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Friday 8 June 2012

7:30 pm • £8

David Price

Organist and Master of Choristers of Portsmouth Cathedral

Buxtehude, Couperin, Duruflé, Byrd, Purcell & Fletcher

David Price
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Programme:

Buxtehude

Prelude and Fugue in G Minor

Couperin

Messe pour les Couvents

Duruflé

Variations sur le Veni Creator

Byrd

Fantasia

Purcell

Minuet and Trumpet Tune

Fletcher

Festival Toccata

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Review

The recital on 8th June given by the Organist and Master of Choristers of Portsmouth Cathedral, Dr. David Price, proved to make for a very enjoyable evening.

An extensive programme, split, with the exception of the first item, between French and English writers, commenced with Diderik Buxtehude's "Prelude and Fugue in G minor", and from the outset the registrations chosen provided a very rounded and smooth sound emanating from the pen of the master whom J.S.Bach is said to have walked 200 miles to hear when he himself was 20 and Buxtehude was within two years of his death.

Compositions by the French composers Couperin and Cesar Franck followed with the former's "Messe pour les Couvents" written in five parts and the latter's "Prelude, Fugue and Variation", a beautiful and well-known work. To end the first half we heard the "Variations sur le Veni Creator" - Come Holy Spirit - by Maurice Durufle - a plainsong with four variations.

Switching after the interval to English compositions, we heard the fourteenth century William Byrd and then Purcell, Handel, Elgar, Finzi and lastly Percy Fletcher. This latter was a theatre organist whose rousing "Festival Toccata" concluded the evening, but not before David had played Henry Purcell's younger brother Daniel's "Minuet and Trumpet Tune", William Byrd's "Fantasia" and Movements from the Royal Fireworks Suite by Handel no doubt in homage to our Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Elgar was represented by two popular items - "Chanson de nuit" and "Chanson de matin" - after which Gerald Finzi's "Intrada" preceded the final work.

This was a fine recital by a greatly respected and engaging musician who gave interesting and amusing insights into the music he was about to play which always goes a long way towards making an enjoyable and memorable evening.

PB

Biography:

David Price

Dr David Price is Organist and Master of the Choristers at Portsmouth Cathedral. Before going to Portsmouth he was Assistant Organist of Ely Cathedral having previously held Organ Scholarships at Rochester Cathedral and Croydon Minster.

During his time at Ely he toured Germany, Belgium, Holland, Poland and the Czech Republic with the Cathedral Choir. The choir's John Amner recording for Hyperion was critically acclaimed and Editor's Choir in 'The Gramophone' music magazine.

Since he has been at Portsmouth the profile of the cathedral's music has been raised to new heights through twelve international tours, recordings and regular work for BBC and ITV. He has been pleased to lead vocal training sessions for other choirs and has recently worked in this capacity for the Diocese of Berlin and with the choir of Pembroke College, Oxford.

Portsmouth Cathedral Team

More recitals by David Price on the organrecitals.com website