Wednesdays at Christ Church
Wednesday 16th October 2013 - 12.30 Lunchtime Concert
Graham Davies, organ
organist of St Mary the Virgin, Hayes Middlesex
ProgrammeWilliam Byrd (1543-1623) Fantasia J S Bach (1685-1750) Three Choral Preludes Wir glauben all BWV 680 Meine Seele erhebt den Herren BWV 648 Wo soll ich fliehen hin BWV 646 Paul Hindemith (1895-1963) Ruhig bewegt (Sonata ll) Frank Bridge (1879-1941) Adagio in E William Mathias (1934-1992) Processional John Ireland (1879-1962) Intrada (Miniature Suite) C Hubert H Parry (1848-1918) Chorale Prelude on “Croft’s 136th |
The Christ Church organ was built by Hill Norman & Beard in 1970 with 16 stops, using some pipes from previous organs plus some neo-baroque sounds typical of the 1960's and '70's (Chimney Flute and Fifteenth on open-foot voicing, like the Royal Festival Hall organ). In 1995, HNB moved some loud stops from the Great to a new double case in the nave, 6 stops were added, and the tone was refined. 
The Hill Norman & Beard organ at Christ Church (United Reformed), Leatherhead
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Graham Davies, organ
Graham Davies received his early musical training at Winchester Cathedral where he assisted and was a pupil of Graham Matthews and Martin Neary.
Graham has held a number of important church appointments including Director of Music at Malvern Priory and Deputy Organist at Bath Abbey in 1994 where for seven years he was accompanist for the Abbey Girls’ Choir. In 2005 Graham was appointed to All Saints’ Clifton, in Bristol where he developed the music within an Anglo Catholic tradition, widening the repertoire and recruiting many new members to the choir. From 2005 to 2008 he was a regular accompanist for the Wells Cathedral Voluntary Choir. At this time he finished his business career to devote all his time to music.
As a recitalist, Graham has given many concerts throughout the UK including St. Paul’s Cathedral London, also in Switzerland and Chicago. Graham has benefitted from organ studies and master classes with internationally renowned teachers including Margaret Phillips, Catherine Ennis and Daniel Moult.
Graham is currently Organist of St Mary the Virgin, Hayes, Middlesex and organises the Music on Thursdays series of concerts in churches in Leatherhead, Surrey.
On November 29th he will play the 1.15pm lunchtime concert in St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street, London.
Graham has held a number of important church appointments including Director of Music at Malvern Priory and Deputy Organist at Bath Abbey in 1994 where for seven years he was accompanist for the Abbey Girls’ Choir. In 2005 Graham was appointed to All Saints’ Clifton, in Bristol where he developed the music within an Anglo Catholic tradition, widening the repertoire and recruiting many new members to the choir. From 2005 to 2008 he was a regular accompanist for the Wells Cathedral Voluntary Choir. At this time he finished his business career to devote all his time to music.
As a recitalist, Graham has given many concerts throughout the UK including St. Paul’s Cathedral London, also in Switzerland and Chicago. Graham has benefitted from organ studies and master classes with internationally renowned teachers including Margaret Phillips, Catherine Ennis and Daniel Moult.
Graham is currently Organist of St Mary the Virgin, Hayes, Middlesex and organises the Music on Thursdays series of concerts in churches in Leatherhead, Surrey.
On November 29th he will play the 1.15pm lunchtime concert in St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street, London.
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After the concert a member of the audience thanked Graham Davies and said how nice it was to be able to watch him play, because of the television screen in Christ Church. She hadn't realised before how many things an organist does at once, and commented that it was like watching Graham "tap dance on the pipes". The phrase tickled something in Peter Horsfield's mind and he wrote this poem:
Wednesday at Christ Church (Haibun)
Outside the church, rain drums heavily, wind howls, trees bend and sway. Our melodic oasis in here reflects peace from every corner.
Peter's broad back periodically obscures everything else on the monitor. A responsible job, page-turning! (Not to mention re-setting the organ stops.)
Progression of variety embodies common theme: English music (Bach notwithstanding), consonance of keys, eras of history, loud and soft, mournful and joyful, classical harmony,
As Peter's poem mentions, there were moments when the page-turner/stop-puller's form filled the television screen and the organist's actions were less visible. |
