“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life, for London holds all that life affords.” So wrote Samuel Johnson in the eighteenth century, words that still hold true today. To paraphrase, it could also be said that “When an organist is tired of England, he is tired of life, for England holds all that an organist desires.” Indeed, the fabled island country is an organist’s dream, home to hundreds of noble and majestic instruments--many from the mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries--that survive to this day for the enjoyment of organ lovers everywhere. Imagine being able to not only see and hear, but play nearly two dozen of the great cathedral, church and concert hall organs of England.
The sixteenth annual Organ Tour of England got underway in London on July 13, 2004. Created and escorted by Leslie Peart, these tours begin and end in London, and focus on a particular region of the country each year. For this tour of eastern and northern England, a very congenial group of organists and organ enthusiasts from New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Georgia, Texas, Oregon and Canada gathered for a get-acquainted lunch at the modern Holiday Inn Forum Hotel, the largest Holiday Inn in the world. Located in the fashionable borough of Kensington, within walking distance of Harrods, the Royal Albert Hall, parks and museums, the hotel was a comfortable and convenient base from which to explore England’s vibrant capital city. Meals in the quiet and private Forum Room were wonderful.
London
After a hearty pub lunch of traditional roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, our group’s first stop was Southwark Cathedral on London’s revitalized South Bank. Here we were warmly welcomed by Peter Wright, who briefly demonstrated the splendid 1897 4-manual Lewis, then turned the instrument over to us. Everyone who wished to got an opportunity to play on each and every organ we visited, which is a major feature of these tours. Our first evening in London got off to a fine start with James O’Donnell’s recital at Westminster Abbey, which included a complete performance of Widor’s Sixth Symphony. This was the first of five recitals that we heard on the tour, and we had choice reserved seats in the choir stalls to fully enjoy seeing and hearing this celebrated instrument.
Our second day in London began with a visit to Immaculate Conception Church Farm Street, a beautiful French Gothic style building designed by Pugin, with a richly-detailed interior. David Graham briefed us on the history of the church and organ, and played a comprehensive mini-recital to fully demonstrate the fine 1926 3-manual Willis. After we all had a chance to play, the tour continued via double-decker bus to the large Temple complex on the Strand. Paul Derret presented a lunchtime recital in the ancient Temple Church, after which we were free to try the marvelous 1926 4-manual Harrison & Harrison.
After dinner, we returned to Westminster Abbey for a private, after-hours session on the organ with assistant organist Andrew Reid. This was a highlight of the trip, as Mr. Reid gave a thorough demonstration of the 1937 5-manual Harrison & Harrison. He concluded with Walton’s “Orb and Sceptre,” an especially appropriate choice in this site of English coronations. After basking in the splendor of full organ, we were all able to play this famed instrument, a thrill I’m sure none of us will ever forget.
North of Londonn
The next day we met our very competent coach driver, David Attfield, himself an organist, and began our journey north. David describes these annual organ tours as the highlight of his year. First stop was Chelmsford Cathedral, home to two recent Mander tracker-action instruments. Since both organists were away, head verger Michael Rivers, another organ fan, acted as our host. Michael and his assistants first served us coffee and refreshments, and then turned the instruments over to us. The 3-manual in the chancel and the 4-manual in the rear gallery were both distinguished by beauty of tone and ease of action. It is possible to play both organs from each of the two consoles.
A short drive later, we arrived in the quaint small village of Long Melford, seemingly straight out of an Agatha Christie novel, with an imposing manor house, ivy-covered cottages and the Holy Trinity Church, deemed one of the most beautiful in England. This visit was intended more for the beauty of the church than the organ, but we enjoyed a leisurely time playing the 1887 Walker tracker organ and strolling through the grounds surrounding the church, full of interesting old tombstones, yew trees and rose bushes.
The final destination of the day was the university town of Cambridge, where we settled into the comfortable Gonville Hotel overlooking a large park (Parkers Piece) on the edge of the city center. There was time to explore this fascinating city on our own before a delicious dinner at our hotel.
Cambridge
On Friday we first visited Girton College Chapel in Cambridge to see the recently installed 4-manual tracker by the Swiss firm of St.-Martin, a rarity in England. As expected, the tone was very clean and bright, and the action easy and responsive. We then had several free hours for lunch on our own, shopping, sightseeing or punting on the Cam River. Several made an excursion to the beautiful American Cemetery on the outskirts of town, where nearly 4,000 U.S. servicemen from World War II are buried. At 3 pm, we walked half a block from our hotel to the Church of Our Lady of English Martyrs (R.C.) to experience the 1881 3-manual Abbot & Smith organ, recently restored by Nicholson. The organ sounded marvelous in this spacious and resonant French Gothic building, and our host Nigel Kerry was most helpful. After another excellent dinner in our hotel, we retired to a hospitality suite, with coffee and dessert, to watch the opening night concert of the Proms, which featured Martin Neary on the newly restored Royal Albert Hall organ, playing the Bach D-minor Toccata alone, and then the Fugue with the orchestra.
Ely
On Saturday, July 17, we drove the short distance from Cambridge to the spectacular Ely Cathedral, one of the glories of English architecture. We were among the first visitors of the day, and had this vast building pretty much to ourselves. After being greeted and briefed on the 1908 4-manual Harrison & Harrison by the assistant organist, we each climbed the narrow spiral staircase to the organ loft to play this majestic instrument. Our own Bob McDonald regaled us with the Widor Toccata as we wandered around the spacious nave, absorbing the history and beauty of this fantastic place.
After a scenic ride through the tranquil Fen country, we made a lunch stop in the old market town of Boston, where we briefly visited St. Botolf’s Church. We admired the spacious, light-filled interior and marveled at the spire--at 272 feet, the tallest of any parish church in England. Being Saturday, the city center was filled with market booths, providing the group with a very interesting experience.
In the afternoon we continued on to the large town of Kingston-upon-Hull to experience the magnificent 100-rank 1911 Foster & Hill organ in City Hall. The auditorium featured a wonderful frieze of classical mythological figures on the walls surrounding the organ façade, and the curator unlocked the pipe chamber, allowing us to explore the interior of this large instrument. We had a leisurely, enjoyable visit here, with ample time to fully familiarize ourselves with this fine concert instrument. Our group would be the last to play the organ for quite some time, as the auditorium was being shut down the next day for extensive redecorating. Final stop of the day was the fashionable resort town of Harrogate, where we settled into the Victorian Yorkshire Hotel, facing a green park filled with beautiful floral displays. This would be our base for a total of five nights from which we would explore the north of England.
York
For our first Sunday of the tour, we took a short coach ride to the walled medieval city of York to attend the main service in York Minster. We enjoyed the choral and organ music in the rolling acoustics of this imposing space, the largest gothic cathedral north of the Alps. The cathedral is in excellent shape, after the recent rebuilding of portions due to a tragic fire. Following the second service, John Scott Whiteley gave us a warm welcome, demonstrated the 1872 4-manual Willis, and then graciously allowed us to try our hand at the moveable chancel console. He also showed us the original console in the organ loft before excusing himself to play for a special service with Prince Philip and veterans of World War II, who entered the cathedral as we were leaving. We had some free time for lunch and exploring this fascinating town, winding through the crowded streets with the other Sunday visitors, taking advantage of a fine English summer afternoon.
Later in the day we drove to Armley, a suburb of Leeds, to visit St. Bartholomew’s Church and attend a recital by German organist Joachim Walter on the 1869 4-manual Schulze. He presented a fine program of works by romantic composers such as Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Reubke and others that worked very well on this instrument. During the interval the ladies of the church had set up tea and refreshments, and we all savored homemade cakes and trifles before getting to play this marvelous organ for ourselves.
Beverley
On Monday July 19, our first visit of the day was to the small town of Beverley to visit the famed Minster, another one of the architectural gems of England. We were welcomed by Alan Spedding, who presented a fine demonstration on the 1916 4-manual Arthur Hill instrument. The layout was similar to York Minster, with the main case on a center loft in the chancel and the towering 32-foot pipes in the side gallery. As in Ely, we were the first visitors of the day, and had this remarkable building pretty much to ourselves to enjoy as we all took turns playing and admiring the ornate interior.
Another short ride through the rolling northern English countryside brought us to the gates of Castle Howard, the stately home made famous as the setting for television’s “Brideshead Revisited.” We enjoyed a leisurely visit, made even more delightful by the fine summer weather. After lunch in the café on the lake, we had a private session in the chapel to play the 1872 smallish 3-manual Harrison tracker. There was then time to explore the house and extensive grounds, which included formal gardens, fountains and lakes. Back in Harrogate, our final visit of the day was at St. Peter’s Church, conveniently located next door to our hotel. Here we experienced another 4-manual Schulze, recently renovated by David Wood of Huddersfield. After dinner at the hotel, we were treated to the piano-playing talents of our own Bob MacDonald, to the delight of tour participants and hotel guests alike.
The Yorkshire area
On Tuesday July 20, we first headed south to Doncaster to see St. George’s Parish Church and its large 5-manual Schulze. Organist Andrew Wilson is an attorney in Sheffield, and could not be there. So we were again hosted by another head verger/organ fan, Chris Clay. After everyone had played here, we headed north again, driving through the picturesque Yorkshire moors and dales, and arrived in Durham after lunch. After checking into our comfortable and luxurious hotel, Leslie Peart led us up the twisting medieval streets to the massive Norman cathedral, which crowned the highest hill in the city, majestically overlooking the River Wear. We were graciously welcomed by James Lancelot, who demonstrated the superb 4-manual Willis, later rebuilt by Harrison & Harrison. After we had all taken turns playing, Mr. Lancelot ended our session with a brief fanfare on the commanding Tuba Mirabilis, sending us forth with the sound of this magnificent instrument still resounding throughout the cathedral.
The following day began with a private tour of the Harrison & Harrison organ building factory, a short ride from our hotel on the outskirts of town. We were warmly greeted by our charming hosts, Mark and Catherine Venning, who now own this venerable firm. It was fascinating to see the amount of painstakingly detailed work that goes into the building and restoration of fine pipe organs, and we left with a renewed appreciation of the technical complexities of the instrument. Harrison’s largest project at the time was the rebuilding of the organ of Peterborough Cathedral, which had suffered from a recent fire.
After free time in Durham for lunch and exploring, we rode to the large city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the northernmost point of our tour, for a visit to the cathedral. Our jovial and enthusiastic host, Scott Farrell, showed us the 1881 4-manual Lewis, housed in a beautiful Renatus Harris case from 1676. After we had all enjoyed playing, we returned to Durham to prepare for dinner and a recital at the cathedral by our friend John Scott Whiteley. Most of us sat in the choir stalls to fully experience the awesome power of this instrument with its thundering 32-foot stops and powerful reeds. Mr. Whiteley presented a stunning program, concluding with his own transcription of a Cochereau improvisation.
On Thursday July 22, we reluctantly checked out of Durham and headed south to the Leeds Parish Church to see an unusual 4-manual instrument of various builders, with some of the pipework dating back to 1771. Our host, Simon Lindley, welcomed us and gave an introduction to the organ, installed behind a large wooden Gothic screen. Sitting at the console, one can almost imagine being in a jail cell! After we had all played and enjoyed the church’s coffeehouse, we rode to the large town of Huddersfield to visit the splendid 1881 4-manual Father Willis organ in the town hall. We were enthusiastically greeted by Scottish organist Gordon Stewart, who offered us tea and refreshments, then played a superb mini-recital to show off this wonderful instrument. David Wood of Huddersfield was also there--he and his firm did the last rebuilding of this instrument. It was very satisfying to then be able to play this grand Victorian concert organ.
After lunch at a local pub, we boarded our coach for a short ride back to Harrogate and the Yorkshire Hotel, our base for northern England. Our final visit of the day was to nearby St. Wilfrid’s Church, home to another fine 1928 Harrison & Harrison of surprisingly robust tone. We all took turns playing before returning to our hotel for the evening.
Our first stop on Friday was the Rochdale Town Hall, an impressive Victorian Gothic style building completed in 1871. Organ curator Edward Riggs greeted us and led us up the regal grand staircase to the fantastic Great Hall richly decorated with stained glass, painting and woodcarving. Here we had a delightful time on the 1913 4-manual Binns organ, housed in alcoves behind a raised stage area. The console sits on a high platform, so one actually climbs aboard! Our group played mostly lighter popular selections here, including “The Lost Chord,” “Phantom of the Opera,” and “Londonderry Air,” which all worked well on this full-bodied Edwardian instrument.
We moved on to Blackburn to visit the cathedral and the newly rebuilt and enlarged 1969 Walker. This was the third organ we visited that had been rebuilt by David Wood, including the addition of a new console and Solo division. The pipes were mounted high up on the chancel walls in “swallows’ nest” chambers, and the elegant movable 4-manual console had been placed in the middle of the sanctuary for us. We all enjoyed playing this wonderful instrument in surprisingly resonant acoustics, giving the Imperial Trumpet a good workout as several of the group played trumpet tunes, fanfares and big toccatas.
Then it was back on the coach for a short ride to Whitefield, a suburb of Manchester, for our final visit of the day to All Saints Stand Church, where our friend Gordon Stewart was organist. The 1926 3-manual Harrison & Harrison impressed us with its full, robust tone. We also admired the finely carved woodwork on the altar, choir stalls and organ case before returning to Harrogate through the scenic Yorkshire countryside--the backbone of England, according to our driver David Attfield.
On Saturday July 24, we checked out of the Yorkshire Hotel and had a short ride south to Wakefield. Arriving in the late morning, we were glad to discover an open-air farmer’s market had been set up in the streets surrounding the cathedral. The vendors were mainly French, and the air was heavy with the aromas of fresh baguettes, sausages, cheeses and spices. Several of our group purchased bags of cookies and pastries to enjoy with their coffee break before we entered the cathedral for the fifth and final recital of the tour. David Holder played an interesting and varied program on the 5-manual unified instrument containing pipework by various builders, again most recently by David Wood. After the recital we had time to play the organ ourselves before leaving on the final leg of our journey back to London. We arrived in the capital in the late afternoon and returned to the Holiday Inn Forum Hotel. After an excellent farewell dinner together, we were free to attend a Proms concert at the nearby Albert Hall, or partake of one of the many other cultural opportunities of this exciting city.
The tour officially concluded after breakfast on Sunday July 25, although many participants opted to stay an extra day or two to more fully explore London. Leslie Peart escorted a group of us to reserved seats under the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral for the main service, followed by lunch in the historic Albert Pub near the houses of Parliament. The afternoon was free to enjoy evensong and organ recitals at the major churches of London, and some of our group attended a Proms concert that evening.
Each year the England Organ Tour focuses on a particular region of England. This year’s tour will take place July 12-25, 2005, and will feature the cathedrals and organs of southwestern England and Wales, concluding with three days at the Southern Cathedrals Festival at Winchester Cathedral. For more information, contact Leslie Peart at 2129 Fairway Drive, Springfield, IL 62704; phone 217/546-2562; e-mail <[email protected]>.
