During September, many members attended the postponed Gala Concert at the cathedral, and we were treated to two lesser-known works by Gigout and Jongen followed by Saint-Saëns’ ‘Organ’ Symphony. Thomas Trotter combined forces with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales to create a memorable evening of music. Our most recent event was the annual Students’ Recital, held this year in the cathedral. Four of our talented younger members each performed two pieces, which created an interesting and entertaining concert. Theo Mountford deserves particular congratulations for his recent success in an International Organ Competition in Northern Ireland, and we were privileged to hear him perform the same pieces at our own recital. On a sadder note, we were sorry to learn in August of the death of Peter Clarkson, a loyal and supportive GOA member, who had also served on the Committee. Our thoughts remain with his family and friends, especially his daughter Debbie, who often accompanied Peter to our events. Michael Barrett Future GOA Events – p.5 GOA Questionnaire Other News – p.7 Selected Organ Recitals – p14 Many thanks to those of you who have already completed the online questionnaire which I sent out recently. So far, I have 25 responses. It would be great to have a few more, if possible. Link below: GOA Questionnaire – September 2026 – Fill in form Review of Past Events JULY Gloucester Cathedral Organ Opening Recital by Wayne Marshall Due to the delayed completion of the Nicholson organ, the original weekend of concerts in mid-June were postponed. The opening recital was played on Saturday 18th July 2026 by Wayne Marshall, who played an eclectic programme to a packed cathedral. There were two congregational hymns for the audience to sing, which made for a glorious wall of sound, as well as Wayne’s customary, full-throttle improvisation at the end of the recital! In between came music by some lesser-known composers, including Andrew Ager, whose Toccata and Fugue provided the recital’s bravura opening, and George Baker, whose music is heavily influenced by the French 20th Century organist-composers. Bach’s ubiquitous BWV 565 opened the second half in a performance that might not have been within the bounds of Baroque period practice?! Perhaps the best piece for my money was the Healey Willan Introduction, Passacaglia & Fugue, which really showed off the range of the new organ, from the quietest to the most overwhelming of tuttis! It could be argued that Wayne’s programme choices were a little self-indulgent, and that a more mainstream approach would have been easier on the ears, but it was a typically exciting recital nonetheless, even if those said ears came away with more than a little ‘ringing’ in them. The organ is a triumph and will no doubt be heard to great effect in lots of different music in the weeks and months to come. S.G. 2 Improvisation Masterclass with Wayne Marshall On the Sunday afternoon following his recital, Wayne Marshall lead an Improvisation Masterclass with several young local organists. His chosen theme was a simple one: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. Each of the players was given a chance on the organ bench and, although some of them were very new to this elusive art, they all made music using the theme. Wayne’s approach was perhaps better suited to more experienced players and some listeners afterwards felt that he could have encouraged the pupils through some simpler ideas. However, as a listener, it was fascinating to see and hear the musical pathways being explored in real time by the different players. Wayne finished off the masterclass with his own improvisation on the given theme. Needless to say, this was a noisy and exciting affair! S.G. Wayne Marshall talking to the audience during his masterclass AUGUST 150th anniversary of the death of S S Wesley – An illustrated talk by Roger Judd at St. Michael’s, Tenbury Wells. Event organised by WMFO. Along with a few other GOA members, I managed to attend this rewarding afternoon of music to celebrate the life and music of S. S. Wesley. Introduced by Roger Judd, Wesley’s often hectic professional life was described for us in some detail, before we heard a concert combining Roger’s organ solos on the fabulous Willis organ in St. Michael’s, and the some of Wesley’s anthems sung by the Amici Quorum singers, directed by James Wall. A rarity new to me was Roger’s own edition of the Introduction and Fugue in C# minor, a typical piece full of contrapuntal ingenuity and strong melodic interest. The choir sang well and gave us a greatest hits selection of the composer’s anthems, including Blessed be the God and Father and Ascribe unto the Lord. Roger’s playing was excellent throughout, with some sensitive accompaniments in the anthems. An excellent afternoon enjoyed by a good turnout of WMFO members. S.G. 3 SEPTEMBER – Gala Concert with Thomas Trotter, BBCNOW and Adrian Partington On Saturday 12th September, an absolutely packed cathedral came to hear the final Gala Concert to celebrate the new Nicholson organ. Postponed from June, it was fortunate that the artists were all able to make this date work, and the BBC were there to record the concert for future broadcast this autumn. Opening with a wonderful transcription for organ and orchestra of Gigout’s ‘Grande Choeur Dialogué’, the tone was set for a memorable concert, not least with the piece ending on a thrilling full organ! For me and I think many others, the highlight of the evening was the Jongen Symphonie Concertante, Op.81. Originally commissioned for performance in the famous Wanamaker store in Philadelphia in 1928, it was never performed there until 2008! Hearing it today is a surprisingly rare event, and it is clear to me that it is a superbly constructed piece for organ and orchestra. In the hands of Thomas Trotter and the BBCNOW, it came across beautifully in the building, the frequent toccata-like passages presenting no problems of ensemble to soloist or orchestra, ably led by Adrian Partington. The second movement’s more hushed, impressionistic passages, were beautifully played by the orchestra’s woodwind soloists as well as by Thomas, using a wealth of the organ’s softer colours. After the interval, the orchestra gave us a stunning performance of Saint-Saens’ 3rd Symphony, his so-called ‘Organ Symphony’. As many of us will know, the organ part is not so much that of a concerto, but rather an additional orchestral instrument, albeit one with some clout! The orchestra under Adrian Partington played superbly and, when the organ came in with its hushed tones in the second part of the first movement, it underpinned the orchestra beautifully. The final part of the symphony shows the organ in its full glory and Thomas did not disappoint the audience with some fabulous ‘tuttis’ towards the end. Not surprisingly, the ovation at the end was long and sustained, with repeated bows from Thomas and Adrian. A superb conclusion to the long-awaited celebrations for the new organ. S.G. Annual GOA Students’ Recital in Gloucester Cathedral. Just last week, we enjoyed a brilliant recital by four of our student organists, who enjoyed playing the new Cathedral organ for us. Music from Bach to Vierne and Stanford to Star Wars gave us the chance to hear pretty much the whole range of the organ’s colours. It was a privilege to hear these young players, and our thanks go to Jonathan Hope and the Cathedral for hosting the event. As Jonathan said, we used to hold this recital on the old organ, so it is good to finally be able to hold the recital in the Cathedral again. L-R: Minnie Wang, Theo Mountford, Seb Byfield, Bertie Barzillia. 4 New GOA Banner on display in Gloucester Cathedral * * * * * Some of you will have seen our new GOA Banner on display in the Cathedral during the events in July and September. The staff at the cathedral have asked to display it on a semi-permanent basis for us, which will hopefully generate some more interest in our association and new members. Future GOA events: OCTOBER – Saturday 17th at 12.30pm – Annual Lunch The Wheatstone Inn, Centre Seven, Gloucester GL4 3HR (just off the A417 on the east side of the city). Please come for 12.30pm; there are no pre-orders needed, so we order at the table. If you have not already emailed me, please let me know that you are coming. Guests are very welcome to come too – just let me know. Menu below for information: https://www.chefandbrewer.com/pubs/gloucestershire/wheatstoneinn/menu?utm_source=g_places&utm_medium=locations&utm_campaign=CB_menu NOVEMBER – Saturday 14th at 5pm – Tewkesbury Abbey A Lecture Recital on the Organ Music of Herbert Howells by Andrew Millington A wonderful opportunity to hear some of Howell’s organ music played on the Milton organ in Tewkesbury Abbey, together with a talk on the composer’s music. Andrew Millington, former organist at Guildford and Exeter Cathedrals and former assistant at Gloucester, will be our guide to this wonderful composer. Members of WMFO are being invited to this event, so there is the possibility of meeting afterwards in The Bell, to share in some refreshments. 5 JANUARY 2027 – Saturday 23rd at 2.30pm – Talk by Gary Cole of Regent Records St. Matthew’s Church, 44 Clarence St, Cheltenham GL50 3P. Gary Cole has had a long and distinguished career in the recording business, running Regent Records for many years. With hundreds of organ and choral recordings to his name, Gary will talk about his life as a record producer and the world of choir and organ recordings, illustrated with audio examples from the Regent catalogue. Do come along if you can for what will be a fascinating talk. FEBRUARY – Saturday 22nd at 2.30pm – Annual RECITAL & AGM. St. Gregory’s Church, 10 St James’ Square, Cheltenham GL50 3PR. St. Gregory’s Organist, Dr. August Guan, will play our annual recital, using both pipe organs in the church: the Blank organ in the chancel and the recently restored Willis organ in the West gallery. His programme will be based around music and composer anniversaries in 2027 and include music by Rameau and Widor. The recital is followed by our Annual General Meeting at 3.30pm. *SAVE THE DATE * Wednesday 26th May 2027 at 7pm David Briggs to give a Recital in Tewkesbury Abbey to celebrate the GOA’s 80th Anniversary Preparations are being made to host an Organ Recital in Tewkesbury Abbey on 26th May 2027, where our President, David Briggs, has agreed to play for us. This will celebrate the GOA’s 80th anniversary, as we were founded in February 1947. When final arrangements are in place, more details will follow. For now, please save the date and tell your friends! * * * * * 6 OTHER NEWS IAO Midlands Organ Day – Saturday 10th October A full day of organ events in Shrewsbury, all for just £10. Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester Some thoughts from two of our members, Andrew Horton and Lee Halford: This year’s Three Choirs Festival at Gloucester was a feast of music and entertainment, and what a feast! Of course, I was attracted by the concerts featuring the new organ in the cathedral but there were plenty of other events to enjoy as well. There was so much to tempt us, and, even after trimming our shopping basket quite substantially, we still attended 10 events. Here are just a few of them. On the Monday evening Adrian Partington conducted the Philharmonia Orchestra with Katelyn Emerson playing the organ. The concert began with a sprightly performance of Elgar’s Cockaigne Overture and then we heard the organ in Poulenc’s Organ Concerto. The American organist demonstrated a wide variety of colours available from the new instrument, not only loud and powerful but also soft and delicate. After the interval we heard an energetic performance of Janacek’s Glagolitic Mass in which the organ featured prominently, and of course in the solo movement towards the end. Everyone was on top form, and we enjoyed the concert immensely. Other highlights for us were two late night concerts. The Oriel Singers directed by Ben Sawyer sang a delightful programme of mostly modern music at the church of St Mary de Lode; we heard Eric Whitacre, James MacMillan and Joanna Forbes L’Estrange among others. Then later in the week we heard the Lay Clerks sing in the Chapter House; they presented a varied selection of pieces by Tudor composers, and 7 some contemporary items by John Duggan, Kerensa Briggs, Anders Edenroth and Christine McVie. After the drama of the large-scale concerts, these more intimate occasions were a period of calm before bed. The Festival was not all about concerts. We enjoyed an open-air performance of The Comedy of Errors played in the Old Bishop’s Garden at The King’s School – the company was the Festival Players, an all-male group, and we relished the confusion brought about by the mistaken identity of long-lost twins. Good weather favoured open-air theatre, and also the Festival Village where we enjoyed food at the cafe and drinks at the bar. The new organ was planned to be ready for the Festival, and it sounded on great form; we look forward to hearing more of it. Post-interval audience returning to their seats.
Impressions of three of this year’s Three Choirs events at Gloucester. Lee Halford I attended several of the Three Choirs Festival events which were hosted in Gloucester this year. I have been asked to give my impressions of a selection of these events. At the time of writing, it is now well over a month since the festival took place, so my recollections will have been tempered a little by time. If I had been asked to write reviews at the time I would have taken notes and my observations would be more detailed. However, lasting impressions of my memory of the events, from this distance in time, may well have even more validity than detailed technical reviews. The three events that I am going to write about are as follows – VOCES8 on the first Saturday, Paul Hale’s talk on the Thursday and Thomas Ospital’s recital, also on the Thursday of the Festival. VOCES8 I have heard many recordings and watched many videos of the internationally renowned vocal ensemble, VOCES8. However, I had not heard them live before, so I was very much looking forward to this concert and I was not disappointed. For those members of the association who might be unaware, VOCES8 is a (usually) “a cappella” vocal ensemble which was originally founded in 2003. Unsurprisingly the ensemble is made up of 8 singers. Currently, it consists of 2 sopranos, 1 alto, 1 countertenor, 2 tenors, 1 baritone and 1 bass. 8 Their programme, entitled “Lead me Home”, offered, in the words of the programme, “a choral journey through landscapes of faith, beauty, and belonging.” The programme celebrated the 250th anniversary of American Independence, by blending American and British voices, from spirituals and sacred works to jazz standards and reimagined pop classics. It was a joy to hear this ensemble in the glorious acoustic of Gloucester Cathedral. Their tuning and ensemble singing was exceptionally good, as was their interpretation of the music. The sound was very focussed and precise. For me, the highlight of the concert was their performance of Vaughan Williams’ “Rest”, which I can only describe as just beautiful to listen to. During most of the concert the ensemble was placed centrally on the platform with the singers standing behind music stands – Sopranos on the left with the other parts arranged in descending order. If I were to have any criticism of the performance, it would be that during some of the lighter elements of the programme the singers became more mobile, moving around whilst they were singing. I just felt that during these items, because of the movement, the sound produced was not as focussed, whilst the ensemble didn’t feel as tightly together as it did when the ensemble remained static. That being said the performance, as a whole, was exceptional. Paul Hale’s talk entitled “THE GLOUCESTER ORGAN: A NEW ERA” Early on Thursday morning I attended Paul Hale’s talk about the new Gloucester Cathedral organ built by Nicholson’s, which took place in the Dining Hall of the King’s School. As you would expect from someone heavily involved in the project as the Organ Advisor, this was a very enjoyable and informative talk, which included many stunning pictures and illustrations of the organ – both past and present. I certainly learned a lot, and there is no doubting Paul’s expertise on this subject. However, if I were to have just one small criticism of the talk, it would be that I had hoped that we would have been given a greater insight into the decision making and rationale behind the design and specification of the new organ. I just felt that this was lacking in the talk. Thomas Ospital’s Recital After Paul Hale’s talk we all then moved into the Cathedral to hear Thomas Ospital’s recital. Thomas is Organiste titulaire of the grand organ at Saint Eustache in Paris and is Organ Professor at the Paris Conservatoire. This was to be the first time that I had heard the new organ. The programme was a very French affair. The first item was the Symphonie-Passion by Marcel Dupre (Op23). This was a work that I had not heard before. It consists of four contrasting movements based on different aspects of the life of Christ and the church – Le monde dans l’attente du Sauveur (Advent), The Nativity, The Crucifixion and the Resurrection. Thomas’ playing was exceptional and his registrations really showed off the sounds available on the new organ – especially the (quasi-French style) Swell and Solo divisions. The second item was an arrangement, by Thomas Ospital, of four movements from Maurice Ravel ‘s “Le tombeau de Couperin”. Again, the organ was thoroughly put through its paces. But what stood out for me was Thomas’ exceptional arrangement of Ravel’s original music. The work had originally started out as a six-movement piano suite in 1914. However, in 1919 Ravel orchestrated four of the movements, which are the movements that Thomas Ospital has arranged for organ – Prélude, Forlane Menuet & Rigaudon. Thomas has done a wonderful job of arranging these movements for organ whilst keeping the original sense, style and spirit of the music. The final item on the programme was an improvisation. Thomas’ initial puzzlement was clear for all to see on the screen when he was handed the slip of paper which contained two themes. The first theme was “Praise to the Holiest” from Elgar’s “Dream of Gerontius” (which was to be performed at the festival later in the week). The second theme was the American National Anthem – “The Star-Spangled Banner”, whose melody had been composed by John Stafford Smith, the son of former Gloucester Cathedral organist, Martin Smith. Now, I do not know if the slip of paper handed to Thomas had said, “either/or”, but what I do know is that we were given over 10 minutes of glorious French style improvisation utilising the full resources of the organ and both of the themes. It was simply stunning playing. 9 I have only recently moved into this area and, therefore, never heard the old Cathedral organ live, but I can safely say that this new instrument sounded absolutely immense under the hands of this brilliant organist and it certainly fills the building exceedingly well. It is probably worth saying that, apart from the above events, I also attended the Mozart Requiem and Sinfonia Concertante on the Friday night, the Sydney Philharmonic Choir’s concert on the second Saturday morning, Choral Evensong later that day, sung by the “Come and Sing Evensong” choir and finally Elgar’s “Dream of Gerontius”. I could have also happily attended several more of the other events and concerts if only my wallet would have allowed. Choir and Orchestra ready for Monday night’s concert – Elgar, Poulenc and Janacek. A Final Three Choirs review! Simon Gibson Making no apologies for yet more words on this year’s festival, I wanted to write briefly about two more fabulous events that we attended during the week in Gloucester. Firstly, Jonathan Hope’s improvised accompaniment to the silent film – ‘The Phantom of the Opera’. This was a late-night concert, starting at 10.15pm and ending not much before midnight! However, it attracted another big audience and was a tour-de-force from Jonathan, who displayed consummate artistry to provide a coherent and musical soundtrack to the classic film. He was able to use some of the more unusual stop combinations available on the new organ, often to create something akin to sound effects, alongside the more musical threads he wove together. It was a most enjoyable concert. Secondly, we joined the volunteer choir, conducted by Sam Hudson of Worcester, to sing at the second Saturday Choral Evensong. Some 100 singers rehearsed in the King’s School during the afternoon, before a brief practice in the choir stalls before the service. The choir filled the entire wooden stalls section of the Quire, with Sam standing on the steps next to the Bishop’s Stall. Not surprisingly, Stanford in C, along with Stanford’s Psalm 150 and Vaughan Williams’s ‘Let all the world’ made a truly glorious noise in the cavernous acoustic. The die-away after the Magnificat Gloria seemed to last forever and Sam’s smile certainly did! This was the first time this come and sing Evensong had been tried and I suspect it won’t be the last, as we all had a brilliant time. 10 Over the week, it was obvious that almost all the concerts in the cathedral were sold out, with a knowledgeable and enthusiastic audience thoroughly enjoying themselves amid the excellent music-making. * * * * * Congratulations to Carleton Etherington, Organist and Director of Music at Tewkesbury Abbey on recently celebrating 30 years in that post! A tremendous achievement. Well done Carleton on all that you have done to further the music and worship at the Abbey. Gloucester Cathedral Organ Recitals and Organ Meditations Please make a note of these recitals and meditations, to be performed on the new Nicholson organ. 11 For a specification and more information on the Gloucester Cathedral organ, please see the link here: https://www.nicholsonorgans.co.uk/pf/gloucestercathedral/ Also, the new Cathedral Organ Academy has its first events this autumn. Details below and more information will be posted on the Cathedral’s website in the coming weeks. Online review of Jonathan Hope’s Meditation from last week: For those of us unable to attend this performance, I hope you will find the review an interesting read. Neil Cox – Four Ikons of the Archangels (2013) https://seenandheard-international.com/2026/09/a-thrilling-and-compelling-work-for-organ-magnificently-performed-in-gloucester-cathedral/?
12 Free from the RCO! The Genius of Cavaillé-Coll made its RCO Cinema debut in September – bringing this exceptional documentary to audiences free of charge for the first time. Discover the life and work of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, whose organs helped shape the sound of French Romantic music. From St Sulpice in Paris to St Ouen in Rouen, his instruments inspired Franck, Widor, Vierne and generations of composers and performers. Presented in partnership with Fugue State Films, RCO Cinema showcases high-quality films exploring the organ and its music, completely free of charge. There are many more videos available for free on the RCO YouTube channel and, for those new to the organ – or wanting to share their love of the organ with others – don’t forget the new First Stop! website at www.firststoporgan.com But the major online service for organists remains iRCO, the content hub which now hosts more than 500 digital resources including films, webinars, articles, publications, papers, and other downloads. Some iRCO content is available free to guest users; many items can be purchased individually; but only RCO Members enjoy 100% free and unrestricted access to all iRCO resources. Click here to find out more about RCO Membership. And finally…. From our member, Steve Goodwin, comes the latest in organ updates we never knew we needed! More details (in German) here: https://tinyurl.com/2vs2y9uz In the Stiftskirche, Stuttgart. 13 * * * * * Forthcoming Selected ORGAN RECITALS: (Please check with the venue for updates before leaving home) See www.organrecitals.uk for comprehensive recital listings across the UK. * * * * * Admission free, retiring collection, unless otherwise stated. Cirencester Parish Church: First Wednesday of the month starting at 1310 hrs. October 7th – November 4th – December 2nd – January 6th – Roger Judd Rosemary Field Laurence Caldecote Anthony Gritten Cheltenham College Chapel: Tuesday 6th October 1.15pm Jamal Sutton (Charterhouse School) Tuesday 3rd November 1.15pm Samuel Bristow (Chelmsford Cathedral) Tuesday 1st December 1.15pm Adrian Partington (Gloucester Cathedral) – St James the Great, Dursley – Coffee, Cake and Music: Coffee from 10.15am; Recital from 11.00am October 31st Bernard West (Oxford) Tewkesbury Abbey: Tuesdays at 1.00pm Please let me have any news or articles for inclusion in our next Newsletter, out in January. Thanks! Simon.