ORGAN RECITAL

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31755, 12 August 1968, Page 14

ORGAN RECITAL

Miss Ellen Armitage gave an excellent programme of organ music at St Mary’s Church. Merivale, yesterday afternoon.

She began with “Dithyramb” by Alec Wyton, the organist and Master of the Choristers of the Cathedral of St John the Divine in New York. On the chief organ in that cathedral Mr Wyton has a wonderful set of trumpet pipes placed over the west door—a distance of one-tenth of a mile from the organ console. Antiphonal playing between those trumpets and the main body of the organ can sound wonderfully thrilling and this piece is written with such effects in mind. Miss Armitage was able, with apt choice of registers, to convey the spirit of the work even though St Mary’s Church has little reverberation. The piece has strong and joyful flourishes and a pleasantly flowing soft middle section.

A Prelude and Fugue in E by Buxtehude, J. S. Bach’s greatest forerunner, has a fugue whose subject is like that used by Bach in his great E flat fugue, and was worked out with quiet registration which gave clarity to the contrapuntal strands. The free fantasia development of the work was improvisatory in character, and could have stood more brilliant types of sound at times. Variations, by the contemporary American composer, Samuel Barber, on the _old Southern hymn tune “Wondrous Love,” were charmingly played and the piece is attractive music of its type. Miss Armitage chose colourful registration and kept a clear balance.

Mozart’s Fantasia in F, K 608, was clearly played in a way which carefully disclosed its structure. The first section might have been given a stronger climax. The contrasting soft section was delicately played on strings and flutes. The return of the first part was played in jocund fashion. Cesar Franck’s “Pastorale" was interpreted with charming delicacy. Bach's chorale prelude, Jesus Christ Our Saviour, was played with realisation of its expression of rapturous loy. Miss Armitage’s flexible finger-work brought the music alive in bubbling fashion. She interpreted the impressionis tic writing of Jehan Alain

in his “Hanging Garden” with delicate finesse which brought out its transparent colours very interestingly. The recital ended with Two Dialogues by Peter Hurford, who visited us not so long ago. The first was a merry romp in carefree fashion and the second had a dignified and joyous nature which showed off the more brilliant stops of the organ to good advantage. There was a good attendance. C.F.B.