A five-day festival of services, concerts and recitals will take place at St John’s College, Cambridge from 6 to 10 May to celebrate the installation of its new Harrison & Harrison organ, incorporating historic Father Willis pipework from 1889.
Image: Nordin Ćatić
At the heart of the festival is the inaugural recital given on 8 May by Olivier Latry, titular organist at Notre-Dame in Paris. A leading ambassador for the organ, Latry has played at the world’s most prestigious venues, worked with top orchestras and conductors
and recorded with major labels.
He will perform a programme of French pieces including César Franck’s Troisième Choral (en La mineur), Jehan Alain’s Litanies and Louis Vierne’s Carillon de Westminster, in a recital that will be recorded for future broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
Following on, the Choir of St John’s College will be joined by acclaimed British organist, pianist and conductor Wayne Marshall and baritone Tom Butler for a concert on 9 May, featuring Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs, and works by Holst, Marsh and Daley, as well as the premiere of a new organ work, Swift Messengers, by Tim Watts.Then, on 10 May, former director of music at St John’s College, David Hill, will return to perform a recital immediately before Evensong, when a dedication and blessing of the new organ will take place.
Organ music has a rich history at St John’s College – an organ has been owned by the college since it was founded in 1511, and the college choir has been accompanied by the instrument throughout its 350-year history.
More information and tickets are available at sjcchoir.co.uk