Monday 22 July 2013

Philip Scriven has become a regular visitor to Hastings but on this occasion he produced something quite different with a full performance of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony. David Briggs has become a past-master adapting large romantic works for the organ, and this arrangement was by him, originally scaled to the larger range of Gloucester Cathedral. That the Hastings Willis manages the large tonal palate so well is a tribute to its wonderful voicing. The outer movements were particularly successful, the changes in brass and woodwind tone being particularly effective. If the subtleties of the Scherzo proved somewhat too challenging for it, this was more a result of the speed of the action than the playing. Hopefully the Russian students in the audience appreciated both the fine playing and the idiomatic approach.

The first half had given us an eclectic mix, opening with Brewer’s Marche Heroique. Bach’s first Trio Sonata twinkled nicely and we enjoyed both Chuckerbutty’s Paean and Vierne’s Berceuse. Philip Scriven has recorded works for jazz organ and his encore was a gentle jazz improvisation on Be Thou my vision. It proved to be the most convivial item of the evening. Perhaps he should be invited back to give us a whole evening of jazz?

Next week Nigel Ogden entertains. BH