Unitarian Church, 12 April 2014

The first of this summer’s recitals on the Unitarian Snetzler brought an eclectic if generally quietly focussed range of pieces from Stephen Page. He opened with a Purcell Trumpet Tune, using the Hautboy with the box open for the trumpet stop. As the stop has a bad habit of going out of tune very easily it was a pleasure to find it had retained its pitch!

A quiet Communion by Guilmant and Bach’s Arioso followed, highlighting the fine flute stops, before CPE Bach’s Sonata in F. this more extended work enabled Stephen to demonstrate the range of colour available and provided a delicious echo effect.

Always a promoter of good quality light organ music, these classical pieces were quickly followed by Lemare’s Andantino better known as Moonlight and roses.

That the organ is splendid for the early repertoire was finely demonstrated with three short early pieces by Couperin, Boyvin and Marchand, with the warm voicing of the middle piece contrasting to the more fiery writing of the outer movements.

William Lloyd Webber’s Intrada brought a move into the twentieth century before two weightier classical pieces – a toccata & fuge in A major by Muffat and Buxtehude’s extended Fantasia Chromatica. The rolling inevitability of Buxtehude’s writing was well caught and the structure never in doubt.

Two theatre organ pieces by Joyce Alldred brought the afternoon to a pleasing close.

The next concert is on 7 June and the Snetzler can be heard on Saturday 26 April when Tom McLelland-Young will play at 2.00pm as part of 1066 Choir & Organ’s book launch celebrations.