Lunchtime Recital – Stephen Jones (organ)

Programme

William Mathias.                         Fanfare

JS Bach.                                       Fugue in C minor   BWV 575

WA Mozart.                                 Leipziger Gigue  KV 574

Arthur Wills.                                Bells

Edward Elgar.                              Vesper Voluntaries opus 14

Cesar Franck.                              1st Chorale

One thing we know about Stephen is that his introductions and commentaries are almost as entertaining as his music. He told us that it was his one of his father’s records “World Record Treasures” played on a Sunday afternoon which set him on what he described as ‘his chequered career as an organist”. It had on it the Cesar Franck 1st Chorale, and this perhaps was what led him out on to the ‘thin ice’ of playing a piece of music written for a 3-keyboard organ on our 2-keyboard much smaller organ (not an easy task!).

His music teacher at school Andrew Sharp (absolutely the right name for a music teacher – A Sharp, he thought) a prolific writer who played the pipe organ at his school had also provided inspiration. A real character, he now entertains audiences in bars in Spain we understand.

He chose the session to try out new technology – the musical score on a tablet with page turning initiated by the turn of the head – not Tourette’s he assured us!

And it must have worked because John Knott was retired as page turner for the piece and there were no unscheduled stops.

A nice choice of music provided us with an enjoyable interlude.