ALTON ORGAN SOCIETY (Founded 1967) ♬♪𝄞 Updated Tuesday 12 March 2024

Alton Organ Society's 2023/2024 Season of Organ Concerts
Organ Recitals Nationwide

Last week (5 March) we were delighted to welcome Joshua Stephens (Winchester Cathedral), who gave his first organ concert at St Lawrence Church, Alton under the auspices of the Organ Society. It was a marvellous and memorable occasion when the audience witnessed a brilliant virtuosic performance played throughout the concert ending with a standing ovation from the thrilled audience.
Joshua opened his concert with the flashy & somewhat meandering (his words!) Prelude & Fugue on BACH by Liszt, at the time of composition, an innovative piece, using all three manuals of the organ sometimes in very quick succession. There followed two pieces by J S Bach; the chorale prelude, “Schmucke dich, O liebe Seele" (BWV 654), a contemplative and lyrical piece, written towards the end of Bach’s professional life; and the well-known Prelude & Fugue in D major (BWV 532), a younger piece, designed to demonstrate exceptional virtuosity & starting with a stunning pedal scale.
The music then moved into the 20
th century. "Prelude" on East Acklam was composed by Francis Jackson - who gave the Organ Society's inaugural organ concert in 1966 - based on his hymn tune of the same name. It was played on the choir & swell manuals & described by Joshua as an understated piece, understated in a Yorkshire way!
The recital concluded with Durufle’s Suite Opus 5, comprising a dark & brooding Prelude; the Sicilienne, a lilting & graceful dance and, concluded with the dazzling Toccata which is fast & sometimes very fast - a truly blazing piece.
Throughout, the playing was technically outstanding & the choice of registrations brought out the immense colour range of the instrument.

The next recital in the series is to be given by Gerard Brooks (Westminster Central Hall) on Tuesday 2 April 2024 at 8.00 pm. His programme can be viewed here.

David Hill MBE organist and International Choral Director, Patron of the Alton Organ Society and currently President of the Royal College of Organists very kindly recorded a CD on the St Lawrence Church, Alton, organ to celebrate 55 years of the Organ Society and to raise funds for the restoration of the Speechly organ. The music was recorded by Herald AV Publications, a specialist recording company, in October 2022. The CD was launched at St Lawrence Church, Alton on Tuesday 4 October 2022. The CD costs £15 of which £3.00 of the purchase price will go towards the organ restoration fund. David's CD was reviewed by Choir & Organ Magazine and copies of that review and Graeme Kay's article on the Society can be seen here. The CD can be purchased from members of the Society Committee, from Resurrection Furniture in Alton and at the Society's Organ Concerts. For further details and purchase of a CD do use the contact page here.Admission to the organ concerts is £10 at the door (free admission to full time students under the age of 18) or you could take out Season Membership at £60 equivalent to £7.50 for each of the eight concerts held between October 2023 and May 2024 - application forms can be downloaded here.

There is a new website that lists national organ concerts (including those held in Alton) and can be viewed here. Please list altonorgansociety.co.uk & Organ Recitals Nationwide among your favourites.