Geoff Willis & Rob Goldfinch - return to the 2024 Lunchtime Organ Concerts & Welcome
Organ Recitals Nationwide
Programme
Festive Trumpet Tune - D Wagner (b.1952)
Nessun dorma - G Puccini (1858-1924)
Knightsbridge March - E Coates (1886-1957)
Sunrise - R Goldfinch (b.1972)
Nola - a unique duet - F Arndt (1889-1918)
Thunderbirds Theme - B Gray (1908-1984)
Humoresque - A Dvorak (1841-1904)
Saints on a Spree - N Ogden (b1954)
Toccata from Symphony No. 5
C-M Widor (1844-1937)
Biography
Geoff began his musical life at 5 years old when he copied his elder brother by taking piano lessons. Geoff won an award from Hampshire County Council when he was 12 and that paid for his lessons until he left school. He was a chorister at St Peter’s church in Frimley and started to ‘have a go’ on the organ where his Dad played in Farnborough. He has spent many years singing in chamber choirs and doing a bit of organ playing here and there.
About ten years ago he built a four manual digital organ which graces the lounge and is ‘admired’ by his wife! It can make the sound of all kinds of English and continental organs and even a theatre organ with bells and whistles. Having the organ at home has meant he can practice with the encouragement of a cup of tea or something stronger. He is the current chairman of North Hampshire Organists’ Association.
Just before the Covid restrictions, Geoff made a portable digital organ to demonstrate in local schools and encourage students to have a go. Geoff, Rob and another organist friend have already had successful visits to Calthorpe Park School in Fleet and Bishop Challoner School in Basingstoke. The students have been amazed by the wonderful sounds that an organ can produce.
Born in 1972, Robert Goldfinch started playing the Hammond Electronic organ at the age of 13, soon progressing from there onto the piano and the more classical repertoire associated with the church organ. He studied organ with Nicolas Kynaston and also studied music at Surrey University. After working in music retail he then worked for Kingston Borough as a teacher of the piano and keyboard for 10 years. He was organist of St Mark’s and St Andrew’s in Surbiton during this time. Having given many organ recitals in England and Europe he then decided stop playing professionally and focus his interests in other areas.He now spends time between composing, teaching and playing music of many genres.