Langlais,Wesley, JS Bach and others : David Bednall (Organ) St. Andrew’s Church , Wiveliscombe, Somerset: 26.7. 2008 (AB)


David Bednall, composer and currently Sub Organist at Bristol Cathedral,  came to the small Somerset town of Wiveliscombe to play this year’s well-planned recital on the lovely (restored) organ in the large, light, airy and beautiful church of St. Andrew’s.  He arrived an hour late, due to the massive traffic jams on the motorway, but, unfazed, sat down and played a simply superb recital.

The recital opened with Incantation pour un jour Saint by Jean Langlais – with its huge sound, drama and commanding opening chords.   Played with lots of “colour” in the use of the organ’s repertoire of pipes – this was a recital opener to get the full attention of the audience – or of a church service congregation – and was played with great panache. It was followed by Wesley’s Air for Holsworthy Church Bells – a complete contrast to the Langlais – being delicate and almost deceptively pretty. This piece would be something a “village organist” could tackle and enjoy playing and showed another aspect of David Bednall’s interpretative skills.

All of these came to the fore, combined with monumental technique, for the J S Bach Prelude and Fugue in B Minor BWV 544.  The audience were just able to sit back and enjoy Bednall’s performance, which was rather like a powerful Cadillac  cruising along a major musical freeway – with the organ’s resouces used to full capacity  by the intellectual, technical  and musical interpretative skills of the artist.Twelve minutes of “classic” Bach,  superbly played.

Another complete  style contrast brought us  to Vierne’s Triptyque.   Over to French organ music, bell-like – heralding Messaien and Debussy.  Swathes of tone colours swept through the church and the third movement Stèle pour an enfant défunt really did express agony and desolation. Two works by English composers completed the recital's first half:  John Ireland’s Alla Marcia and Villanella and Kenneth Leighton’s Rockingham. Englishness was the only similarity between the two, but these pieces further demonstrated Bednall’s virtuosity, flair and brilliance in interpreting these dramatic and – yes – entertaining pieces.   

The organists' old chestnut Howells' Paean launched the second half of the recital – like some great liner steaming through the ocean – with much verve and style because the Wiveliscombe organ could fill a great cathedral with its big sound. A complete change of mood  to Messiaen’s Prière du Christ montant vers son Père with its impressionistic, more minimalist and very French style.  Bednall certainly showed his virtuosity  in these two totally different works as he did again with the next piece Guilmant’s Marche Funèbre et Chant Séraphique with its sombre mood. This had such massive volume that  one felt the church floorboards vibrating under one’s feet.  Another contast of style and volume followed, with American composer Gordon Balch Nevin’s Will ‘O’ The Wisp using a light, delicate set of pipes before the recital ended with an arrangement of Sibelius’ Finlandia, a grand and dramatic ending to the concert.

David Bednall, is a young (29 according to the programme notes) musical, talented and professional organist and a consummate recitalist. He put together a programme with plenty of variety – both in the range of composers and type of music – played with both intelligence and excitement, making  full use of the Wiveliscombe organ, which he described as a very good instrument.  It is a shame perhaps,  that due to the recital falling on the first school holiday weekend of the summer, the church was by no means full.  The committee at St. Andrew’s, Wiveliscombe, arrange  an organ recital every summer and this one and the one last year given by Philip Scriven, were both of the highest order. To be able to hear recitals of this standard in a rural parish church  is a marvellous experience. I urge more people to take advantage of such rare opportunities.

Angela Boyd

Angela Boyd is a freelance writer based in South West England.


Back to Top                                                    Cumulative Index Page