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Organ Club Journal

Divine Art’s second CD featuring the organ at Cheltenham College Chapel with their organist, Alexander Ffinch, the first being DDA25193 Transformations.

Through Covid, and being able to record in that difficult period, Alexander widened many viewers’ musical knowledge with his online concerts, which continue. The 1897 Norman & Beard organ
in an impressive case was rebuilt and extended by Harrison & Harrison in 1930, having minor
alterations in 1976, with H&H’s most recent restoration in 2017: full details in the booklet.

The music begins with Thomas Trotter’s transcription of Gustav Holst’s Jupiter from The Planets,
Op.32. American composer Florence Price (1887-1953) seems to have been in the news quite a
bit recently: her Suite No.1 for Organ, four movements Fantasy, Fughetta, Air and Toccata follow. [6] is Alexander’s arrangement of Charles Martin (b.1977): Paradise from Coldplay – unusual! Elgar transcriptions feature at (7] Nimrod, [13] the Pomp and Circumstance March No.1 and [14] Chanson de Matin. Good to see more works by Dan Locklair: Rubrics (five movements, [ 8-12]. The brochure includes a printed conversation between Dan and Alexander giving the background to the composition.

The CD ends with Boëllmann’s Suite Gothique: Introduction/Choral, Menuet Gothique, Prière à Notre Dame and Toccata. 68 minutes of most enjoyable music. The Club was last here in 1997 – a long time ago. 5-star recording!

@divineartrecordingsgroup

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On 10 October, Métier is thrilled to present Michael Finnissy: Organ Works from acclaimed American organist Forrest Eimold! Don't miss Paul Hindmarsh's marvelous new piece in Classical Music Magazine on the importance of Britain's Brass Bands. A great primer for our new release, Discovering Wilfred Heaton! 3️⃣ Tracks from the 3 October release, Discovering Wilfred Heaton, are #nowplaying on Apple Music Classical and more! Don't miss both of our new Métier new releases on Deezer's New Classical Picks Playlist! ▶️ Listen now in our bio link. Today, Métier presents a “monumental” (The Wire) 4-disc box set from pianist Ian Pace in commanding performances of music by composer Michael Finnissy (b. 1946). On all platforms today at listn.fm/finnissypiano Métier Records is thrilled to release “Because They Have Songs” from composer Edward Cowie and featuring Gerard McChrystal and Richard Shaw! Out now on all platforms ▶️ listn.fm/becausetheyhavesongs “This monumental piano release features Michael Finnissy’s Verdi Transcriptions plus English Country-Tunes, and other compositions inspired by 19th century music. Soloist Ian Pace is a leading interpreter of Finnissy’s work, and has played his complete output for piano. Finnissy’s output is prolific, political and complex – he’s a leading late modernist.… luxuriant but challenging textures of the school often called new complexity.” —Andy Hamilton, The Wire Marvelous new MusicWeb International review for Edward Cowie: Because They Have Songs, before its release this Friday! “Buller is a composer who knows how to imbue feelings with ample warmth, colour and tension that keep the ear immersed in his sonic worlds. The musical language is largely tonal, with some roots in sacred choral traditions, yet with sufficient harmonic pungency to provide underpinnings of meaning to Leah Lax’s empathetic, urgent texts in the two extended works.… Conspirare, led by founding Artistic Director Craig Hella Johnson, respond to all of Buller’s emotional gestures with utmost cohesion and flexibility, and the soloists – basses Michael Hawes and Simon Barrad and soprano Emily Yocum Black – are first-rate.” —Donald Rosenberg, @gramophonemagazine “This performance will stay with me for a long time; it is both exquisitely beautiful and inherently melancholic.” —Edward Breen, Gramophone on Haitham Haidar's #Zaytoun