Kevin Bowyer at Blackburn Cathedral

Kevin Bowyer playing Wolf-G Leidel's Toccata Delectatione on the glorious Walker organ of Blackburn Cathedral. The instrument is very unusual for an British church as it has no casework to speak of, all pipework and swell boxes are exposed. The church of St Mary the Virgin Blackburn was designed by John Palmer and built in 1826, the building only consisted of what is now just the nave. But in 1926, the Diocese of Blackburn was created so it became a cathedral, funding started in 1930 to enlarge the building to suit its new status. Building work began in 1938, in 1967 the distinctive lantern tower with aluminium spire was completed but it wasn't until 1977 that it was finally finished and consecrated as Blackburn cathedral.

The organ is the work of JW Walker & Sons, the result of a gift of 30,000 guineas made to the Director of Music John Bertalot, and inaugurated in 1969. The original organ was built by Cavaillé-Coll in 1875 three manuals 36 stops built in the west end gallery. It was rebuilt 4 -5 times and in the process lost its character, when it was moved during the building enlargement, the pipework was found to be beyond repair and was melted down and re-used in the current instrument. Shame, Britain lost another Cavaille-Coll. The then new Walker organ contained 48 speaking stops over three manuals, and is contained in four 'cases', 2 in the chancel and 2 in the transcepts, they speak directly out in the reverberant central lantern, making both the organ and the space sound much bigger than it is. The architects designed the look of the pipe layout, there are coloured pipes alternating blues and greys, the copper Imperial Trumpet and the much mitred (Coiled?) 32' Serpent. This shown in some of the pictures in the video, also with some older ones showing the original organ. The organ was enlarged in 2002 with 2 digital stops in the pedal, some additional pipework in each division and a new French-inspired Solo division. It now has four manuals and 60 speaking stops, and is IMHO one of our finest instruments.

Wolf-G Leidel was born in East germany and has worked for the Weimer National theatre and the Hochschule fur Musik Franz Liszt in Weimar. His compositions are influenced by both Scriabin and Messiaen, and the letter's music so moved him he converted to Catholicism. Toccata Delectatione (toccata for pleasure) was composed in three days in 1972 and combines Jazz, Rock & classical music.

Kevin Bowyer studied at the RAM and later with David Sanger and Christopher Bowers-Broadbent. He has won several prizes for organ and has made a speciality of recording 'impossible' organ works including the extraordinary Oeuvre of Sorabji, including his first Organ symphony which alone lasts 2 hours. If anyone does have the Sorabji recording he made on CD could they get in touch? He has also recorded the complete Bach for Nimbus Records.

This recording was made by Priory Records in 1986 and taken from PRCD 001 'A feast of organ exuberance'. It also features the criminally under-recorded works of Jean Berveiller and includes the majestic jazzy 'Riff-Raff' by Giles Swayne.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Kevin
• Bowyer
• Wolf-G
• Leidel
• Blackburn
• Cathedral
• Pipe
• Organ

[a55b47]

Next to the organs in the 2 Liverpool cathedrals, this is my favorite British instrument. I was under the impression that Ralph Downes had a hand in the development, which would sort of explain its attraction to me: Downes designed (I think) the superb organ at Liverpool Metropolitan. Lammas Records has (or, if you're British, have) made a series of recordings at Blackburn, featuring (primarily) David Briggs.

[JFSnail]

I have the Briggs Lammas CDs from Blackburn, wonderful stuff, might post the improv one day, not sure Downes had a hand in the Liverpool Met or Blackburn cathedral organs tho. Perhaps he inspired them?

[Rheinlander95]

Absolutely spellbinding. How does he do it? Must have a digital mind or something.

The organ is fantastic, pity they couldn't afford a case. The minimalist look is so, so, so Minimal!

Kevin, if you ever read this , I virtually shake your hand.

[EccentricRichard]

@a55b47 - good as it is, it's still no Father Willis (and neither are the two in Liverpool's cathedrals). As an English Cathedral organ, instruments like those at Durham and Lincoln make much more sense. Having said that, I must admit, this is a very fine concert instrument, probably wonderful for Messiaen. It's just a pity it's such a horrid eyesore.

[EccentricRichard]

Actually, given the chance, I'd tear down quite a bit of the Cathedral. That flying saucer on the side of the building would be the first thing in the skip, followed swiftly by that ghastly lantern thing. I'd also raise the clerestory and roof and insert a triforium - the cathedral looks very wide for its modest height. But yeah, a new tracker-action French organ at the West end, incorporating all of the existing pipework, and a new/redundant English Romantic organ in the Quire would be good.

[EccentricRichard]

What wonderful music and what a wonderful sound! However, I'm afraid to say that, given the chance to start with a clean sheet at Blackburn, I'd bin the Walker organ (except for the pipework) and build a new organ with proper casework at the West end and bring in a redundant Norman & Beard or Binns or Willis or somesuch as the 'Cathedral' organ in the Quire.

[gilesgilbertscot]

Downes did not have a hand in designing the Met organ. It was actually designed by a senior Priest o the staff of the cathedral whose name I cant remember! However I remember being told that the great Noel Rawsthorne then organist down Hope Street at Liverpool Cathedral had an unofficial hand in it as well!

[pjdonagh]

Your pride in your work on this instrument is justified by the truely magnificent result; one of the country's very best organs!!

[Contrubas]

I Love Coventry's organ!

[codeman2008]

I love this piece! I've never heard of him before, but now I'm going to have to look into the music of Mr. Leidel's music!

[jakeallinson]

I'd just like to plug the (re)builders of this fine Walker instrument; Wood of Huddersfield. I helped in the rebuilding of it in the summer of 2002. The mastery of David Wood's voicing, and the pipe maker (who's name escapes me) are perhaps one of the finest pairings of minds in UK organ building. I take great pride in knowing I played a part in rebuilding this organ. The tracker-like touch of the keyboards and the console as a whole is also something to be marvelled at.

[Reaper978]

This is a great work and a great performance.