Edward Dewhirst is the Organ Scholar at the Canongate Kirk and is currently preparing for his Associateship Examination of the Royal College of Organists. His tutor, Brigitte Harris is the organist at St Andrew’s and St George’s West and so it was fitting that he should give a recital on her organ. It was part of a series for Organ Scholars to show their skills. Edward Dewhirst did not disappoint.
After the briefest introduction from his tutor, Edward gave us an outline of what he was going to play and then went up to the organ loft. Most of us were sitting on the raised dais so we could see the organist at work. The programme was entitled a Tour of Europe on the Organ. A lot of thought had gone into its planning and it concentrated on touch; a player’s dexterity and articulation depends upon touch.
He started with an English composer, John Stanley, who was blind from an early age, and played his Voluntary for the Trumpet Stop. Next came two pieces from Dietrich Buxtehude, born in Denmark before playing a little known and short work from the German Johann Pachelbel - his Toccata in F. Staying in Germany he played a work by Bach and then on to Toccata by Domenico Zipoli, who was born in Italy and died in Argentina.
From two French composers we heard Louis-Nicolas Clérambault’s Suite du Premier Ton and Louis Vierne’s Vingt-Quatre Pièces en Style Libre. A third Frenchman’s compostion ended the recital - Leon Boëllman’s Suite Gothique.
A very satisfactory recital from a young man who has just finished his first degree and goes back to study for a Masters in Musical Instrument Research at the University of Edinburgh.
Event: Thursday 19 August 2.30 pm