Our next International Saturday Organ Recital will be presented by organist Ophelia Amar with trumpeter John Vernon, at St Peter’s Church on 21st November at 5.30pm.
GIUSEPPE TORELLI (1658–1709) Concerto for Trumpet in D major
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685–1750) Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659
JEAN LANGLAIS (1907–1991) From Neuf Pièces for trumpet and organ: numbers VI, VII & VIII
ALAN HOVHANESS (1911–2000) The Prayer of Saint Gregory
ELSA BARRAINE (1910–1999) Prélude et Fugue no.2
JEAN-MICHEL DAMASE (1928–2013) Prières sans paroles
THIERRY ESCAICH (born 1965) Vers l’Espérance
JEAN-BAPTISTE ROBIN (born 1976) Parchemins de cendre
Many Organ Festival regulars will know Ophelia, who has performed previously for us in the Cathedral. She enjoys a busy performance career in the UK and in France, which she balances with teaching alongside working as our Festival’s Administrator. Ophelia is currently studying for a PhD in Music at the University of Cambridge, researching networks and influences upon the young generations of organists from the Paris conservatoire in the 1930s.
John has played for many of the UK’s top orchestras, and as a soloist he has a particular penchant for obscure music of Japanese and Russian heritage.
Trumpet and organ make a natural pairing, where direct brilliance meets extraordinary depth and variety. The performers have designed their programme of varied colours and styles to take full advantage of their instruments’ complementary and contrasting personalities.
The concert opens with Torelli’s festive Trumpet Concerto in D major, with the organ taking the role of a baroque string orchestra. Bach’s chorale prelude Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland then gives the organ a quiet solo spotlight, before the two instruments reunite for colourful music by Jean Langlais selected from his Neuf Pièces, followed by Alan Hovhaness’s meditative Prayer of Saint Gregory.
The music turns next to the French tradition. Jean-Michel Damase’s lyrical Prières sans paroles is preceded by Elsa Barraine’s Second Prelude and Fugue, rarely-heard counterpoint for solo organ composed by the 19-year old woman who would soon afterwards win the Prix de Rome for composition. This is a deeply spiritual piece based on Psalm 116 (‘I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy’).
The programme closes with two contemporary voices with local connections: they have both been jury members at recent St Albans International Organ Competitions, and their works have also been on the repertoire lists for previous competitions. Vers l’Espérance for solo organ was written by Thierry Escaich more than two decades before he was appointed as titular organist of Notre-Dame de Paris in 2024, and is the third of an ensemble of three pieces which are themselves based on three motets. The concert will finish with the atmospheric Parchemins de cendre (‘scrolls of ash’) for trumpet and organ by Jean-Baptiste Robin, Organist of the Royal Chapel at the Palace of Versailles, which was composed only five years ago and so is the most recent work of the programme.
As always, admission and programme will be free with donations invited to support future events presented by the St Albans International Organ Festival.