guild label was released in 2005. On the same label, a recording of the fifth and sixth symphonies of Widor was released in 2007, followed by a recording of organ music by Franck in 2008. In November 2009 a DVD, featuring Colin Walsh, Lincoln Cathedral and its organ, was released by Priory Records. He has recorded many times for the BBC. His teachers have included Simon Preston, Nicholas Danby and Jean Langlais.
His three year studies in France with Jean Langlais at St Clotilde inspired him to specialise in French symphonic and modern music, in particular the works of Franck, Vierne and Langlais. This has brought him wide acclaim throughout the world. In 1988 he played Messiaen in front of the composer himself.
His work as organist has always been connected with long established choral foundations: at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle and Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford; at Salisbury Cathedral as Assistant Organist and at St. Albans and Lincoln Cathedrals as Organist. Since January 2003 he has been Organist Laureate of Lincoln Cathedral where he presides over the fine Father Willis organ and plays regularly for the Cathedral’s services. He has served as a Council Member of the Royal College of Organists and has close associations with the Royal Academy of Music. He is a visiting organ teacher at the University of Cambridge. He is represented by PVA Management.