I am lucky to be in Sydney this week - as well as
having the privilege of playing the Friday recital at
St Andrew's Cathedral I have enjoyed myself listening
to two fine recitals and attending two dignified
Sunday services. The services first. St James, King
Street in the morning, the outstanding feature of
which was David Drury's hymn accompaniments and
improvised voluntary at the end of the service. As
winner of the Tournemire Prize at the St Alban's
Festival, and an internationally acclaimed recitalist,
I was expecting Mr Drury to offer something
spectacular. This he did, bringing together the themes
from the hymns and motet (Durufle). Inspiring, as was
Solemn Evensong and Benediction at Christ Church, St
Lawrence, whose order of service is offered to us
weekly by Daniel Mitterdorfer. There is something
rather special about worshipping at a church 8,000
miles from home, whose activities I read about on the
list and was able to visit and take part in yesterday.
Another church, as is St James, which takes a pride in
the maintenance of liturgical standards. 24 candles on
the altar. 10 Acolytes. A choral tradition to be
revered, the psalms sung to plainchant and a motet by
Josquin, accompanied by Peter Jewkes, a superb
liturgical accompanist. Mr Jewkes is also one of
Australia's leading organ builders.
And the new Mander organ? Their first in Australia, at
Sydney Grammar School in the assembly hall. This was
the third in a series of opening concerts to mark the
installation of this noteworthy instrument. The fine
crafstmanship shines from every tracker and every
pipe, and is crowned by a magnificent case inspired by
that in Grosvenor Chapel, Mayfair, London. This
recital featured Robert Ampt and Amy Johanssen
playing, as is their wont, organ duets. It is a
remarkably powerful instrument for its size - full
details will appear in the Australia section of
http://www.organsandorganistsonline.com/ when I get
back to Mount Olympus! I have left my programme at my
hotel, so will review it in more detail tomorrow. The
other memorable occasion was the 25th Anniversary of
the opening of the world's largest tracker action
organ, the 5 manual organ in Sydney Opera House by Ron
Sharp. I met Mr Sharp in the lobby before the recital
- he signed my programme - and the programme certainly
did his organ credit. It opened with an extrovertly
virtuoso performance of the Bach Toccata and Fugue in
D minor - to the accompaniment of an ever changing
coloured light display. This might sound a bit vulgar,
but it isn't - it is very effective. David Drury was
followed by 20 year old NSW Conservatory student, who
played the first movement of Bach's 2nd Trio Sonata
beautifully, and then gave a mind boggling performance
of Naji Hakim's work for organ inspired by Stravinsky.
This girl can play!
I am somewhat overawed by both David Drury and Sarah
Kim's offerings, but for any Australian members in
Sydney I am their guest recitalist on Wednesday at
St.James King Street, where I shall be playing the
Franck Choral No.3 in A minor, The Prelude and Fugue
in G major by Bach, part of Tourneire's "L'Orgue
Mystique" N. 26 and Langlais "Incantation Pour Un Jour
Saint". It was nice to see some list members at last
Friday's recital, and we had a convivial lunch
afterwards - apparently a regular gathering of the
Sydney Organ Society - which went on until 4.30, after
which we repaired to hear the new Mander organ - what
a fornight, and it ain't over yet!
John Foss
=====
http://www.johnfoss.gr
http://www.organsandorganistsonline.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orgofftop/
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