Saturday 11 July - Parish Church - 19:30
Organ recital - Alistair Curtis
Prelude and Fugue in b BWV 544 by J. S. Bach, The Sweet Rivelett from ‘Hovingham Sketches’ and a Fantasy on ‘Sine Nomine’ by Francis Jackson, Adagietto, and Toccatina from ‘A Little Suite for Organ’ by Malcolm Archer, and Toccata in G by Th. Dubois, will be followed after the interval by Psalm Prelude No.1 Set 2 by Herbert Howells, Arabesque by Vierne and the Suite Gothique by Leon Boëllmann.
Concert Review
As a fellow organist and professional musician, it was a privilege to listen to Alistair Curtis's organ recital - with a large and appreciative audience.
Alistair studied music at Surrey University and was organ scolar at Guildford Cathedral. LIke many organists, he opened his demanding programme with an authentic performance of the Prelude and Fugue in B minor, BWV 544, by J S Bach. From the outset the pace was measured, giving the complex demi-semiquaver passages of the Prelude room to flow. Here, Bach does not just limit himself to complexities in the keyboard parts but expects the performer to handle the pedal parts with equal fluncy, as in the fugue which follows. Throughout his performance, Alistair achieved exceptional tonal clarity, allowing the bright mixtures of the upper ranks to contrast with the 16 foot contra fagotto in the pedal part when it was needed.
Next we were treated to two pieces by composer and organist Francis Jackson, for many years organist at York Minster, where he composed much of his music. Alistair's performance of Sweet Rivelett with its flowing parts and chromatic, yet strong, tonal centre showed the flute and oboe stops to great effect. In contrast, a Fantasy on Sine Nomine drew on the deep, haunting and sturdy diapasons and powerful reeds.
The Malcolm Archer pieces provided yet further contrast and here Alistair use the celeste and salicional stops in the slower movement and the brighter flutes in the 'moto peretuo' of the following Toccatina. A light dolce pedal provided a subtle bass line to the harmony.
The famous Toccata in G major by the French organist Théodore Dubois is a relentless piece in its right hand figuaration of fast semiquavers. Alistair managed this well and I liked his choice of tempo, never rushed, allowing for clear finger articulation.
A Psalm Prelude by Herbert Howells followed. The Wadhurst instrument is well suited to Howell's organ music and Alistair captured the essence of this piece, from the etherial celestes and orchestral flutes to the dark and powerful diapasons. Towards the climax of the piece the full power of the organ was unleashed, using 8 and 16 foot reeds.
Louis Vierne's Arabesque featured next, and the improvisatory nature of this music came across well with Alistair's subtle use of rubato.
He concluded his recital with Leon Boëllman's Suite Gothique. Each of the four movements is very different in style, from the powerful, measured grand opening to the lighter dance-like minuet, followed by the quiet Prière and concluding with a Toccata - a sheer tour de force. I particularly liked Alistair's use of reeds without mixtures in the opening, which somehow reinforced the stately character of the music. The minuet was played with light reeds and plenty of attention to detail through careful phrasing and articulation. Here the forte/piano contrasts were very much in evidence and the Prière that followed provided a gentle contrast.
In the grand finale, tempo marking allegro, Alistair demonstrated his true mastery of the instrument. Relentless semiquaver figuration in the right hand part with rhythmic punctuatory chords in the left hand and a powerful tune in the pedals, all mixed in together. As the music progresses the technical demands become greater, including a need for swift stop changes without interupring the musical flow. All this was ably achieved by Alistair on the powerful Wadhurst instrument. RF
Programme Notes by Alistair Curtis
Prelude and Fugue in B minor.
BWV 544. J. S. Bach (1685-1750).
The Prelude is in Ritornello form (a short return), and contrasts the two main
themes. First the ritornelli, full of appoggiaturas, and played on the Hauptwerk,
and then the episodes with long phrases, on the Positive.
Peter Williams writes: “ The Prelude is an original contribution to new
organ styles of the day, aria-like and quite unlike the other mature preludes,
with bold effects achieved through appoggiatura harmonies, and matching Mattheson’s
description of the Affekt of B minor as ‘listless and melancholy’” Bach
p 97.
The Fugue is in great contrast, with confident flowing stepwise lines. It has
three main sections, and the central one is for manuals only, the pedal returning
for the last.
The Sweet Rivelett (from The Hovingham Sketches). Francis Jackson. (b 1917)
The Sweet Rivelett expresses the programmatic (story) nature of music inspired
by impressionist composers such as Ravel, for whose music Jackson has high
regard. It depicts the running of the waters in the Wath Beck near York,
the cathedral at which Jackson was organist (1946-82).
He was taught the organ by a former organist of the Minster, Sir Edward Bairstow.
Fantasy on ‘Sine Nomine’ Francis Jackson. (b. 1917)
Fantasy on ‘Sine Nomine’- the melody composed by R.V. Williams-
is quite a varied piece in terms of its texture, with contrasting homophonic
(chordal) and polyphonic (strands) sections. There are many changes of time
signature which give variety to the rhythm, and the slow build up to the climax
at the end of the piece.
Adagietto, and Toccatina. Malcolm Archer (b. 1952)
Archer was organist of Wells, and St Paul’s Cathedrals, and is a composer
of choral and organ music. The Adagietto is in an expressive, popular, sentimental
style, with elements reminiscent of Percy Whitlock.
The Toccatina has great impulsion, due to the sextuplets in the right hand,
giving a sense of four main beats in a bar.
IToccata in G Major. Théodore Dubois (1837-1924).
This piece is a good example of a 19th or early 20th century French Toccata,
with fast manual figuration and a three section form: (A B A, coda). Section
A uses the bright Mixture stop, and contrasts with the darker fonds using
the Oboe for the central section, and all the Reed stops at the end of the
Coda.
Psalm Prelude No.1, set Two. Herbert Howells (1892-1983).
Howells was a chorister and later organist at Gloucester cathedral, where Wesley
had been organist. Howells’ organ and choral music flows from the English
choral tradition dating back to the 12th century. His music often starts
quietly, builds to a climax, and calms to a soft conclusion. This is especially
evident in the Psalm Preludes, where the composition reflects not just the
mood, but the text of the psalm quite closely. In this case it is Psalm 130,
De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine. [From the depths, O Lord, I cry to thee]
Arabesque (from 24 pieces in free style). Louis Vierne. (1870-1937).
Vierne was a French organist and composer, a pupil of Franck and Widor. He
was blind from birth and became one of France’s foremost improvisers
of organ music, improvising on the Westminster Chimes on a visit to London.
He was organist of Notre Dame, Paris, and died while playing there.
Suite Gothique. Léon Boëllmann (1862-97).
I. Introduction -Choral,
II. Menuet gothique
III. Prière à Notre-Dame
IV. Toccata.
Not strictly Suite in the musical sense of the word, but incorporating one
dance movement in the Menuet. This work shows off the dynamic range of the
organ, from the imposing Introduction, to the reflective Prière á Notre-Dame,
and the juxtaposition of the Minuet to the dark but blazing Toccata..
Alistair Curtis was born in 1984. He sang in the choir of Wadhurst
church from the age of nine, and started organ lessons from the age of 12.
His organ teacher - at this time and until university - was Peter Collins,
who studied under Ralph Downes and Nicholas Danby at the Royal School of Music
in London.
Alistair graduated from the University of Surrey, Guildford [UNIS] in 2005,
where he was organ scholar in the cathedral in his first year, and senior organ
scholar in the following two years. Whilst at UNIS he studied organ under Stephen
Farr, the cathedral organist, and David Davis, the sub-organist. In his second
year, Alistair became accompanist to the Oriana Singers of Tunbridge Wells,
with whom he has played at many cathedrals, including: Canterbury, York, Lincoln,
Gloucester, St Paul’s, and Liverpool Metropolitan cathedral. He has also
performed with the Tunbridge Wells Choral Society.
After graduation he took a gap year, and became Director of Music at Goudhurst
Church. In September 2006 he began to study for a PGCE in Secondary Music at
Canterbury Christ Church University; following this he became temporary Assistant
Director of music at St Richard’s Catholic College, Bexhill. During the
last year he has been employed restoring a Mortier Dance organ in private hands
in Cranbrook, and as a freelance organist and conductor. In April this year,
he provided the organ accompaniment to the Choir’s Good Friday performance
of John Rutter’s Requiem.
