RICHARD HILLS 8th October 2019 (Postponed from 24th September)
The new season of the Southbank International Organ Series opened with this celebration of The Golden Age of British Light Music. Demonstrating the way this repertoire influenced the use of concert organs and the newly emerging cinema organs, Richard Hills had put together an informative and entertaining programme pinned around one of this country’s most influential pioneering cinema organists, Quentin MacLean. From the outset he made clear that the Festival Hall organ was not designed for this repertoire but that he had willingly accepted the challenge to use it as a vehicle to display a range of music, often utilising more unusual sounds and colours to those normally heard.
This concert had been postponed two weeks previously and those of us fortunate to attend the pre-concert talk received some insight into the reasons why – a lightning strike during the afternoon. Andrew Scott, from Harrison and Harrison, who built and maintain the organ, joined the interview to talk about this particular, possibly unique, occurrence.
Richard Hills is a fine organist, at home with a variety of repertoire and different styles of organ. His love of this lighter repertoire shone through the whole evening as he masterfully presented each piece with imaginative and rapid changes of registration. His ability to clearly draw out individual lines and countermelodies was superb.
Opening with Sullivan’s Overture to Iolanthe the programme included music by cinema organists Frederick Bayco (Elizabethan Masque) and Frederick Curzon (The Boulevardier) and well-known composers including Eric Coates (London Suite) and Edward German (Three Dances from Nell Gwynn). A lovely segue beginning with the opening bars of Quentin MacLean’s own Babbling played by the composer himself before being taken up by Mr Hills was very effective. A cross-over with the more “classical” organ world came via Percy Whitlock’s Dignity & Impudence and Plymouth Suite. The final movement Toccata was particularly well executed with the brooding pedal theme building in intensity to a great climax. Robert Docker’s Tabarinage followed by a masterful arrangement of Tea for Two as an encore brought proceedings to a close.
A wonderful start to the new season, showing a very different but equally valid side to the organ repertoire and once again showing the versatility and musicality of organist and organ.
The next concert in the series takes place on 3rd February, when Gerard Brooks will perform.
Stephen Page