2000 Nails •• Ian McQueen (b. 1954) [19:57

end, when a deep cluster in the bass answers bright chirrups from high above.

Lyell Cresswell’s The Urim And The Thummim is another elemental and extraordinary work. It uses the organ like a fist that wields a great hammer of sound, whose pounding releases massive chords of tremendous power at the end of each short paragraph of the opening and concluding sections. The texture is placed mostly in the lower and middle registers, but later thins to long lines high above, before returning to the thunderous song of the opening.

The Biblical image of the title, evoking the devices – such as casting dice – used in divination by the priests of Solomon’s Temple, seems to call forth the wrath of an implacable Old Testament God. Is this the unrelenting, glorious voice of the tuba mirum on Judgement Day?

© Ian McQueen 2004 Michael Bonaventure, born in 1962 in Edinburgh, was a pupil of Herrick Bunney at St Giles Cathedral. For many years he was Organist of St Peter’s, Lutton Place, Edinburgh, where he gave numerous recitals during the years 1997–2003. Since March 2003 he has been based in London, working as a freelance musician and Organist of All Saints, Blackheath.

Numerous composers have written for this indefatigable exponent of new music. In addition to the composers represented on this disc, they include Ornette D. Clennon, Geoffrey King, James MacMillan, Jean-Pierre Leguay, and James Douglas.

Michael has broadcast programmes of contemporary music on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Scotland, and on Swedish Radio. He has given recitals throughout the UK –playing regularly at all of London’s Cathedrals and major City Churches – in Sweden, in the USA (with financial subsidy from the Scottish Arts Council) and throughout France; particularly notable were two recitals at NotreDame Cathedral, Paris, given at the invitation of Jean-Pierre Leguay. From 1980–1997 he appeared regularly at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, playing new works for organ, and was twice presented in recital by ECAT– this included a critically acclaimed performance of Messiaen’s ‘Livre d’Orgue’ in 1994, and the world première of JeanPierre Leguay’s ‘Horizon’ in 1996.

Thanks are due to John Kitchen and the Scottish Music Centre. Thanks also to David Page for page turning. Avril Anderson was born in Hampshire in 1953 and studied with Humphrey Searle and John Lambert at the Royal College of music where she was awarded the Cobbett Prize. She subsequently studied at the New England Conservatory, Boston, USA and privately with David del Tredici in New York.

Avril’s music has been performed and broadcast by leading performers in Europe, the USA and Australia. She has written works for the concert hall (orchestral and chamber), opera, scores for dance and music for education. She is also co-artistic director of the contemporary music ensemble, Sounds Positive, founded in 1987.

Peter Nelson was born in Glasgow, and studied English Literature and Music at Glasgow University, followed by further study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is currently Head of Music at the University of Edinburgh.

Through the 1980s he worked closely with the composer, Iannis Xenakis and his UPIC computer music system, composing