A refreshingly large audience of some 60 enthusiasts turned out in particularly bad weather to hear our local young organist and ex George Abbot pupil Jonathan Hope on Friday 13 September.

In a programme of music by J.S. Bach, Saint-Saëns, Brahms and Louis Vierne, we could hear, as well as read from his C.V., the tremendous progress made since his last appearance at the United Reformed Church six years ago.

He is proving to be a powerful and inspired player, as was made apparent in the rendering of Bach`s well known G minor Fantasia and Fugue, followed by the same composer`s charming arrangement of Johann Fasch`s C Minor Trio written originally for two violins and continuo.

Saint-Saen`s Adagio from his third Symphonie Op 78 and a very satisfactory arrangement for organ by Jonathan himself of Brahm`s Academic Festival Overture led up to the interval.

Suitably refreshed after coffee the remainder of the evening was devoted to an impressive performance of Louis Vierne`s five movement 3rd Symphonie, each section of which being different in character but individually musically satisfying. A truly inspirational encore resulting in tumultuous applause, for the finale of Vierne`s First Symphonie, concluded the return visit of this very gifted young artiste to his home town.

P.B.

Jonathan Hope

Jonathan Hope is quickly gaining a reputation at home and abroad as one of the most dynamic young performers of his generation.

Born in 1988, he studied initially with Stephen Lacey, John Belcher and David Sanger, before studying at the Royal College of Music, London (RCM) with Margaret Phillips (repertoire) and Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer Choplin (improvisation). While at the RCM, Jonathan participated in masterclasses with Pieter van Dijk, Gordon Stewart, Jacques van Oortmerrsen and Dame Gillian Weir.

Increasingly in demand as a recitalist, Jonathan’s recital career to date has taken him throughout the UK, as well as France, Germany, Italy, the USA and Australia. Recently, he has performed solo recitals at Canterbury Cathedral, Westminster Cathedral, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Saint-Sulpice, Paris. In July 2010, Jonathan undertook a recital tour of Sydney and Melbourne, Australia.

Jonathan is currently Organ Scholar of Winchester Cathedral, where he works with the world-famous choir, plays the cathedral’s mighty Willis/Harrison organ for the daily services, is responsible for training the chorister probationers, and is accompanist to the cathedral’s two voluntary choirs.

Jonathan was Organ Scholar of Southwark Cathedral from 2010 to 2012, where his duties involved accompanying and directing the cathedral choirs in the daily services, and serving as Acting Sub-Organist & Director of the Girls’ Choir in his final term. Whilst at Southwark, Jonathan played for prestigious occasions such as the funeral and subsequent memorial service of the former Dean of Southwark, the installation of the new Dean, the enthronement of the Bishop of Southwark, and in frequent BBC broadcasts of the choir. During Jonathan’s time there the cathedral choirs toured Northern Ireland and France. In November 2011 Jonathan took part in the launch of Choirbook for the Queen at Southwark, in honour of HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. He also appears as an accompanist on the cathedral boys’ choir’s newly released recording on the Regent label “A Year at Southwark” (REGCD376) and as the main accompanist on the cathedral girls’ choir’s debut solo CD “Awake my Soul”, also by Regent (REGCD387), of works by Parry, Vaughan Williams, Judith Bingham and others. Prior to Southwark, Jonathan was Organist and Director of Music at John Keble Church, Mill Hill, in London’s northern suburbs.

As an ensemble and continuo player, Jonathan has collaborated with Simon Carrington, Diego Masson, Jeffrey Stewart and Roderick Earle, as well as regular performances with his partner, the Italian-Australian soprano Allegra Giagu (http://www.allegragiagu.com/). He has appeared with the RCM Baroque and Symphony Orchestras, the London International Orchestra of Academia, the Charities Philharmonia, the Uxbridge Choral Society, the Colchester Chamber Choir and the London Mozart Players. He has appeared at St. John’s, Smith Square and in the Queen Elizabeth Hall (Southbank Centre, London) where he played in Karlheinz Stockhausen’s Trans, as part of ‘KLANG’, a festival to mark the 80th birthday of the composer. As an accompanist, he has broadcast live on both BBC Radio 3 and 4, and as a conductor on RUV Radio (Iceland).

Jonathan is an instrumental tutor at the City of London School for Boys, is accompanist to the Wherwell Singers, and teaches organ for the University of Winchester.

He can be found on YouTube and on his SoundCloud profile where there are frequently updated recordings and videos. Jonathan’s personal website is at www.jonathanhope.webs.com.

More organ recitals by Jonathan Hope on the organrecitals.com website.