The last of this year's series of lunchtime recitals on the Caird Hall organ was given by Morley Whitehead, organist at Morningside Parish Church and music specialist at Edinburgh University Library.

Morley is no stranger to the instrument in Dundee, as he has often played for Dundee Choral Union and for visiting orchestras, so it was great to hear a solo recital from such a distinguished and experienced player (as well as winning prizes for his FRCO diploma, he has received the Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians).

Morley's programme was an interesting mixture of well-known pieces and some curiosities. Like the other performers in the series, he marked a number of this year's composer anniversaries, opening with Purcell's famous Trumpet Tune and Air and later providing a masterly performance of Mendelssohn's Sonata in C minor and major, opus 65 no.2. We also heard Harry Wall's fine arrangement of Handel's Musette and Minuet (from a Masque).

Three pieces for a Musical Clock by Haydn were delightfully played, and showed off a number of the quieter colours on the instrument. (They also provided, whether deliberately or not, an interesting contrast with the pieces for musical clock by C.P.E. Bach which Graham Barber played in his recital earlier in the series.)

We also heard performances of two well-known staples of the
repertoire: the Toccata and Fugue in D minor, attributed to J. S.
Bach, which was performed with bravado and with stylish and appropriate registration, and (finishing the recital) the concluding Toccata from Widor's 5th Symphony. These provided an effective framing to the less well-known works on the programme, and it was pleasing to hear a recital which, like all the others in the series, appealed both to the organ specialist and to the general public.
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"Baroque for Brunch"

Stuart Muir (organ) and Matthew McAllister (guitar) were modest when choosing the title for this lunchtime recital. This was a full three-course lunch with sorbets from the Water Music Suite (Handel)!

The 'Invitation' to lunch came in the format of a very stately interpretation of Jeremiah Clarke's Trumpet Voluntary, with the Harrison organ exhibiting its fine Trumpet and Tuba solo stops. Taken at a pace not often heard today it was exquisitely registered.

The four short selections from the Water Music Suite on solo organ gave the audience a comprehensive presentation of how Baroque should be registered and played and acted as breaks between the main 'courses'. I particularly liked the emphasis of the tenor part in the Air - unusual, but showing fresh interpretation can still be achieved despite the age and popularity of the piece.

The combination of organ and guitar is not common and had caused speculation as to 'how it would go'. No worries here. The combination of two skilled musicians, fine arrangements (probably their own), microphones and mixing boards produced on the whole a balanced result. The 'Starter' was the Bach Wachet Auf where the chorale melody passed seamlessly between the instruments resulting in what could have been one instrument if one's eyes were closed. The 'Main Course', the three-movement Concerto in D Major for guitar (Vivaldi) was a bigger test of timing and togetherness. There were one or two minor 'hairy' moments in timing but overall the guitar came over well as the solo with the organ covering the orchestral accompaniment. The registration of the organ gave a je ne sais quoi atmosphere in the slow second movement. Albinoni's Adagio in G Minor was the Dessert. The initial low registration on the guitar was lost even against the soft organ accompaniment - the only doubt in pairing the instruments. Neither did the unplanned moving of Matthew's microphone when discarding a sheet of music help the situation. But these are minor distractions in an otherwise relaxed, haunting melody.

The Hornpipe from the Water Music Suite heralded the end of the feast. Bright, brisk and a perfect au revoir to an enjoyable lunchtime experience.

It was especially pleasing to see so many school pupils in what was a good audience. Many of the pupils were studying the Baroque Period and Stuart and Matthew certainly ensured they were not disappointed. Stuart has the ability to make all ages feel included, especially with his humour. This type of educational recital is what is needed to encourage younger audiences as well as catering for the 'die-hards' and I am sure the moving of the time to lunchtime and presenting the recitals weekly has helped encourage attendance.

Stuart and Matthew are to be congratulated on a novel presentation and I know we shall appreciate their work together in future ventures.

A Sixth Year pupil of Baldragon Academy writes:

I recently had the opportunity to attend a lunchtime concert of guitar and organ in the Caird Hall with my school, where I had the pleasure of listening to a beautiful selection of Baroque music by some of the most famous composers from that era. My favourite piece from the programme was Antonio Vivaldi's Concerto in D major for guitar. The balance between the guitar and organ was lovely. The musicians complemented each other's performances beautifully and the programme was varied and entertaining. An ideal way to spend a lunchtime in a wonderful atmosphere.
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