This was an evening of essentially Victorian and romantic music featuring some well known organ composers of the period. This was a time when technological advances in organ building led to increasingly large instruments being constructed providing a wide range of orchestral colour. The first two pieces in the programme illustrated these developments with a majestic Postlude by Henry Smart opening the concert. The rich forte sounds from the great and swell were heard well down the church and then the softer stops had their turn in the Maytime Gavotte by Alfred Hollins, a composer well known in the area for his design work on the famous organ in the Caird Hall.

Eugene Gigout is best known for his organ Toccata in B minor from his 10 Pièces pour Orgue but it was the Scherzo from the same collection which Neil played next demonstrating some neat fingerwork and how well the organ lends itself to echo effects. This was then followed by the Theme and Variations from Organ Sonata No.10 by Josef Rheinberger, a prolific composer for the instrument although perhaps a little out of fashion these days. The first half of the programme concluded with the Toccata in E by Remigio Renzi, a piece unfamiliar to most of the audience by a little known composer but Neil convinced us that this was music well worth hearing again.

The second half of the programme opened with another Scherzo, this one by Enrico Bossi who was professor of organ and harmony at the Naples Conservatory in the 1890s and went on to play in New York and Philadelphia in 1924. This Scherzo is an accomplished piece and was both rewarding and interesting for the listener. Charles-Marie Widor was one of the great French composers of organ music and it is perhaps unfortunate that the famous Toccata, so often heard at weddings, is the only piece which is widely known. Neil chose the Andante Sostenuto from the Symphonie Gothique and this gentle music showed the harmonic idiom so typical of French music of the period.

Two arrangements followed and demonstrated how well the organ lends itself to the concert hall setting. Gounod's Funeral March of a Marionette arranged by W.T. Best and William Walton's Popular Song from Facade arranged by Robert Gower both showed the organ in a lighter mood and Neil made the most of the range of sounds at his disposal. This mood was continued with the final piece of the evening, the Eb Sortie by Lefébure-Wély which has an almost fairground-like feel to it. Like the Bb Sortie and other pieces by the same composer, this is music to send listeners away with a smile and was an excellent choice to end the recital.

Thanks to all at St John's for a warm welcome and congratulations to Neil for some fine organ playing which was much enjoyed by the audience.
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David Hamilton opened our new session with a thrilling organ recital in St Mary Magdalene's Church, Dundee. The attendance was very good and also very appreciative of the performer and his varied and well-thought out programme. President Roger Clegg introduced David to the audience.

The programme opened with Bach's Prelude and Fugue in D and David used the organ to display the best sounds to do justice to the piece. It was a taste of what was yet to come. Healy Willan's Rondo, Elegy and Chaconne, written in 1956 was a complete contrast in style and it came over beautifully.

Rory Boyle, who had recently celebrated his 60th birthday, is a Scottish composer and David's interpretation of Ha-Ha-He-He was again top class. It could be said that some of the music could be hard to listen to but it was still very enjoyable. Buxtehude's Ciaconna in C, probably the oldest piece performed that night was again a delight to hear with David's sensitive use of the many stops on the organ.

The first half was brought to an end with an Improvisation - but no named piece on the programme!!!! David asked for suggestions and Roger suggested that as it was near the Last Night of the Proms, how about Land of Hope and Glory? And that was what we got - a glorious piece of music!!

After the interval, the second half was devoted to Vierne's 3rd Symphonie, completed in 1911, exactly 100 years ago - to the day! David showed his love for Vierne's music with an excellent interpretation of the music and received thunderous well-earned applause for the programme. His comments about each piece of music before he played it were very appropriate and pointed the audience to certain aspects of the composer's thoughts.

An excellent start to the session was enjoyed by all present and David will certainly be asked back in the future to give us another enjoyable evening of music.
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