Organ Recitals - Royal Festival Hall by Zeffadelica

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W elcome The amazing sound of the Royal Festival Hall organ was first heard on 24 March 1954, almost sixty years ago to the day. The organ was removed in 2005 so that Royal Festival Hall could be refurbished and one third re-installed when the Hall re-opened in 2007. We have now restored this magnificent instrument to its full glory in time to celebrate the organ’s 60th birthday in March 2014.

Organs are the most versatile of instruments, the scope and power of an orchestra being at the hands and feet of one person; ranging from chamber organs shaped like a wardrobe to huge pieces of engineering, architecture and design. This greatly loved instrument that dominates the Royal Festival Hall, absent and incomplete for years, is now back home for tens of thousands to enjoy – euphonious, harmonious, melodious, thunderous.

Everyone from young children to the keenest organ advocates will be able to enjoy the instrument again in this hugely varied festival. There are solo recitals, orchestral concerts, films, free talks, tours, workshops, and an exciting interactive exhibition exploring this historic instrument. We are also delighted to welcome BBC Radio 3 for a groundbreaking residency.

As a schoolboy in the 1960s I was captivated for life by attending free concerts at Southbank Centre, and I hope that people young and old will be enraptured by the programme of events, talks, recitals and concerts around the restored organ, dozens of them free to attend. I’m deeply grateful to the thousands of Lottery players who contributed to the Heritage Lottery Fund’s £950,000 towards the restoration, building on the £22.5 million contributed towards the restoration of the UK’s finest post-war concert hall.

The organ has been restored by Harrison & Harrison Ltd of Durham with incredible craftsmanship, under the expert guidance of our organ curator Dr William McVicker. We are very grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a grant of £950,000 and to the 60,000 people who sponsored pipes and made donations to help us raise a total of £2.3 million to enable you and future generations to hear the Royal Festival Hall organ again. Jude Kelly OBE Southbank Centre Artistic Director Alan Bishop Southbank Centre Chief Executive

BBC Radio 3 live at Southbank Centre We are delighted that Southbank Centre and BBC Radio 3 are working in partnership during the Pull Out All The Stops festival. Taking place from Saturday 15 – Monday 31 March, the groundbreaking residency sees a temporary studio built in Royal Festival Hall’s Riverside Cafe, where you can witness live broadcasts. BBC Radio 3 brings an array of its regular programmes to Southbank Centre, as well as live concert broadcasts and participatory projects unlocking the mysteries of radio.

This great organ is one of the most remarkable musical instruments in the country. Its magnificent renewal completes another stage in Southbank Centre’s wonderful renaissance. Wesley Kerr Chair of London Committee Heritage Lottery Fund One of the ways we’re celebrating the return of the Royal Festival Hall organ is by commissioning and presenting new work. I am particularly delighted that such a wide range of artists have been inspired by the organ and have created new work to welcome it back. Sir Peter Maxwell Davies has written a celebratory work for children to sing and play with the organ, and we are honoured that one of Sir John Tavener’s last pieces before his death in 2013 was for our organ. The great Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho has written a new organ concerto, we present the London premiere of a solo organ piece by Judith Weir, and young composers Soosan Lolavar and Mark Carroll are exploring the organ through the Sound and Music Embedded programme.

P ull O ut A ll T he S tops : A n O r g an C elebration A short history of the Royal Festival Hall organ...............................................2 Our organ supporters..........................................................................................8 The organ specification.......................................................................................9 Line drawing of the Royal Festival Hall organ.................................................10 Concerts: John Scott *.....................................................................................................12 Friday 21 March 2014 Neil Hannon † *.................................................................................................16 Saturday 22 March 2014 Thomas Trotter *..............................................................................................24 Monday 24 March 2014 Olivier Latry *...................................................................................................28 Thursday 27 March 2014 Martin Creed: Face to Face with Bach †.........................................................31 Sunday 30 March 2014 Darkness and Light: A new work for organ and video projection.................34 Friday 11 April 2014

†

Southbank Centre gratefully acknowledges financial support from PRS for Music Foundation for new works by Neil Hannon and Martin Creed.

*Please note these concerts will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 as part of BBC Radio 3 Live at Southbank Centre

The musical genres are wide: jazz musician Kit Downes and beatboxer/composer Shlomo have composed new works for the organ, and Divine Comedy frontman Neil Hannon has created a new oratorio. With Turner prize winner Martin Creed being inspired by Bach to write his first ever organ piece and video artist Lynette Wallworth creating an innovative video work inspired by great organ music, it is clear that the Royal Festival Hall instrument will be a vital force in 21st-century culture. Gillian Moore MBE Head of Classical Music 1

A S hort H istor y O f T he R o y al F estival H all O r g an

established a reputation as a musician with what was (at that time) a rare interest in historical performance practice.

Commissioning the Organ Downes was resident organist for the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and in 1948 was commissioned by the London County Council (LCC) to design an organ for the Royal Festival Hall. From the very outset Downes sought an instrument which returned to some of the tonal design principles of the 17th and 18th century. He sought an organ that could do justice to the finest contrapuntal music – that of Johann Sebastian Bach and the North German School – and in order to do this he was particularly interested in characterful organ stops and architectural choruses of ‘clean’ sound, topped by what are known as brilliant ‘mixture’ stops – a characteristic which critics of his scheme loosely railed on as ‘continental’ or ‘Baroque’.

By William McVicker, Southbank Centre Organ Curator

1951 Festival of Britain We have a tendency to look back through history to the inauguration of the Royal Festival Hall organ without appreciating that it was born from the aspirations of the Festival of Britain in 1951; that the organ took four years to construct tends to separate it from the revolutionary thinking which underpinned that Festival – an event inspired by the Great Exhibition of 1851 as well as the Stockholm Exhibition of 1930.

The organ during construction in the early 1950s. Photo from Harrison & Harrison Archive.

When the first details were published of the proposed new organ for London’s Royal Festival Hall, letters appeared in the pages of newspapers and music journals criticising it before even a note had been heard; in an article in The Times in March 1954, days before the opening, ‘Our Music Critic’ predicted that the ‘tax-payer’s organ’ would introduce a repertoire of strange new words – ‘mixture’, ‘mutation’, ‘harmonics’, ‘partials’ – and described it disparagingly as a ‘large’ and ‘expensive’ instrument. Sixty years on these issues are not as contentious as they once were; this instrument caused a reassessment of English organ design and had a far-reaching impact on organbuilding culture. How was it that the project consultant and organ builders came to produce such a radical scheme? 2

Organ Reform Movement Albert Schweitzer (1875 – 1965) had asked some far-reaching questions concerning the state of what was then contemporary organ-building in Europe (circa 1900). His research gave rise to a conference in Freiburg in 1926 which sought to re-establish the principles of good organ-building. The 17th- and 18th-century instruments of the ‘classic’ period were rediscovered, and organ builders began to attempt to copy the sounds of these instruments – notably those built by Arp Schnitger (1648 – 1719) and Gottfried Silbermann (1683 – 1753). This German organ revival became known as the Orgelbewegung. The seeds of this movement spread to America and it was there that Ralph William Downes (1904 – 93), the designer of the Royal Festival Hall organ, first encountered this burgeoning philosophy. After taking his degree at Oxford Downes became Musical Director and organist at Princeton University’s new chapel in 1928. When he returned to London in 1936, as organist of the Brompton Oratory, he rapidly

The Festival promised revitalisation for post-war Britain: everything was to be new; it represented the future through invention, colour and excitement – a veritable ‘beacon for change’; it embraced a spirit of imagination and adventure which is wholly reflected in Downes’ thinking. The inquisitive architectural spirit of the age owed much to continental design – both Italian and Scandinavian. The Royal Festival Hall instrument’s concept, design and construction thus accorded with the ideals of the Festival, and, in Downes’ own words, it was built ‘to embody excellence in quality of materials, workmanship [and] artistry.’

‘The Royal Festival Hall instrument occupies a pivotal position in the history of the English organ’ we have some bad organs in Britain, but at their worst they cannot surely make so nasty a noise as those on the Continent.’ Passions clearly ran high: why should a nation struggling to rebuild itself after the war now accept Teutonic stop names, or worry about whether this organ was suitable for the music of a ‘foreign’ composer such as Bach? Finally it was agreed that the objections were differences in taste and Downes’ scheme was modified slightly, adopted and built. Harrison & Harrison Ltd of Durham was chosen (on account of their excellent workmanship) to undertake the task of constructing the instrument to a ground-breaking specification. His scheme required the firm to construct pipework in a style virtually unknown in England. The mathematical processes for the calculation of the pipe scales (the relationship of diameter to length) and the processes for the voicing (the regulation of the tone) of the pipes (the so-called ‘open-foot’ technique) were new to Harrison & Harrison, who stuck religiously to Downes’ scheme.

Opposition to the Organ Downes’ ideas met with opposition from several ‘establishment’ figures – notably Sir George Dyson, Sir George Thalben-Ball, Sir Malcolm Sargent, and Dr Ralph Vaughan Williams; but there were others in favour of his revivalist scheme: Benjamin Britten, Sir Thomas Beecham, Sir Jack Westrup (Professor of Music at the University of Oxford), and G Donald Harrison (an organ-builder who championed the ‘American Classic’ organ). Those objectors focused on the ‘continental’ or ‘Baroque’ influence – a sound which was utterly abhorrent to Ralph Vaughan Williams, who wrote a letter to The Times in 1951, stating: ‘I admit that

The Royal Festival Hall instrument thus occupies a pivotal position in the history of the English organ and was effectively the first ‘neo-classical’ British organ to reflect a desire to serve a wide range of earlier keyboard repertoires. Its construction heralded the arrival of the Organ Reform Movement in England.

Its very imaginative appearance stunned audiences at the time. For those unaccustomed to looking at organ cases and pipe-façades, this instrument’s ‘open-plan’ character provides a strong backdrop behind the world’s great orchestras and sits at the very heart of the hall’s architecture. It is noteworthy that the open-

‘Preserving and respecting the musical style of the instrument was the main objective’ The Organ’s Appearance It is well known that the organ’s appearance is something of an accident. Some thought that a ‘town hall’ symmetrical array of large organ pipes – including some copper pipes – would be appropriate, whilst others thought that a grille covering the entire opening (in the manner of the cinema organs of the time) would suffice. The Leader of the London County Council (LCC) and Chairman of the South Bank Committee, Isaac Haywood, resolved the deadlock: ‘We are paying for all these expensive pipes and we want to see them as a decorative feature of the Hall’. Almost overnight the organ’s internal layout (initially assumed to be hidden from view) became the exposed pipework we see today.

plan design of the Royal Festival Hall instrument was adopted for a number of subsequent modernist English organ designs, notably at Coventry Cathedral (1962), Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral (1967) and Blackburn Cathedral (1968). The Harrison & Harrison / Downes organ was opened on Wednesday 24 March 1954. The London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Adrian Boult, performed a programme of works with Ralph Downes and André Marchal as soloists. This was followed, on Saturday 27 March, by a recital given by four of the most celebrated organists of the day: Downes, Arnold Richardson, Susi Jeans and George Thalben-Ball. The Daily Mail reported that it was ‘a brilliant concert instrument worth all the £51,000 the LCC has paid for it ... it was a night of triumph for Mr Downes.’

Removal of the Organ The Royal Festival Hall organ hosted the greatest players of the day and served the public for 50 years – with only minor modifications and regular maintenance. It was removed from the auditorium in preparation for the building’s refurbishment which took place between 2005 and 2007; the organ now benefits from a more favourable acoustic – particularly noticeable in the lower frequency range of the instrument. While preparing for the refurbishment it became clear that significant improvements to the Royal Festival Hall auditorium would be possible within the constraints of the building’s Grade I listing. The resulting changes in acoustics meant that nothing less than a complete remodelling of the instrument’s structure would be required. The stage was to be enlarged and the volume of the organ chamber reduced in order to create muchneeded choir seating and space on stage. After a full (and open) tender procedure, Harrison & Harrison Ltd was appointed to the project; the work sought to preserve the original tonal design (the organ’s unique sound) and materials, and to retain the principles of the original layout. Preserving and respecting the musical style of the instrument was the main objective. © Timothy Cochrane

The organ console being installed in the auditorium c.1953. Photo from Harrison & Harrison Archive.

Change in Appearance It was the instrument’s visual appearance which presented the most significant challenge; considerable trouble has been taken to preserve its character. There was a clear principle on which the layout was based: a differentiation between the foundation stops on the lower level and the (higher-pitched) upperwork and reed stops above. During the reinstallation several minor changes have been made to the organ’s appearance: • The front profile of the organ chamber was altered, reducing the depth of the central section and tapering out to the original depth at both ends. • The organ’s interior layout was rethought. The pipework within the louvered ‘swell boxes’ (see the drawing on pages 12 and 13) of the enclosed sections of the instrument was replanned to make better use of the space, thereby retaining the visual character of the unenclosed pipework. • The frame of the organ had originally been set uncomfortably low in the chamber and the walnut band at lower level was altered in 1954 to allow the organ’s pipes to be seen. This architectural glitch has been addressed: the soundboard (the chests upon which the pipes stand) levels have been raised

and their relationships adjusted, in order to achieve a better visual balance. • The acoustic redesign of the Royal Festival Hall auditorium has meant that it is now possible to view the full width of the organ chamber and all the pipes. • You’ll notice that one of the organ’s chief visual characteristics are the famous ‘monogram frontispiece’ of dummy pipes, designed at a late stage by the Hall’s deputy architect, (Sir) Leslie Martin (these are the copper and tin pipes in the centre, and the flanks of large wooden ones). During the planning process the future of these pipes came under review. Second thoughts later prevailed, and it was decided that these characteristic designs deserved to be reinstated to their prominent place. Harrison & Harrison’s design team was able to accommodate the ‘monogram frontispiece’ in the revised design. • The depth for the instrument is now shallower so the original layout could not be reproduced exactly; better internal access was required within the organ for tuning and maintenance. • In addition to the organ’s strong horizontal appearance, there had been a series of important vertical elements – ten steel posts – which needed 5

only three new soundboards (the chests upon which the pipes stand) have had to be constructed.

to be removed; the verticals of the new organ frame partly replace this upward thrust.

• All components of the instrument have been fully overhauled, including the 7,866 pipes, the slider chests (the matrix of holes in the soundboards which become aligned when the sliders move) and the 26 double-rise reservoirs which constitute the organ’s wind system.

• The largest pipes of the 32-ft flue and reed stops, on the extreme left and right edges of the organ respectively, originally appeared as a somewhat disorganised ‘jumble of stalks in a jar’; these elements contrasted with the more regular appearance of the rest of the pipework. It was decided to re-arrange the largest pipes of the Principal ranks in a more formal manner on the instrument’s left-hand side. In order to create visual balance, a new arrangement of Pedal 16-ft Principal pipes was located immediately in front of the 32-ft Pedal reed stops at the right-hand side.

• New quieter electric slider-actions have replaced the original electro-pneumatic slider machines and the organ’s key transmission (the mechanism through which the notes, played by the organist, causes the pipes to sound), electronic coupler (the mechanisms for coupling one keyboard function to another) and combination systems (the computer processor which allows pre-set combinations of stops to be selected) have replaced the out-dated original equipment.

• The organ’s console, originally slightly separated from the front of the organ, had caused problems during ballet productions, where dancers regularly caught their shins on the top of the console which protruded from the set backstage. The console is now attached to the main structure of the organ.

The first stage of the organ was installed ready for the reopening of the hall in 2007. Seven years later the rest of the organ has now finally been completed. The full story of the refurbishment of the Royal Festival Hall organ can be found in a new publication containing a series of essays on the recent work. The book, edited by William McVicker, is issued by the British Institute of Organ Studies (Journal Volume 38, published by Positif Press) in collaboration with Southbank Centre and is available in Foyles and Southbank Centre Shops, priced £15.95.

Mechanics of the Organ In most respects, the mechanical design of the organ remains exactly as completed in 1954. However, during the restoration, some minor changes were made: • The organ’s electro-pneumatic action (the mechanism through which the notes, played by the organist, causes the pipes to sound) has been retained and

THANK YOu! We pulled out all the stops – and so did you! Back in 2005 the Royal Festival Hall organ was carefully removed and put into storage in preparation for the refurbishment of Royal Festival Hall. The process of returning it to its home took seven years and a great deal of support from individuals, trusts and companies. Southbank Centre is incredibly grateful to all those who helped with the Pull Out All The Stops campaign – including Southbank Centre Chief Executive Alan Bishop for his tireless work. Here are some of the highlights: • The campaign was launched in September 2010 and finished in summer 2013. • Its identity, with the familiar organ stop, was designed by M&C Saatchi (special thanks to David Kershaw and Simon Dicketts). • £2.3 million was raised: £950,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, without which we couldn’t have launched the fundraising campaign, and £1.35 million from the public, including individuals, trusts and foundations and companies. • 60,000 people gave their support. • Over 3,500 pipes were sponsored – from tiny pipes the size of a pencil through to 32ft pipes the size of a (big) tree. • We received donations from over 50 different countries. • Southbank Centre restaurant Skylon designed and sold a cocktail in aid of the campaign – ‘The Royal Crown’. • Nine Festival of Britain beach huts were auctioned on eBay, raising over £5,000. • The Pull All Out The Stops quiz and auction raised £30,000. • A 300-mile sponsored bike ride by Southbank Centre Chairman Rick Haythornthwaite and his team brought the final pipe back from Durham to London in under 24 hours in July 2013, raising £100,000 and completing the campaign.

the console 1. Couplers join keyboards so they may be played together.

• Organ Curator William McVicker gave 38 tours of the organ for donors to see their support being put to use. 7. Stops for Great Organ and Positive Organ.

1 6

2. Manual or Keyboard for Solo Organ. 3. Manuals for Swell, Great and Positive/ Choir Organs. 4. Stops which switch the sets of pipes on and off.

7 2 4

3 3 9

5. Stops for Pedal Organ. 10

6. Stops for Solo Organ.

• And of course special thanks to Harrison & Harrison who helped so much with the campaign, including letting us film the work taking place.

9. Swell Pedals which open and close shutters to various boxes such as that which encloses the Swell Organ.

8. Thumb and Foot Pistons which select groups of stops or ranks to be played together.

• The Royal Festival Hall auditorium was closed for two summers to re-install the instrument.

10. Pedalboard for Pedal organ, played by the feet.

or g an supporters

or g an specification

Our heartfelt thanks go to the Heritage Lottery Fund and over 60,000 individuals, trusts and companies who supported the Pull Out All The Stops campaign by sponsoring pipes and making other donations.

PEDAL ORGAN 1. Principal (from 54)

The support for the restoration and reinstallation of the organ has been overwhelming and thanks in particular go to: Brian Abel

John and Amy Ford

Molly Jackson

Samantha Riley

Ralph and Elizabeth Aldwinckle

The Franey Foundation

Lillian Jameson

Jamie and Joey Ritblat

Maurice Fry Charitable Trust

Richard Johnson

Angela Roebuck

Charlotte Fulford

Donovan Kelly and Ann Wood

The Rothschild Foundation

Robert Gale

David and Clare Kershaw

The Sackler Trust

Susan Gilchrist

Annette and Clifford Knight

Alan Sainer

Anthony Goreham

Sybil and Herbert Kretzmer

The Sargent Charitable Trust

Ian Laidlaw-Dickson

Andy Scott

John W Lindsey

Ann and Barry Scrutton

Dr Margaret Mayston AM

The Seary Charitable Trust

Anamax Charitable Foundation Amanda Atkins Diana Atkinson The BAND Trust Richard and Rosamund Bernays Alan and Alex Bishop Jock Blakey Thomas Bowie FH Brittenden Gavin and Jo Buchan Clive Butler Richard Buxton James Cash The John Coates Charitable Trust Andrew Davenport Clore Duffield Foundation David Ellis Eranda Foundation Piers Fallowfield- Cooper In memory of Ruth Ferrero Jonathan Flowers Felicity Ford

Duncan Gray Katie Gray In memory of Alan Greening Richard H Grogan, Jr Carolyn Halsey Brent Hansen Allen Harris Michael Harris Rick and Janeen Haythornthwaite James Helliwell Dr Brooke Himsworth Mr and Mrs NJ Hitchcock Lesley Hodsdon David Holberton Nigel and Susan Holland Alan Horne Barnaby Hubble Marc Hutchinson

Roger McCann Mike and Gay McCart Michael McLaren-Turner Patricia McLaren-Turner Cornelius Medvei and Jean Scott-Moncrieff David Menzies The Monument Trust Mr and Mrs Paul Morgan Bryan Moseley Mr Colin C Neathey David Neilson Thomas Phillips Anne Rayner Michael Reynolds

Nicholas Sharpe Sir David and Lady Sieff Lois Sieff OBE Virginia Slaymaker

32 2. Major Bass 16 3. Principal 16 4. Sub Bass 16 5. Quintadena (from 74) 16 6. Salicional (from 40) 16 7. Quintflute (stopped) 102/3 8. Octave 8 9. Gedackt 8 10. Quintadena (from 74) 8 11. Nazard (conical) 51/3 12. Superoctave 4 13. Spitzflute (conical) 4 14. Open Flute 2 15. Septerz 17.21 31/5 16. Rauschquint 12.15 51/3 17. Mixture 19.22.26.29.33 22/3 18. Bombarde (from 19) 32 19. Bombarde 16 20. Dulzian (from 38) 16 21. Trumpet 8 22. Cromorne (from 52) 8 23. Clarion 4 24. Schalmei (from 53) 4 25. Cornett 2 I Positive and Choir to Pedal II Great to Pedal III Swell to Pedal IV Solo to Pedal

Penny and Michael Stearn

POSITIVE ORGAN

Dr JR Rollin Stott

26. Principal 8 27. Gedackt 8 28. Quintadena 8 29. Octave 4 30. Rohrflute 4 31. Rohrnazard 22/3 32. Spitzflute (conical) 2 33. Tierce 13/5 34. Larigot 11/3 35. Mixture 15.19.22.26.29 2 36. Sharp Mixture 22.26.29.33.36 1 1 /2 37. Carillon 29.38 38. Dulzian (in Choir box) 8 39. Trumpet (in Choir box) 8

The Dacia Tasker Trust Simon Thompson Philippa Tudor Ulrich Family David Wakefield Peter and Tessa Watkins Mike Wilkinson Mike and Kim Wilson And all those who wish to remain anonymous

V Tremulant VI Positive on Great

VII Swell to Positive VIII Solo to Positive

CHOIR ORGAN

(On Positive keys) (Enclosed)

40. Salicional 16 41. Open Wood 8 42. Stopped Wood 8 43. Salicional (conical) 8 44. Unda Maris (conical) 8 45. Spitzoctave (conical) 4 46. Open Flute 4 47. Principal 2 48. Quint 11/3 49. Octave 1 2 /3 50. Sesquialtera 26.31 1 /2 51. Mixture 29.33.36.40 52. Cromorne 8 53. Schalmei 4 IX Tremulant X Choir on Solo

GREAT ORGAN 54. Principal 16 55. Gedacktpommer 16 56. Diapason 8 57. Principal 8 58. Harmonic Flute 8 59. Rohr Gedackt 8 60. Quintflute (stopped) 51/3 61. Octave 4 62. Gemshorn (conical) 4 63. Quintadena 4 64. Quint 22/3 65. Super Octave 2 66. Blockflute 2 67. Tierce 13/5 68. Mixture 15.19.22.26.29 2 69. Sharp Mixture 26.29.33.36 2/3 70. Cornet 1.8.12.15.17 (middle c) 8 71. Bombarde 16 72. Trumpet 8 73. Clarion 4 XI Sub Octave XII Reeds and Cornet on Solo XIII Positive and Choir to Great XIV Swell to Great XV Solo to Great

SWELL ORGAN 74. Quintadena 16 75. Diapason 8 76. Gemshorn (conical) 8 77. Quintadena 8 78. Viola 8 79. Celeste 8 80. Principal 4 81. Koppelflute 4 82. Nazard (conical) 22/3 83. Octave 2 84. Open Flute 2 85. Tierce (tenor f) 13/5 86. Flageolet 1 87. Mixture 22.26.29.33 1 1 88. Cymbel 38.40.43 /5 89. Hautboy 8 90. Vox Humana 8 XVI Tremulant

91. Bombarde 92. Trumpet 93. Clarion

16 8 4

XVII Octave (16ft, 8ft and 4ft stops only) XVIII Solo to Swell

SOLO ORGAN (Enclosed)

94. Diapason 8 95. Rohrflute 8 96. Octave 4 97. Waldflute (conical) 2 98. Rauschquint 12.15 22/3 99. Tertian 17.19 13/5 100. Mixture 19.22.22.26.29.33 11/3 101. Basset Horn 16 XIX Tremulant

102. Harmonic Trumpet 103. Harmonic Clarion

8 4

COMBINATION COUPLERS

(rocking tablets) XX Great and Pedal Combinations coupled XXI Swell on General foot pistons

ACCESSORIES

Eight foot pistons to the Pedal Organ Eight pistons to the Choir and Positive Organs (combined) Eight pistons to the Great Organ Eight pistons to the Swell Organ Eight pistons to the Solo Organ Eight general pistons (duplicated by foot pistons) and general cancel piston

Reversible pistons: I - IV, VII, VIII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVIII Reversible foot pistons: I - IV Full organ piston and foot piston Stepper, operating general pistons General crescendo pedal, with indicator Balanced expression pedals to Choir, Swell and Solo Organs

The pistons are instantly adjustable, with eight divisional memories and 512 general memories. The general crescendo pedal has one fixed and three adjustable settings. The actions are electro-pneumatic. The manual compass is 61 notes; the pedal compass is 32 notes.

T H E royal festival hall O R G A N Fro n t E l e v a t i o n

pedal reeds 8, 4 & 2

MAJOR BASS

(behind Great reeds)

swell

great reeds & cornet

great upperwork

principal 16ft great & 32ft pedals

solo

choir

positive upperwork

pedal reeds 32ft & 16ft (behind façade pipes)

sub bass reservoir

great 8ft basses

The illustration above shows the positions of the various divisions and stops of the Royal Festival Hall organ. For the sake of clarity, the non-sounding, dummy pipes of the ‘monogram’ have been removed from this line drawing. In the centre at the lower

great foundation

level is the Pedal Organ stretching back to front. Immediately above it are the Great Reeds and Cornet with the 8ft, 4ft, and 2ft Pedal Reeds and Mixtures. To the left is the Great Organ on two levels; to the right the Positive – also on two levels.

reservoir pedal

reservoir

positive foundation

The large cylindrical pipes in the left corner are the 16-ft pipes of the Great Principal and the 32ft octave of the Pedal Principal. Behind the pipes at the far right-hand side are the conical pipes of the 32ft and 16ft Pedal Bombarde; the swell box on the left is that of the Swell

positive 8ft basses

Organ and on the right the Choir and Solo; the Choir box being that nearest the centre. The rather flattened U-shape of the various groups is due to the normal method of planting pipes in C and C# sides – the basses on the outer edges with the trebles in the centre.

F rida y 2 1 M arch 2 0 1 4 John Scott organ

Programme Notes

Royal Festival Hall, 7.30pm Marchand Dialogue in C from Pièces d’orgue, Bk.3 8’ Buxtehude Chorale prelude, Komm, heiliger Geist, BuxWV.199 5’ Bach Prelude and Fugue in E flat, BWV.552 6’ Mozart Adagio and Allegro in F minor, K.594 12’ Dupré Esquisse in E minor (Vivace), Op.41 No.2; Esquisse in B flat minor (Deciso), Op.41 No.3 6’ Interval

Liszt Fantasia and fugue on ‘Ad nos, ad salutarem undam’, S.259

Royal Festival Hall at 6pm - John Scott and William McVicker discuss the Royal Festival Hall organ and tonight’s programme. Free. Please note this concert will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 as part of BBC Radio 3 Live at Southbank Centre.

28’

Louis Marchand (1669 – 1732)

Dialogue in C from Pièces d’orgue, Book 3 The French organist, harpsichordist and composer Louis Marchand was so gifted he was appointed organist at Nevers Cathedral at the age of 14. He later moved to Paris, and became one of the organists to the French king. Crowds flocked to hear him play and the composer Jean-Baptiste Rameau was among his admirers. However he was not above a bit of skullduggery to obtain lucrative posts by slandering his competitors, and his colourful private life included a reputation for wife-beating. All Marchand’s surviving music dates from early in his career, and the Grand Dialogue in C from the Versailles manuscripts is dated 1696. Edward Higginbottom, organist of New College, Oxford and an authority on music of the period, has said that Marchand’s style looks back rather than forward, but he describes this large-scale Dialogue as ‘a finished work, fully the match of the offertories of [his distinguished contemporaries] Couperin and de Grigny’. The ‘dialogue’ is between different sections of the organ. In its spritely opening you can clearly hear the influence of dance on French music of this period; as the conversation develops, this contrasts with more expansive passages, revealing the multitude of pipes in the Royal Festival Hall organ in all their enormous variety of texture and tone. Dietrich Buxtehude (1637 – 1707)

Chorale prelude, Komm heiliger Geist, BuxWV.199 As an organist and composer Buxtehude was an important precursor of JS Bach. Most of his career was spent as organist of the Marienkirche, Lübeck, in Northern Germany, where in addition to playing for services he developed a series of Sunday evening concerts of sacred vocal works, organ recitals and chamber music instigated by his predecessor and held between Martinmas and Christmas. Buxtehude’s status was so high that the young Bach, not noted for his travelling, famously walked 400km from Arnstadt to Lübeck in order to learn from him, outstaying his leave of absence from his employer by three months. 12

The word ‘chorale’ means both the text and the melody of a congregational hymn, taken together, but the term is often used to describe the music alone, either as a single line or fully harmonised as in the monumental collection by Bach. The chorale prelude was a staple ingredient of German Lutheran church services, originally performed to introduce congregational hymn settings of the same melody, but often given a life of its own as here in Buxtehude’s meditation on the Pentecost hymn ‘Come, Holy Ghost’. J o h a n n S e b a st i a n B a c h (1685 – 1750)

Prelude and Fugue in E flat, BWV.552 Even if JS Bach had written nothing else, his monumental portfolio of works for organ would have ensured his immortality. Published in 1739 when he was organist and choirmaster at St Thomas’ Church, Leipzig, the Prelude and Fugue in E flat is included in the third part of the compendium of keyboard practice, known as the Clavier-Übung, which Bach put together in an attempt to provide an encyclopaedia of musical knowledge. The two sections of the work were actually printed separately at the beginning and end of the compendium, book-ending 21 choral preludes and four duets. The Prelude brings together several national styles, combining the academic rigour of Bach’s own north German heritage with the dotted rhythms of a French overture and an Italian ritornello or ‘returning’ form, in which a recurring melodic idea is alternated with new material. A fugue (meaning ‘flight’ or ‘escape’) is a compositional style in which three or more voices or ‘subjects’ enter one after another, each giving chase to the one before. The eminent theologian and organist Albert Schweitzer believed that the three subjects of this majestic E flat fugue were a reference to the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The same theme recurs in three connected fugues, each with a different personality: the first very calm, the second disguised; the third ‘transformed into rushing semiquavers, as if the Pentecostal wind were coming roaring from heaven,’ wrote Schweitzer. This fugue has been nicknamed the ‘St Anne’ because of the theme’s resemblance to the tune to which the hymn ‘O God our help in ages past’ is usually sung, but there is no evidence Bach was familiar with this tune, which is by the English composer William Croft.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 91)

Adagio and Allegro (Fantasia) in F minor, K.594 (i) Adagio (ii) Allegro (iii) Adagio Mozart excelled at composition in virtually every genre and style of music, but as a performer he worked mainly in the context of orchestral and secular chamber music, playing keyboard and violin. Although he was employed by Archbishop Colloredo of Salzburg, his main liturgical responsibility seems to have been writing masses and other choral music, in addition to performing and writing for court orchestra. While visiting Paris in 1777 he turned down an organist’s post at Versailles and he wrote only a handful of works for the instrument. This delicate little three movement piece, lasting just 12 minutes, was actually composed for a mechanical clockwork organ or ‘musical clock’ to play, as a funeral mass for Field Marshal Gideon von Laudon. The instrument ended up in a mausoleum where the Field Marshal’s waxen effigy was displayed in a glass coffin, and Mozart’s music was played on the hour as visitors paid their respects. In a letter to his wife Constanze Mozart admitted that he hated the job, and could hardly bring himself to finish it: ‘If it were a large clock, and the thing would sound like a true organ, then it might be fun; but as it is, the work consists solely of little pipes, which sound high-pitched and too childish for my taste.’ Played on a large pipe organ, however, the music is transformed into a charming and exuberant example of Mozart’s skill. Marcel Dupré (1886 – 1971)

Esquisse in E minor (Vivace), Op.41 No.2 Esquisse in B flat minor (Deciso), Op.41 No.3 Marcel Dupré was born in Rouen, the only child of a distinguished organist and choral conductor. His mother was a cellist and pianist and the family home was shared with a grandfather and aunt who were also professional musicians. When the young Marcel was just a few days old his father’s teacher, the eminent organist Alexandre Guilmant, was introduced to him and declared: ‘He will be an organist’. When he was ten the music room where rehearsals of the local choral society took place was enlarged to accommodate an instrument and Dupré was on course for a performing 13

career that included 2,178 recitals all over the world. After 28 years as assistant to Charles-Marie Widor at St Sulpice in Paris, he was appointed to the post on Widor’s retirement in 1938 and served until his own death in 1971.

John Scott

These two Esquisses are characteristically demanding. The first is a fleeting exercise in staccato (‘detached’) repeated notes; the second is a relentless demonstration of virtuoso technique, which ends in a burst of musical fireworks. Franz Liszt (1811 – 86)

Fantasia and fugue on ‘Ad nos, ad salutarem undam’, S.259 The title of this piece means ‘Come to us, to the waves of salvation’ and is taken from Giacomo Meyerbeer’s opera Le Prophète, where it was set to the 27-note melody that forms the basis for this work. It was composed in 1850 and described by Liszt’s friend and fellow-composer Camille Saint-Saëns as ‘the most extraordinary organ piece that has ever been written.’ Liszt seems to attract superlatives – he was best known as a pianist and often said to be the greatest that has ever lived. But he was also fascinated by organs and in this work, a cornerstone of the repertoire, he clearly revelled in all the emotional and sonic possibilities opened up by the 19th-century development of large-scale instruments that imitated the sounds of the romantic symphony orchestra. Although it runs without a break there are three distinct sections: an extended prelude which includes a statement of the theme on quiet stops; a subdued Adagio or slow section; and a robust fugue leading to a jubilant conclusion. Programme notes by Clare Stevens

John Scott received his earliest musical training as a Chorister at Wakefield Cathedral, and gained the diplomas of the Royal College of Organists while still at school, winning the major prizes. In 1974 he became Organ Scholar of St John’s College, Cambridge, where he acted as assistant to Dr George Guest. He studied the organ with Jonathan Bielby, Ralph Downes, and Dame Gillian Weir. When he made his debut in the 1977 BBC Proms – playing Reubke’s Sonata on the 94th Psalm – he was the youngest organist to appear in the BBC Proms. On leaving Cambridge, he was appointed Assistant Organist at St Paul’s and Southwark Cathedrals, and won first prizes from the Manchester International Organ Competition (1978) and Leipzig JS Bach Competition (1984). In 1985 he became Sub-Organist of St Paul’s Cathedral, and in 1990 succeeded Dr Christopher Dearnley as Organist and Director of Music. Recent engagements have included concerts in Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Notre Dame in Paris, the Thomaskirche, Leipzig, King’s College, Cambridge, Cologne Cathedral, Disney Hall, Los Angeles and London’s Royal Albert Hall. In 2004, after a 26-year association with St Paul’s Cathedral, Scott took up the post of Organist and Director of Music at St Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue in New York, where he directs the renowned choir of men and boys. In recognition of his work at St Paul’s, he was awarded the LVO [Lieutenant of the Royal Vicotria Order] from HM Queen Elizabeth II.

I n t e r n at i o n a l Organ Series 2 0 1 4 /1 5

We are proud to welcome back today’s top organists to perform on the Royal Festival Hall organ, in music ranging from the Baroque to the brand new. Monday 29 September 2014 J e n n i f e r B at e

Monday 2 February 2015 Ann-Elise Smoot

Mendelssohn Organ Sonata in A, Op.65 No.3 Bach Prelude and Fugue in B minor, BWV.544 Messiaen Chants d’oiseaux (No.4 of Livre d’orgue) Franck Choral No.3 in A minor Duruflé Suite for organ, Op.5

Brahms Prelude and Fugue in G minor for organ, WoO. posth.10 Liszt Orpheus symphonic poem transc. for organ, S.672a Bach Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV.582 Elgar Organ Sonata in G, Op.28

£15* Saturday 18 October 2014 cameron carpenter BBC Concert Orchestra André de Ridder conductor Programme includes: Terry Riley Organ Concerto (At the Royal Majestic) †

£34, £28, £21, £15, £10* Wednesday 10 December 2014 Martin Baker Bairstow Organ Sonata in E flat Holt The Legend of Melusine for boy treble & organ † ‡ Bach Prelude and Fugue in C, BWV.547 Widor Organ Symphony No.6 in G minor, Op.42 No.2

£15* In collaboration with the Royal College of Organists, celebrating its 150th anniversary

£15* Monday 27 April 2015 Thomas Trotter Stanford Fantasia and Toccata in D minor, Op.57 Bach Sonata No.1 in E flat for organ, BWV.525 MacMillan Le tombeau de Georges Roualt Saint-Saëns Fantaisie in E flat for organ (1857) Dupré Symphonie-Passion for organ, Op.23

£15* All concerts in Royal Festival Hall at 7.30pm Free pre-concert talks at 6.15pm Free lunchtime recital series from September 2014. † Southbank Centre commissions *Transaction fees may apply: £2.75 by phone, £1.75 online. Limited half-price concessions available. Series savings: Book two concerts and save 10% Book three or more concerts and save 20%

‡ Southbank Centre gratefully acknowledges financial support from PRS for Music Foundation for this work.

0844 847 9910 southbankcentre.co.uk/organ

S A T U R D A Y 2 2 M arch 2 0 1 4 Neil Hannon’s Guide to the Organ

Programme Notes

Royal Festival Hall, 7.30pm Louis Vierne (1870 – 1937)

Rebecca Miller conductor Tom Bell organ Strings of the BBC Concert Orchestra

Carillon de Westminster, No.6 from Pièces de fantaisie, Suite No.3, Op.54

Vierne Carillon de Westminster, No.6 from Pièces de fantaisie, Suite No.3, Op.54 6’ Edwards Rhosymedre (hymn tune) 3’ Vaughan Williams Rhosymedre, No.2 from 3 Preludes on Welsh hymn tunes for organ 4’ Neil Hannon in conversation with Southbank Head of Literature, James Runcie 15’ Tallis Third mode melody 3’ Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis 16’ Interval

Neil Hannon To Our Fathers In Distress* (World premiere)

*Southbank Centre gratefully acknowledges financial support from the PRS for Music Foundation for this work. Please note this concert will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 as part of BBC Radio 3 Live at Southbank Centre.

30’

You may never have heard of Vierne until this evening, as he is one of those composers revered in the organ world but scarcely known beyond; but you will certainly recognise the theme of this piece, for it mimics the chimes of Big Ben, located just across the river from the Royal Festival Hall. The 16-note melody is stated boldly at the outset and builds steadily and relentlessly under a shimmering accompaniment as it progresses to a majestic climax. It is thought the piece may have originated in an improvisation played by Vierne on the organ of Westminster Cathedral, just up the road from the Houses of Parliament. Vierne was born almost totally blind and had a difficult life, blighted by the early deaths of both his parents, an unsuccessful marriage, the deaths of his brother and many of his students in the First World War, his own illness and frequent professional setbacks which caused him much distress. He spent most of his career as organist of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and died there on the organ bench. His large scale, Romantic works for the organ, including six symphonies, are among the glories of its repertoire. J o h n D av i d E d wa r d s (1805 – 85)

Rhosymedre (hymn tune) The Reverend John Edwards was born in the Cardiganshire village of Penderlwyngoch, west Wales, but from the local school went on to Jesus College, Oxford, and was ordained as a priest. He was also a skilled musician, and in 1836 and 1843 respectively he published two volumes of Original Sacred Music, hymn tunes for the use of Anglican congregations in Wales. The most enduring of these tunes, ‘Rhosymedre’, was named after the Denbighshire parish where he spent almost his entire ministry. It also sometimes went by the title ‘Lovely’. The National Library of Wales’ Welsh Biography Online states that Edwards was considered to be a good preacher and an ‘acceptable’ parish priest, but was also regarded as one of the best music festival adjudicators of his day.

R a l p h Va u g h a n W i l l i a m s (1872 – 1958)

Rhosymedre, No.2 from 3 Preludes on Welsh hymn tunes for organ Ralph Vaughan Williams was the son of a clergyman, born in the beautiful Cotswold stone vicarage of All Saints, Down Ampney, in Gloucestershire. But parsonage life was abruptly cut short for the young composer at the age of two, when his father suddenly died and the boy was taken to live in Leith Hill Place, Surrey, an elegant house belonging to his mother’s family, the Wedgwoods. One of his great-great grandfathers was Josiah Wedgwood, founder of the famous pottery, and another was Charles Darwin. Vaughan Williams went to Charterhouse School and then spent two years at the Royal College of Music before entering Trinity College, Cambridge, to study history and music. While establishing himself as a composer he spent a few years as organist at St Barnabas, in south Lambeth, London, but disliked the job and resigned as soon as he could. His second wife Ursula described him as an atheist who ‘later drifted into a cheerful agnosticism’, but he chose religious subject matter for many of his works. He was musical editor of The English Hymnal from 1904-06, and contributed four tunes to the collection, including the well known Sine Nomine (‘For all the Saints’) and Down Ampney (‘Come down, O love divine’) and remained closely involved with church music all his life. Vaughan Williams’ love of hymn tunes was related to his love of folk tunes, which he famously collected from musicians in country villages and wrote down to record for posterity. He often wove these old melodies into his own music and here he does the same with the Welsh hymn tune ‘Rhosymedre’. Listen out for the melody appearing in the middle of the texture of this gentle musical meditation, played by the organist’s left hand. Discussion

Neil Hannon in conversation with Southbank Centre’s Head of Literature, James Runcie. T h o m a s Ta l l i s (c.1505 – 85)

Third mode melody Thomas Tallis was one of the greatest musicians of the Elizabethan age. Little is known of his early life, but he held posts at Dover Priory and Waltham Abbey

before being appointed a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal in 1543, serving in that post for the rest of his life, eventually sharing the role of organist with his friend William Byrd. He was brought up in the Roman Catholic tradition but lived through the turbulent period of transition between the short reigns of the Protestant Edward VI, the return of Catholicism under Mary, and the accession of Elizabeth, when the reintroduction of the Protestant Book of Common Prayer meant that liturgical texts had to be in English. Tallis and Byrd weathered the changes, continuing to write in both Latin and English; in 1575 they published Cantiones Sacrae, or ‘Sacred Songs’, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth and including 36 pieces, one for every year of her reign. Some of Tallis’ most enduring works, such as the Lamentations of Jeremiah and the 40-part motet Spem in alium set Latin texts. However his music for the simpler reformed liturgy included nine psalm chant tunes for four voices, written for Archbishop Parker’s Psalter, published in 1567. The exquisite Third mode melody is one of these, and forms the basis for the Fantasia by Vaughan Williams that follows. A mode in this context is a type of scale or arrangement which defines the selection of notes that can be included in a melody; the third mode is known as the ‘Phrygian’. R a l p h Va u g h a n W i l l i a m s (1872 – 1958)

Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis The Fantasia for double string orchestra on a theme by Thomas Tallis was written in 1910 and premiered that year at the Three Choirs festival in Gloucester. Vaughan Williams was virtually unknown and this ‘strange new work, ‘something to do with Tallis’ as it was described by Herbert Brewer, organist of Gloucester cathedral, to his 17-year-old pupil Herbert Howells, caused some puzzlement, performed before (and delaying the start of) Elgar’s hugely popular Dream of Gerontius. But the young Howells knew he had heard a work of genius, even if he didn’t entirely understand it. Vaughan Williams divided his string orchestra for the piece into three distinct groups: a solo quartet (first and second violins, viola and cello); a first orchestra consisting of the majority of the remaining players; and a second orchestra of two first violins, two second violins, two violas, two cellos and a double bass. This allows for a great range of contrasting textures and interweaving of musical lines from instruments that are essentially similar in character. In exploring the theme, Vaughan Williams drew on some of the 17

musical techniques of the Elizabethan era in which Tallis’ melody originated, but the effect is quite unlike anything that had been written previously, and is utterly captivating. Neil Hannon (b.1970)

To Our Fathers In Distress (World premiere) In this specially commissioned work, which features a specially-formed choir from Southbank Centre’s Voicelab, Neil Hannon has created a series of vivid musical scenes for organ and choir which evoke the constriction, the mystery and magic, the boredom, and the hard-won freedoms of a childhood Sunday. The title comes from the hymn ‘Praise my Soul, the King of Heaven’. Programme notes by Clare Stevens Neil Hannon writes: ‘When the nice people at Southbank Centre came to me about writing an organ piece I was both chuffed and excited. With my background in pop, it’s still a surprise to be asked to do such things, and I am honoured to have these fabulous musicians, singers and venue placed at my disposal. I remember at our first meeting I proffered the idea of writing something for my Dad; the Royal Festival Hall’s newly (and beautifully) restored pipe organ naturally putting me in mind of my ecclesiastical upbringing. And though the finished piece is not specifically about him, his presence is very much in evidence both in terms of subject matter and in a general air of “I wonder if Dad will like this?”. Wondering what my Dad will think is something that has coloured my entire career. Sometimes in terms of melody and arrangement, but more often than not in wondering if I’ll embarrass or appal him with lyrics about horrid naughtiness or conversations with God. Dad’s always been very understanding and, dare I say, appreciative of his youngest son’s ramblings; so this half hour I especially dedicate to my father. His memory is not quite what it used to be so I hope it might be of some help to him. Sunday mornings. I can still smell them. My two adorable elder brothers and I were always late, always a shambles and a source of despair to my longsuffering mother. She got us back though, by kicking off our addiction to fried breakfasts. I want my last meal to be a lovely big, greasy fry-up. And it may come sooner than I’d like. Sunday service. A bitter sweet experience. I was suspicious from an early age about the necessity of religion and thoroughly bored by the idea of having to 18

go to church. Yet there is so much about going to church that I remember fondly. My father’s sermons were full of warmth and common sense, and never over-long; his stage technique was flawless, and a valuable early lesson in how to put an audience at their ease. And the music! Well, anyone who knows my stuff and has a passing knowledge of Anglican hymns and anthems can see the connection. I only found out recently that The English Hymnal was co-edited by a certain Ralph Vaughan Williams, my own personal deity. Now I know why I kept welling up in choir. It wasn’t Gilly Maize after all.

Neil Hannon

Tom Bell

Neil Hannon is a singer, lyricist and composer. Although he is best known for his much-loved band The Divine Comedy, and as one half of cricket pop enthusiasts The Duckworth Lewis Method, he has also written for TV, film and theatre.

Tom Bell enjoys a varied freelance solo career as an organist, based in London and active across the UK and abroad. He has played in mainland Europe and the USA, undertaking two tours to the latter in 2013. He released his debut CD in 2013, featuring Malcolm Williamson’s Symphony for Organ, which was described by American Record Guide as ‘brilliant’. Forthcoming highlights include the release of a double CD of contemporary music, and the formation of a duo with organist Richard Brasier.

Sunday lunch. Always tasty, though often made uncomfortable by visiting clerics or confrontational relatives. My mother was absurdly conscious of etiquette and manners. I have the phrase ‘in on the left, out on the right’ in the piece. I think it’s to do with serving food and gathering plates, though I may have imagined it. This composition is just as much about the blurring and embellishing of memory, as it is a faithful memoir of my early life. Sunday walk. In hail, rain or snow (usually all three in Northern Ireland). It was always so hard to get off the sofa, but my furry brothers and sisters required their exercise and they were probably my best friends as a child. They still are actually, and it’s still hard to get off the sofa. Sunday homework. The happiness and freedom of the weekend would be inevitably spoilt by the looming horror of the subsequent school day. Homework was the ultimate infringement of my civil liberties and I always left it until the last minute. This meant going through life with a permanent feeling of dread which, if I’m honest, I still haven’t quite shaken off. Sunday Bloody Sunday. I have taken the same attitude to the violence of my province in this work as I did at the time – I hated it so much that I couldn’t even acknowledge its existence or I would become somehow complicit in its insanity. I prefer instead to make this piece an evocation of my unbearably, beautifully, decently, boringly, complacently, joyously, middleclass childhood. Without which I would be somebody else, who could write something equally good, but just different. PS: My favourite hymn is ‘Dear Lord And Father Of Mankind’. I was first aware of it as the theme tune to the BBC drama, Forgive Our Foolish Ways, back when I was maybe ten. When we got to sing it in the choir I was nearly in bits. The upper lip unstiffening melody, the counterpoint that tore at the heartstrings, the longing for purity and redemption; it was always going to affect an overly sensitive soul such as I. Though I was as yet unaware of what impurities I was going to have to be redeemed of. The tune is by the one and only Hubert Parry, he of that other famous heartbreaker, ‘Jerusalem’. These are tunes that seem always to have existed. Tunes I want to write. I’m still working on it. Don’t rush me!

Credits include the music for TV shows Father Ted and The IT Crowd, and the music and lyrics for the acclaimed Bristol Old Vic / National Theatre co-production of Swallows and Amazons. He is currently working on a new Divine Comedy album.

Bell teaches at the Royal College of Organists, Sevenoaks School and the Royal Hospital School in Suffolk, and regularly gives masterclasses (recently visiting Birmingham Conservatoire and the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia). A passion for education and outreach has led to involvement with many different schemes, and he is organist to the long-running Organworks project, based at Eton. Artistic Director to the London Organ Day, Bell also serves as Organist and Choir Master at St Michael’s Church, Chester Square in central London. He writes occasionally, and his work has been published in BBC Music Magazine, Organists’ Review and others. Bell has a particular love of new music, and has given the premiere of many pieces in the last few years. Biographies for this concert continue on page 22.

21 ÂŠ Nick Rochowski

Rebecca Miller

Conductor Rebecca Miller is acclaimed as a compelling, insightful and energetic force on the podium. Highly regarded for her sophisticated music making and command of varied composers and styles, she is also praised for her ability to communicate with audiences of all ages. She has most recently made her debut with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment at Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, performing in a live recording of CPE Bach’s symphonies for Signum Records. Later this year she will make debuts with the BBC Concert Orchestra at Royal Festival Hall, the Royal Northern Sinfonia, and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and at the 2014 BBC Proms. First Prize winner in the fourth Eduardo Mata International Conducting Competition, Miller has guest conducted the Orquesta Filarmónica de la UNAM (the oldest symphonic ensemble in Mexico City), the London Sinfonietta, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra (Israel), Houston Symphony (USA) and Reno Philharmonic Orchestra (USA), and at The Bard Music Festival (New York state, USA). In 2012, she made her much acclaimed debut with the Teresa Carreño Youth Orchestra of Venezuela and is a regular conductor with the Southbank Sinfonia in London. Rebecca Miller has released two CDs, including her award-winning 2011 disc for Signum Records featuring the world-premiere recording of Aaron Jay Kernis’ Goblin Market.From 2007-10 she was Resident Conductor of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in New Orleans, and previously was Conducting Fellow of The Houston Symphony. Born in California, Rebecca Miller completed her studies in piano at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. She studied conducting at Northwestern University and at the Aspen Music Festival, and was the Paul Woodhouse Junior Fellow in Conducting for two years at London’s Royal College of Music. 22

BBC Concert Orchestra

The BBC Concert Orchestra is one of the UK’s most versatile ensembles. Since 1952 it has been the house orchestra for BBC Radio 2’s Friday Night Is Music Night. It gives frequent broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, including regular performances at the BBC Proms, and has performed on BBC soundtracks such as Africa and The Paradise. Keith Lockhart is the BBC CO’s Principal Conductor, Johannes Wildner is Principal Guest Conductor, Barry Wordsworth is the orchestra’s Conductor Laureate, and arranger and jazz trumpeter Guy Barker is currently Associate Composer. Throughout 2013, as an Artistic Partner Orchestra for Southbank Centre’s festival The Rest Is Noise, the BBC CO performed a sequence of eight concerts, encompassing music from the First World War to Britain in the 1980s. Other highlights from 2013 included tours to the USA and China, Frank Zappa’s large-scale 200 Motels at Southbank Centre and a concert at the Barbican with Wayne Shorter to celebrate the saxophonist’s 80th birthday. This year the orchestra maintains its busy and varied concert, broadcast and recording schedule. It visits Watford Colosseum for a Commonwealth Day celebration and a concert commemorating prisoners of war as part of the BBC’s World War One centenary. The BBC CO continues to work with schools, colleges and a wide range of community groups, and has teamed up with the Alzheimer’s Society to be part of its ‘Singing for the Brain’ project.

BBC Concert Orchestra First Violin

Second Violin

Cello

Rebecca Turner Peter Bussereau Chereene Allen Michael Howson Lucy Hartley Matthew Bain Helen Cooper Gavin Davies Kirstin Klingels Hazel Mulligan Patrick Roberts Robert Yeomans

Michael Gray Matthew Elston Marcus Broome David Beaman Daniel Mullin Sarah Freestone Rustom Pomeroy Anna Ritchie Anna Dryer-Beers Sebastian Rudnicki

Benjamin Hughes Katharine O’Kane Matthew Lee Josephine Abbott Ben Rogerson Anna Beryl David Lale Tae-Mi Song

Viola Timothy Welch Stephen Shakeshaft Mike Briggs Helen Goatly Sarah Malcolm John Rogers Alistair Scahill Michael Schofield

Double Bass Dominic Worsley Stacey-Ann Miller Andrew Wood Stephen Warner Jeremy Watt Laurence Ungless

Southbank Centre’s Voicelab Voicelab is Southbank Centre’s vocal initiative which invites everyone to explore their voice by participating in festivals, performances and workshops throughout the year. If you are interested in getting involved sign up to the mailing list at southbankcentre.co.uk/voicelab

Soprano

Alto

Lucy Azzaro Elizabeth Brogan Sarah Burke Ruth Cassidy Anya Chaika Jenny Edwards Maya Freedman Barbara Litynska Katherine Maddock Jane Morley Gill O’Neill Jane Rosenorn-Lanng Sarah Sharp Marysia Trembecka Claire Warrior Jenny Wegg Emma Woolfenden Francesca Zoppi

Jill Barrett Fionnuala Barrett Maggie Brown Michaela Caunter Joanna Chapman Holly Hunter Heather Knight Julia Knight Jan Loudon Lyn Lua Liz Marriott Alex McColl Eleanor Roberts Eleanor Wright Frances Yonge Tenor Steve Amos Phil Birtles Andrew Caddy

Lea Cornthwaite Justin Eeles Lee Hollands Alexander Mayor Andrew Smith Chris Thow Tony Wren Bass Andrew Bailey Alan Caig Wilson James Duckworth Billy Fisher Kanu Kaushal Drew Law Patrick Lyseight Scott Milne Seamus Montgomery Irving Rappaport Luke Reader

M O N D A Y 2 4 M arch 2 0 1 4 Thomas Trotter organ

Programme Notes

Royal Festival Hall, 7.30pm Bach Toccata, Adagio & Fugue in C, BWV.564 15’ Schumann Study in E, Op.56 No.3 2’ Study in A flat, Op.56 No.4 4’ Study in B minor, Op.56 No.5 3’ Judith Weir The Wild Reeds (London premiere) 8’ Mozart Fantasie in F minor, K.608 11’ Interval

Reubke Sonata in C minor on Psalm 94

25’

Royal Festival Hall at 6pm - Thomas Trotter and William McVicker discuss the Royal Festival Hall organ and tonight’s programme. Free. Please note this concert will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 as part of BBC Radio 3 Live at Southbank Centre.

J o h a n n S e b a st i a n B a c h (1685 – 1750)

Toccata, Adagio & Fugue in C, BWV.564 Asked to name one composer whose music they could not live without, most organists would probably choose JS Bach. Part of a huge dynasty of German musicians, Johann Sebastian spent the majority of his career serving as a church organist, running choirs, writing and performing liturgical music on a weekly basis. He was renowned as a player and his compositions for the instrument still form the basis of organ repertoire. This sequence of three related pieces is thought to date from around 1720. A toccata was designed to show off the player’s virtuosic technique, and this Toccata in C certainly does that. It begins with a rhythmic warm-up for the fingers on just one manual (the customary name for an organ keyboard), followed by an even more punishing workout for the feet: an extended pedal solo. The theme of this solo is energetically developed and then there is a complete change of mood for the lyrical, contemplative Adagio section. A beautiful flute-like melody with a gently pulsing accompaniment then leads to a serene chorale. The word ‘fugue’ in a musical context refers to a composition in which three or more voices or instruments enter one after another, each with the same or almost identical melody or ‘subject’. Bach was a master of the form and his complex fugues often feature additional counter-subjects, as in this case, where four main subjects are joined by a countersubject, bringing the work to an elaborate yet exuberant conclusion. Robert Schumann (1810 – 56)

Study in E, Op.56 No.3 Study in A flat, Op.56 No.4 Study in B minor, Op.56 No.5 Robert Schumann was the son of a publisher and bookseller from provincial Zwickau, Germany, and was meant to be studying law when he arrived in Leipzig in 1821. But he was distracted by the musical life of the city and eventually persuaded his parents to allow him to train for a career as a concert pianist. Lodging with his teacher Friedrich Wieck, he fell in love with 24

Wieck’s daughter Clara, and despite strong opposition from her family the pair eventually married. Clara had been a pianist child prodigy and continued to have a performing career that eclipsed her husband’s, but despite his jealousy of her success, the relationship seems to have been a happy one until Robert developed mental illness, attempted suicide and died in an asylum, cared for by Clara and their friend and fellow composer Johannes Brahms. Schumann left a substantial portfolio of compositions and is particularly renowned for his songs and solo piano works. Music for the church organ did not feature at all until 1845, when he began to write a set of six fugues for organ using the letters of Bach’s name translated into note names – a fashionable exercise at the time, inspired by the revival of interest in Bach’s music spearheaded by Mendelssohn. The Leipzig Conservatoire had recently acquired a pedal piano, and this prompted the Schumanns to hire a pedalboard for their own piano, with the aim of practising organ playing. Clara recorded that Robert was so taken with this new instrument that before finishing the organ fugues he composed the ‘Six studies in canonic form, Opus 56’ for pedal piano, from which the three short pieces we hear tonight are taken. The first takes us into the charming world of the midVictorian drawing-room; the second features a wistful, song-like melody; and the third is a jaunty exercise in detached notes, which apparently was much admired when Schumann played it to his friend Mendelssohn. Judith Weir (b.1954)

The Wild Reeds (London premiere) Judith Weir grew up near London, but was born into a Scottish family and that heritage is very evident in her music. As a schoolgirl she was an oboist, playing with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, but she also had some composition lessons with the late John Tavener, and went on to study composition at Cambridge University with Robin Holloway. In addition to choral and orchestral works and chamber music she has written several operas, whose sources include Icelandic sagas, Chinese Yuan Dynasty drama and German Romanticism, reflecting her interest in narrative, folklore and theatre. Weir’s two previous organ works, Wild Mossy Mountains and Ettrick Banks, written in the 1980s for Michael Bonaventure, were inspired by the landscape, folklore and poetry of Scotland. The Wild Reeds, commissioned

by Thomas Trotter himself to celebrate his 30th anniversary as Birmingham City Organist, takes its inspiration partly from an evocative photograph of a Hungarian shepherd standing with his dogs in the middle of a bleak moorland landscape, and from folk music written for outdoor wind instruments that would be played in Eastern European landscapes. The Wild Reeds is based on an original folk-like theme, played initially on the organ’s oboe stop, followed by six variations. The composer says that another important inspiration has been ‘the organ sonorities which result from unusual divisions of the octave, producing strange chords and ghostly harmonisations of melodies.’ Lasting about ten minutes, the work is typically economical and transparent in style. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 91)

Fantasie in F minor, K.608 (i) Allegro (ii) Andante (iii) Tempo primo Although he was employed by Archbishop Colloredo of Salzburg as a church musician, Mozart’s main responsibility in the post seems to have been writing choral music and playing in the prince-bishop’s court orchestra, rather than playing the organ, which was beginning to lose its pre-eminence in church services. While visiting Paris in 1777 Mozart turned down an organist’s post at Versailles and he wrote only a handful of works for the instrument. Like the Adagio and Allegro (Fantasia) in F minor, K.594 which John Scott played in his recital here on 21 March, the Fantasie in F minor, K.608 was originally written for mechanical organ, and was never intended to be played by human hands. However it is considered by organists to be a musical gem, Bachian in style with a bold opening section and a beautiful, lyrical central theme with variations, returning to the opening ideas for the powerful conclusion. Julius Reubke (1834 – 58)

Sonata in C minor on Psalm 94 Psalm 94 is a harrowing, bloodthirsty and somewhat self-pitying text, which calls on an avenging God to 25

condemn the enemies of the psalmist and punish without mercy the arrogant evildoers who ‘band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death’. Julius Reubke quoted some of these verses at the top of the score of his meditation on the psalm, and the work closely reflects their mood, beginning in the musical as well as emotional depths with a lugubrious statement of the main theme on the pedals, and travelling through increasingly intense states of anguish before galloping to a tumultuous conclusion.

Thomas Trotter

Lasting for about 25 minutes, this highly dramatic piece often resembles the score of a Hammer horror movie. But it does have moments of tenderness amid the pain; listen out for the exquisitely beautiful opening of the slow movement, about ten minutes in, which features a heart-rending melody marked for the oboe stop. Reubke was a pupil of Franz Liszt, and was intoxicated by the Romantic idealism of the ‘New German’ musical style personified by the older composer, writing a piano sonata in similar vein to the one we hear this evening, in 1857 – both works closely modelled on Liszt’s own piano sonata. But some of the passion expressed in the two sonatas may have come from the composer’s knowledge that he was already very ill and had little time left to share his music with the world; he died of tuberculosis the following year, aged only 24. Programme notes by Clare Stevens

Thomas Trotter is one of Britain’s most widely admired musicians. He performs as soloist with, amongst many others, the conductors Sir Simon Rattle, Bernard Haitink, and Riccardo Chailly. He has performed in Berlin’s Philharmonie, the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Musikverein and Konzerthaus in Vienna and London’s Royal Festival Hall at Southbank Centre. In May 2002 he was the recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society award for Best Instrumentalist, the first organist ever to win this award. He was named International Artist of the Year by the American Guild of Organists in 2012. Trotter was appointed Birmingham City Organist in 1983 in succession to Sir George Thalben-Ball, and he is also Organist at St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey and Visiting Fellow in Organ Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music. Earlier in his career he was organ scholar at King’s College, Cambridge, winning the First Prize at the St Albans International Organ Competition in his final year. He received an Honorary Doctorate from Birmingham City University in 2003 and from Birmingham University in 2006. Alongside his regular recitals in Birmingham, Trotter tours on four continents and plays at many international festivals such as Bath, Salzburg, Edinburgh and the BBC Proms. He is an active recording artist, appearing on the Decca, Hyperion, Regent and Chandos labels. Forthcoming engagements include performances with the Moscow Virtuosi and the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, and solo concerts in the USA, Russia, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Poland, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands.

T H U R S D A y 2 7 M arch 2 0 1 4 Olivier Latry organ

Programme Notes

Royal Festival Hall, 7.30pm Florentz Prélude from l’Enfant noir, Op.17 Messiaen L’ascension 4 méditations symphoniques

9’ 24’

Interval

Widor Organ Symphony No.5 in F minor, Op.42 No.1

34’

Royal Festival Hall at 6pm - Olivier Latry and William McVicker discuss the Royal Festival Hall organ and tonight’s programme. Free. Please note this concert will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 as part of BBC Radio 3 Live at Southbank Centre.

Jean-Louis Florentz (1947-2004)

Prélude from l’Enfant noir, Op.17 Florentz was a polymath who graduated in Arabic and physics before entering the Paris Conservatoire to study composition with Olivier Messiaen and Pierre Schaeffer, where he won the Lili Boulanger Prize for composition. Specialising in ethnomusicology, he travelled frequently to Western India, Polynesia and Africa, particularly Kenya, in the course of his research. After periods spent in Rome and Madrid he spent most of his career as Professor of Ethnomusicology at the National Conservatoire of Lyon, and in 1995 became a member of the Academie des Beaux-Arts. He died of cancer in 2004. An organist himself, Florentz was a friend of this evening’s recitalist, Olivier Latry, and his relatively short worklist includes several works for the instrument, strongly related in style to that of his teacher Messiaen. L’Enfant noir (‘The Black Child’) was a planned sequence of 14 tableaux for organ inspired by the classic novel of the same name by the French-African author Camara Laye, published in 1953. Only the tenminute Prélude was completed. Listening to this piece is like watching and hearing water bubbling up from an underground spring; it builds from a tranquil start into a torrent and then gradually recedes. Olivier Messiaen (1908 – 92)

L’ascension – 4 méditations symphoniques 1. Majesté du Christ demandant sa gloire à son Père (Majesty of Christ praying that His Father should glorify him) Subtitle: Father, the hour is come: glorify thy son, that Thy Son may also glorify Thee. (Prayer of Christ, according to St John) 2. Alléluias sereins d’une âme qui desire le ciel (Serene Alleluias from a soul longing for Heaven) Subtitle: We beseech thee, almighty God, that we may in our minds dwell in Heaven (Collect, Mass on Ascension Day)

3. Transports de joie d’une âme devant le gloire du Christ qui est la sienne (Outburst of joy from a soul before the Glory of Christ which is its own glory) Subtitle: Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light… He raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (The Letters of St Paul to the Colossians and to the Ephesians) 4. Prière du Christ montant vers son Père (Prayer of Christ ascending towards His Father) Subtitle: And now, O Father, I have manifested Thy name unto men … and now, I am no more in the world, but these are in the world and I come to Thee (Prayer of Christ, according to St John) From a young age, Olivier Messiaen was captivated by the music of Debussy and made up his mind to be a composer. He began his studies at the Paris Conservatoire at the age of 11 where his teachers included Paul Dukas and Marcel Dupré. Messiaen himself was later a hugely influential composition teacher to pupils including the British composer George Benjamin. He was also an organist, serving at La Trinité, Paris for over 60 years, with the exception of a brief period during the Second World War. Messiaen was considered to be one of the greatest composers of the 20th century, but although his music was generally avant-garde in style, he did not subscribe to any of the systems that other composers were exploring. His musical language was entirely his own, influenced by his preoccupations with colour – Messiaen was a synaesthetic, who literally saw sound in terms of colour – harmony, rhythm, and the natural world, particularly birdsong, which he transcribed and often incorporated in his music, either note for note or as an instrumental timbre. His music was also hugely influenced by his profound Roman Catholic faith. L’Ascension was originally written in 1933 for symphony orchestra, but in fact the later version for organ was premiered a month ahead of the orchestral version, in January 1935. The first, second and fourth movements of the organ version of L’Ascension are faithful transcriptions of the orchestral

pieces, but for the organ version Messiaen replaced the third movement with something completely different. The composer described the first movement (in its orchestral version) as ‘a majestic brass chorale’, but its atmosphere is quite meditative with slowmoving chords gradually building to a rich climax before dropping back. Already there is a sense of transcendence. The second movement begins with a long solo melody, inspired by plainchant but also highly reminiscent of birdsong. It features the organ’s smallest flute-like pipes, ascending in delicate trills and flutters. ‘Transports de joie’ is a real showpiece of the organ repertoire, intensely dramatic with extended runs up and down the keyboards, often played in parallel with one another but on different manuals. These gradually increase in volume, speed and intensity to reach an exultant climax. The final movement of the work takes us back to a mystical world of dreamlike prayerfulness. It consists of gentle meditative phrases moving very slowly with long pauses on their closing chords. The mood is overwhelmingly consoling; it feels as though we have come to the end of a pilgrimage much longer than the 25 minutes or so that L’Ascension takes to perform. Charles-Marie Widor (1844 – 1937)

Organ Symphony No.5 in F minor, Op.42 No.1 (i) Allegro vivace (ii) Allegro cantabile (iii) Andantino quasi allegretto (iv) Adagio (v) Toccata. Allegro Charles-Marie Widor was born in Lyon and studied in Brussels but, like so many French organistcomposers, spent his working life in Paris, where he was organist at the church of St Sulpice for over 60 years. His pupils included Louis Vierne – who succeeded him at St Sulpice – Albert Schweitzer, Marcel Dupré, Arthur Honneger and Darius Milhaud. Widor did compose for genres other than organ, but it is only his organ music that is regularly performed today. It exploits to the full the massive resources of the organs that were developed in France during the 19th century – particularly by the organ-builder Aristide 29

Cavaillé-Coll – to imitate the instrumental sounds of the symphony orchestra. The expressive possibilities of the organ were also being extended with the development of more sophisticated volume controls and keyboard actions.

Olivier Latry

Widor was the inventor of the French organ symphony and wrote ten of them, each designed to show off the instrument’s capabilities in the concert hall as well as in churches and cathedrals. Whereas earlier composers of the North German school had tended to let the notes speak for themselves, Widor began to include increasingly explicit instructions about which stops should be used to achieve the precise musical colour they envisaged for each section or even each phrase. The lively first movement of Widor’s Fifth Symphony opens with the theme played quietly on the swell organ – whose volume can be controlled by a pedal – in detached chords. The first of three subsequent variations on that theme bears a considerable resemblance to the bubbling character of the Florentz Prelude that opened this concert. After a central section played on the pipe organ’s most characteristic stops, the diapasons, the music builds to a dramatic conclusion – but beware, this is not the end of the piece, though it may sound like it. The singing second movement is shorter and much more unassuming, featuring a gentle oboe melody accompanied by detached chords before a flute joins in, followed by strings and the glittering, delicate celeste. The third movement, though quicker, is also quite subdued and features the pedals from the start and throughout, ending in a contemplative mood which continues into the fourth movement, albeit with a completely different, more ethereal soundworld created by a change of registration (the choice of stops). There is nothing subdued, however, about the fifth movement, the Toccata, which is the most famous piece Widor ever wrote and possibly the most widely recognised organ piece of all time. A Toccata is a display piece, written to show off the player’s skills and in this case the resources of the organ. It does so very effectively. Listen out for the bubbling motifs in the middle of the texture, which bring us back in spirit to the beginning of the symphony and indeed to the beginning of this evening’s recital. Programme notes by Clare Stevens

Olivier Latry is organist of Notre Dame de Paris and Organ Professor at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris. His first official organist post was at Meaux Cathedral in France, at the age of 23, which quickly propelled him onto the international scene. Latry has appeared in more than 50 countries and on all five continents, as a recitalist or with orchestra, acting as an unofficial ambassador for French organ music, which he endeavours to present alongside the art of improvisation. He also has a particular interest in contemporary music and has premiered works by many of today’s composers. Latry’s recordings include the complete organ works of Olivier Messiaen (Deutsche Grammophon), the Poulenc Organ Concerto and Barber’s Toccata Festiva with the Philadelphia Orchestra (Ondine). More recently, he has signed two CDs on Naïve. Olivier Latry was awarded the Prix Del Duca in 2000, for his work in the field of organ performance and studies. He also holds honorary fellowships from the North and Midlands School of Music (2006), the Royal College of Organists (2007), and McGill University in Montreal (2010). The American Guild of Organists also awarded him the International Performer of the Year award in April 2009. Since December 2012 he has been Organist Emeritus of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.

S U N D A Y 3 0 M arch 2 0 1 4 Martin Creed: Face to Face with Bach

Programme Notes

Royal Festival Hall, 3pm

J o h a n n S e b a st i a n B a c h (1685 – 1750)

James McVinnie organ Martin Creed mouth organ

JS Bach was by far the most gifted member of a huge musical dynasty based in central Germany. He spent his early career as a court musician and church organist in various small towns before moving to Leipzig, where he was director of music at St Thomas’ Church from 1723 until his death. He wrote for almost every musical genre of his time but was particularly known for his choral and organ music, and for his skill as a keyboard player. His groundbreaking compositions for organ are at the absolute heart of the instrument’s repertoire.

Bach: Toccata and Fugue in F, BWV.540 Chorale-prelude, Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr, BWV.663 Duet in E minor, BWV.802 Chorale-prelude, Vater unser im Himmelreich, BWV.682 Martin Creed Work No.1815 for organ and mouth organ (World premiere)* Bach: From The Art of Fugue: Contrapunctus 1 Contrapunctus 9 (Alla duodecima) Canon alla ottava Prelude and Fugue in F, BWV.880 Sinfonia in D from Cantata No.29 ‘Wir danken dir, Gott’ Please note there is no interval. *Southbank Centre gratefully acknowledges financial support from the PRS for Music Foundation for this work.

14’ 6 3 8 20’

3 2’ 4’ 5’ 4’

Toccata and Fugue in F, BWV.540 ‘Toccata’ is a musical term normally used to describe a keyboard piece in free form, designed to display the dexterity of the player. A ‘fugue’ is a composition in which three or more voices or instruments enter one after another, each with the same or almost identical melody or ‘subject’. Bach was a master of the form and his complex fugues often feature additional countersubjects. Bach scholars are not sure whether the composer intended these two pieces to be performed together, as no original manuscripts exist. It is possible that the fugue was originally preceded by a different toccata and that this one was written at a later date. This toccata is unusually long, and for that reason is often played on its own. It opens with an extended canon – two musical lines following one another – on the manuals (keyboards), over a held note on the pedals, leading to a long pedal solo. A second canon over a pedal point follows, this time led by the left hand and culminating in another pedal solo. The remainder of the piece consists of an elaborate harmonic and rhythmic dialogue between the three parts. The dignified fugue, in which two subjects are set out separately and then combined, is in complete contrast to the exuberance of the toccata.

Chorale-prelude, Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr, BWV.663 The word ‘chorale’ means both the text and the melody of a congregational hymn, taken together, but the term is often use to describe the music alone, either as a single line or fully harmonised. The chorale prelude was a staple ingredient of German Lutheran

church services, originally performed to introduce congregational hymn settings of the same melody, but often given a life of its own. This prelude on the Lutheran chorale melody ‘To God alone on high be the glory, and thanks for his mercy’ is one of the 18 largescale chorales collected into a single volume by Bach when he was attempting to organise his music into coherent groups during the last decade of his life.

Duet in E minor, BWV.802

Chorale-prelude, Vater unser im Himmelreich, BWV.682 This long prelude is an introspective meditation on Martin Luther’s chorale setting of ‘Our Father, which art in heaven’ – the Lord’s Prayer. It is one of 12 settings in Clavier-Übung (see above) of texts from the Catechism, the principal summary of Lutheran doctrine. ‘Vater unser’ is in the form of a trio, notable for its rhythmic complexity, with two richly ornamented main melodies played on different manuals (keyboards) over a simpler yet restless line in the pedals. The Bach scholar Peter Williams has suggested that the keening, sighing effect of the dotted rhythms in the upper voices can be taken to represent a lost soul in torment.

Work No.1815 (World premiere) ‘The organ... It’s so big it’s superhuman and I don’t know what to do.’ (Martin Creed) Martin Creed is one of the UK’s most well known and versatile artists. As a visual artist, he won the Turner Prize in 2001 for his piece Work No.227 The lights going on and off, and on the morning of the opening of the London Olympics millions of people participated in his Work No.1197 All the bells in a country rung as quickly and as loudly as possible for three minutes. As a composer, Creed has written for orchestras and ensembles, and his Work No.409 can be heard every day by visitors to Southbank Centre, who hear the main lift in Royal Festival Hall singing its way between the floors. The piece performed tonight – Work No.1815 – is heard alongside some of JS Bach’s greatest organ works. The rigorous systems and equations in Creed’s work bring to mind the mathematic-like perfection of Bach’s music. 32

From The Art of Fugue: Contrapunctus 1 Contrapunctus 9 (Alla duodecima) Canon alla ottava Bach did not specify a particular instrument on which his set of compositions Die Kunst der fuge (‘The Art of Fugue’) should be played, and they have proved to be very versatile, suited to recorder or brass ensemble, for example, as well as harpsichord, piano and organ. The collection was left unfinished at Bach’s death and its exact contents have provided much material for scholarly debate. What is not in dispute, however, is that the pieces were designed to illustrate various techniques of counterpoint (‘contrapunctus’): the manner in which a single melody or theme (the ‘subject’) can be explored by combining it with different versions of itself – twice as fast, twice as slow, or inverted - played simultaneously or overlapping, and with other melodies. The same theme is used for each piece.

James McVinnie

This performance concludes with a hugely uplifting work: the jubilant first movement of ‘We thank thee, God, we thank thee’, one of several cantatas or short vocal works in several sections that were written for ceremonies in Bach’s home town of Leipzig. Although this is a transcription of a piece intended to be played by an orchestra, the original did feature the organ prominently. Trumpets and oboes also played an important part; their sounds can easily be reproduced on the organ, as heard in this arrangement by the great French organist and composer Marcel Dupré. Programme notes by Clare Stevens

Martin Creed

James McVinnie pursues a diverse career as an organist, ensemble player and collaborator in new music. He was Assistant Organist of Westminster Abbey between 2008 and 2011, having previously held positions at St Paul’s Cathedral, St Albans Cathedral, and at Clare College, Cambridge, where he studied music. His teachers were Sarah Baldock, Thomas Trotter and Hans Fagius.

No.1 is a simple fugue, in which the subject appears 11 times. In No.9, ‘Alla duodecima’, the second voice enters at the interval of a twelfth from the first, and in the ‘Canon alla ottava’ it enters at the interval of an octave – eight notes. Whereas many of Bach’s other works show off the skill of the player, The Art of Fugue demonstrates the mathematical possibilities of music. But there is no need to understand the maths in order to appreciate that these are musical masterpieces, which make an emotional as well as a scientific impact.

Prelude and Fugue in F, BWV.880 After the intellectual intensity of the preceding works, the mood changes for this pair of linked pieces both inspired by dance forms of the Baroque period. The Prelude takes the form of a complex sarabandefantasie, with one voice gradually layered upon another to culminate in a five-part treatment of the subject. The three-part Fugue is much more straightforward and is inspired by the gigue, a style of dance. The works come from The Well-tempered Clavier II, the second book of preludes and fugues for keyboard written in all 24 major and minor keys. Bach described his first volume, dated 1722, as being composed ‘for the profit and use of musical youth desirous of learning, and especially for the pastime of those already skilled in this study’. The second book was compiled 20 years later and together they are regarded as a cornerstone of musical history, with composers from Mozart and Haydn onwards acknowledging their debts to ‘the 48’.

Martin Creed (b.1968)

(1685 – 1750)

Sinfonia in D from Cantata No.29 ‘Wir danken dir, Gott’

The duet in this short piece is between the player’s right and left hands. It comes from Bach’s most important published collection of keyboard music, Clavier-Übung (‘Keyboard Practice’), dating from 1739, although the individual works are probably earlier. The motifs employed by the composer result in the most extraordinary harmonic relationships.

J o h a n n S e b a st i a n B a c h

Martin Creed attended the Slade School of Art in London between 1986 and 1990. In 1993 his Work No.81, ‘a one inch cube of masking tape in the middle of every wall in a building’ was installed in the offices of the London firm, Starkmann Ltd, and since then Creed has had numerous solo exhibitions and projects around the world. Words and music have always been an integral part of Creed’s practice. He has often combined art, talking, choreography and music played with his band. His Work No.1197 ‘all the bells in a country rung as quickly and as loudly as possible for three minutes’ opened the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic celebrations as part of the London 2012 Festival. His latest album Mind Trap was released on Telephone Records in February 2014, coinciding with the opening of his exhibition at Southbank Centre’s Hayward Gallery.

James McVinnie’s solo recital career has taken him across four continents over the past ten years. Recent engagements have included recitals in Russia, Germany, Sweden, the Iceland Airwaves Festival, and the MusicNOW festival, curated by Bryce Dessner of indie rock band The National. As a continuo player, he has appeared with leading period instrument ensembles at virtually every European early music festival. He made his solo debut in the Salzburg Festival in 2009 with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and Ivor Bolton. He appears on numerous recordings with the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, The Cardinall’s Musick and The King’s Consort. He also regularly appears with the BBC Singers as their accompanist or soloist. He is becoming increasingly well known for his collaborations with musicians in new music in the UK, Iceland and New York City, working with Nico Muhly, Nadia Sirota, Valgeir Sigurðsson, Sufjan Stevens, Dan Lopatin’s Oneohtrix Point Never, Sam Amidon and Beth Orton. New music plays a central part of his repertoire; Nico Muhly, Graham Ross, Robert Walker, Richard Reed Parry (of Arcade Fire), Shara Worden (of My Brightest Diamond), and David Lang (winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize in music) have written works for him. James McVinnie is a member of the Bedroom Community, an Icelandic record label and collective comprising like-minded, yet diverse musicians from different corners of the globe. Cycles, his debut release of music written for him by Nico Muhly was released on this label in 2013 to widespread critical acclaim. 33

F R I D A Y 1 1 A pril 2 0 1 4 Darkness and Light: A new work for Organ and Video Projection

Programme Notes

Royal Festival Hall, 7.30pm

Introduction to tonight’s concert

Bernard Foccroulle organ Lynette Wallworth video artist

Toshio Hosokawa Cloudscape 7’ Bernard Foccroulle Kolorierte Flöten 6’ Nicolas de Grigny Récit de tierce en taille from Gloria of Livre d’Orgue 5’ Jehan Alain Fantaisie No.1 4’ Jehan Alain Litanies 4’ Buxtehude Chorale prelude, Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt, BuxWV.183 3’ Buxtehude Chorale prelude, In dulci jubilo, BuxWV.197 2’ Gubaidulina Light and darkness 8’ Messiaen Les oiseaux et les sources (Communion) from Messe de la Pentecôte 6’ Messiaen Le vent de l’Esprit (Sortie) from Messe de la Pentecôte 4’ JS Bach Chorale-prelude, Erbarm’ dich mein, o Herre Gott, BWV.721 6’ Buxtehude Passacaglia in D minor, BuxWV.161 6’ Darkness and Light copyright Lynette Wallworth, 2014 Royal Festival Hall at 6pm - William McVicker, Southbank Centre’s Organ Curator, explores tonight’s presentation. Free. Please note, programme notes for this concert are on a separate sheet of paper provided with this programme.

This project is named after Light and darkness (or ‘Hell und Dunkel’), a composition by the Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina. The program also features a mixture of Baroque music (Buxtehude) and music from the 20th century (Messiaen). These compositions draw the audience into this paradox of light and darkness that is deeply rooted in the theological thinking of the Baroque era, and which has shaped a large number of themes and trends in organ music over the past centuries. This opposition can also stand for day and night, life and destruction, joy and terror. The contemporary pictorial world of Lynette Wallworth unites these aspects, combining them with the sonic experience.

Lynette Wallworth on Darkness and Light In conceiving my work for Darkness and Light, I am interested in the use of particular repetitions of geometric imagery in cave art that has been speculated as emerging out of trance. This is thought by some ethnoanthropologists to be the very origins of visual art itself. In studies of Australian rock art it is always understood that the imagery was never seen to exist as separate from ceremony, which included dance and song. The cognitive archaeologist David Lewis-Williams proposed the signature imagery he had noted in cave paintings the world over must speak to a state within the painter, and he speculated that this was a trance state induced by the deep interior of the cave. The intense levels of darkness and deep concentration allowed the images in one’s mind to be perceived and he believed this to be consistent to humans across the world; hence the art relied on the darkness in order to reveal itself to the artist. This intensity of darkness and the effects it can induce in the resulting imagery is explored in Darkness and Light, using Lewis-Williams’ theories of Entopic Imagery as the starting point. This seems to blend beautifully with the program of pieces selected by Bernard Foccroulle to be presented in churches, cathedrals and concert halls, where the notion of transcendence is at the heart of the structure. I am interested in creating imagery to heighten the sense of the music and the ability to lose one’s self in it, and to use the intensity of darkness and a reflection of entopic imagery to generate a new set of images for contemplation.

Darkness and Light Credits Director: Lynette Wallworth Organ: Bernard Foccroulle A co-production: Palais des Beaux-Arts, Festival de P‚ques d’Aix-en-Provence, Southbank Centre, Philharmonie Luxembourg, Laeiszhalle Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Concert- en congresgebouw de Doelen, and Karsten Witt Musik Management in association with Forma Arts

Thank You Forma is supported by Arts Council England. Dawn. C Myers NASA and William. T. Bridgman, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/SDO Mark O’Donnell, Ann Martin, Ian Wilson

Camera & Edit: Pete Brundle and Lynette Wallworth Additional Camera: Simon Morris Camera Assist-Demolition Shoot: Drew English Technical Director: Sam Collins Production Manager - Australia: Michaal Monk Production Manager - UK: Philippa Barr Post Production Facility: Definition Films Head Of Post Production: David Gross Online Editor: Ben Blicke-Hodge Digital Colourist: Billy Wychge

Bernard Foccroulle

Lynette Wallworth

Bernard Foccroulle was born in Liège (Belgium) in 1953. He began his international career as an organist in the mid-1970s, playing a wide range of repertoire from Renaissance to contemporary music. He has performed several dozen world premieres and at the same time recorded masterworks of the organ repertoire, among them the complete organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach on historic organs. As a composer, Foccroulle has written several works for organ and chamber music.

Lynette Wallworth is an Australian artist whose practice spans video installation, photography and film. Often working in series or meditations on one theme, her measured pace gently insists that patient observation might lead to layers of understanding between ourselves, others and the natural environment.

While continuing his career as organist, he became director of the Brussels opera La Monnaie in 1992, holding this position until 2007. At La Monnaie, his programming covered a wide range of repertoire from Monteverdi to the present time, with a focus on new works both in the areas of opera and dance. In 1993, he founded the association Culture and Democracy, which campaigns for widespread participation in cultural life. He was nominated Director of the Festival Aix-en-Provence in April 2006.

Wallworth’s work has been shown in leading festivals and museums around the world. She has had solo exhibitions at the New Crowned Hope Festival in Vienna (2006), curated by Peter Sellars; British Film Institute Gallery, London (2007); Lincoln Center, New York (2008); Melbourne Festival 2008; Festival d’Aix-en-Provence (2008); Samstag Museum of Art, Adelaide (2009); Sydney Festival (2010); and Brighton Festival (2011), guest-directed by Aung San Suu Kyi. Her work has been included in group exhibitions at Arnolfini, Bristol (2006); Sundance Film Festival (2009); and Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne, curated by Juliana Engberg (2010), among others.

Organ Symposium: Saturday 2 August 2014 Southbank Centre collaborates with the British Institute of Organ Studies and the Royal College of Organists to present this in-depth symposium featuring discussions and performances. Royal Festival Hall, from 10am.

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Southbank Centre would like to thank the following companies, trusts, foundations and individuals for their valuable support: Corporate Supporters Bartle Bogle Hegarty Bloomberg Campo Viejo Cathay Pacific Christie’s Clifford Chance LLP

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Trust and Foundation Supporters Biffa Award British Council City Bridge Trust Creative Employment Programme Embassy of Brazil Embassy of the United States of America Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation Goethe-Institut, London Heritage Lottery Fund Paul Hamlyn Foundation Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia PRS for Music Foundation The Finnis Scott Foundation

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Patrons Anonymous Richard and Rosamund Bernays Alan and Alex Bishop Rick and Janeen Haythornthwaite

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The Rumi Foundation Victoria Sharp Sir David and Lady Sieff Mr and Mrs Brett Tollman

Artistic Director’s Circle Anonymous Susan Gilchrist Edward and Agnes Lee

Alex and Linda Noyer The Ruddock Foundation for The Arts

Dr Christopher and The Lady Juliet Tadgell Richard Thomas

Directors’ Circle Anonymous Brian Abel Jane Attias Piers D Butler Richard Buxton Sir Ronald and Lady Cohen Carole and Neville Conrad Cathy and Mark Corbett Mr and Mrs Saeb Eigner Sarah and Louis Elson Fine Family Foundation

Eric and Louise Franck The Franey Foundation Emily and Horacio Furman Jacqueline and Michael Gee Jonathan Goldstein Sheila Hayman Lesley Hodsdon Spencer and Linda Khan Donovan Kelly and Ann Wood Sybil and Herbert Kretzmer OBE Varda Lotan and Angus Braham

The Maplescombe Trust Carmen Marrero Scott and Suling Mead Mary Moore David Neilson Anand and Lena Saggar Harry Simpson Heidi and William Slee Marina Vaizey Mohan and Snigdha Warty

Southbank Centre Governors Rick Haythornthwaite Chairman Robin Woodhead Deputy Chairman Nihal Arthanayake Dame Vivien Duffield DBE Susan Gilchrist

Brent Hansen Fionnuala Hogan David Kershaw Julian Lloyd Webber Cornelius Medvei

Ursula Owen OBE Jamie Ritblat Maggie Semple OBE Michael Zaoui

experience more with Membership • Priority booking for Southbank Centre events • Members Bar with fantastic views of London

get closer with Supporters Circles • Privileged booking with access to tickets for sold-out performances • Exclusive events like rehearsals, receptions, and opportunities to meet performers see all the benefits online southbankcentre.co.uk/joinus

Alan Bishop Chief Executive 39

welcome to southbank centre We hope you enjoy your visit to Southbank Centre, the world’s most inspiring centre for the arts. Southbank Centre’s story started with the 1951 Festival of Britain, which made participation in the arts a joyous reality. With 21.5 million visitors from all parts of the world every year, our site is now the focus of cultural life in London.

RESIDENTIAL COURSES FOR YOUNG ORGANISTS 2014 Our 2014 courses offer help and inspiration for organists - from absolute beginners to advanced young players on the cusp of professional life.

5-7 APRIL

PULLING OUT THE STOPS

Our popular three-day course for early stages organists, or pianists of Grade 5 standard or above who would like to try the organ. Usual age range 10-15.

14-20 JULY

OUNDLE FOR ORGANISTS SUMMER SCHOOL

A perennial favourite of young organists from all over the world. Running in parallel with Oundle International Festival, the week is a unique opportunity to learn not only from great organists but from hearing other instrumentalists and singers perform. Unmissable!

29-31 AUGUST

ADVANCE

Advance is designed to help organ scholars, not only with the many skills and disciplines required of them, but also to make the leap from student to professional musician; includes accompaniment, improvisation, rehearsal preparation, choral direction and repertoire planning.

Book a place at www.oundlefestival.org.uk For more information call 01832 274919 or email courses@oundlefestival.org.uk

Throughout the year, we create festivals that combine world-class artists with wholehearted engagement by people of all ages and backgrounds: • in February, Imagine children’s festival is packed with shows and activities. • in March, we showcase the Women of the World with gigs and talks. • in May, we investigate the South Asian culture and its relationship with the UK at Alchemy. • from May to September we celebrate our popular summer festival. • in June we invite a guest artist to curate their fantasy fortnight of music in Meltdown. • in October, we gather the best authors in the world for the annual London Literature Festival. • from November to January we celebrate our Winter Festival. Major artists call Southbank Centre their home. Our four Resident Orchestras are the Philharmonia Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and London Sinfonietta. Artists-in-Residence include poet Simon Armitage, beatboxer Shlomo and folk super-group Bellowhead. To ﬁnd out more, visit the Ticket Ofﬁce or our website: southbankcentre.co.uk. For help during your visit, talk to any member of staff or ask for the Duty Manager. Following your visit, contact our Visitor Experience Team at Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX, phone 020 7960 4250, or email customer@southbankcentre.co.uk. Please come again soon.

F E S T I VA L

P ipe U p ! We want to hear from you if you have an organ story to tell, whether it’s romantic, funny, or all about the music. Do you have a fond memory of the Royal Festival Hall organ itself, a theatre Wurlitzer, an organ in your local church or even one in your own front room? Email your memory to organmemories@southbankcentre.co.uk, call our voicemail on 020 7082 8058 or drop a postcard in the organ memories box in Level 2 Foyer at Royal Festival Hall. Explore some of the funny, inspiring and moving personal memories that we have already received by searching for ‘pipe up’ on our website, southbankcentre.co.uk/organ

Organ F E S T I VA L

March – June 2014

T h e R o ya l F e s t i v a l H a l l o r g a n i s b a c k ! Celebrity Recitals

Friday 21, Monday 24 and Thursday 27 March

John Scott, Thomas Trotter and Olivier Latry show what can be done with 7,866 pipes and a lifetime of dedication.

Neil Hannon’s Guide to the Organ Saturday 22 March

World premiere for the organ† by Divine Comedy frontman Neil Hannon as he conjures up memories of his childhood.

James Taylor Quartet Monday 24 March

Acid jazz featuring Hammond organ, big band and Rochester Cathedral Choir.

The Cabinet of Dr Caligari Saturday 29 March

Cameron Carpenter improvises a live soundtrack to this 1920 horror film.

Pipes V Mics

Sunday 30 March

Meet the Organ and Future Sounds: Two Weekends of Free Activities for All 22 – 23 and 29 – 30 March

A packed programme of talks, workshops and activities. Hear from the craftsmen who restored the organ, help build one yourself, and everything in between!

Martin Creed: Face to Face with Bach Sunday 30 March

James McVinnie plays Bach, alongside a new work† by Turner prize-winner Martin Creed.

Simón Bolívar National Youth Choir of Venezuela Saturday 5 April

Experience the combined power of the organ and 100 of Venezuela’s finest young voices.

Beatboxers, poets, composers and improvisers take the organ in new directions.

0844 847 9910 southbankcentre.co.uk/ organ

† Southbank Centre gratefully acknowledges financial support from the PRS for Music Foundation for these works.

Darkness and Light Friday 11 April

A collaboration between organist Bernard Foccroulle and video artist Lynette Wallworth that confronts the role of light and darkness in music and nature.

Orchestral Concerts Thursday 20 March – Thursday 26 June

Revel in the rich sounds of Saint-Saëns, Janáček, Strauss and other favourites.

Pull Out All The Stops: The Story of the Royal Festival Hall Organ Tuesday 18 March – Sunday 13 April

Get to know the organ inside out in our free interactive exhibition.

BBC Radio 3 Live at Southbank Centre

Saturday 15 – Monday 31 March BBC Radio 3 brings you participatory projects, plus daily live broadcasts from 17 March as the station takes up residence in Royal Festival Hall’s Riverside Café.