This is a high quality CD from many points of view. The selected programme superbly balances the different compositional forms and organ sounds. Above all, it perfectly suits the sound character of Tickell and Tamburini organs.

The booklet is highly informative containing all the necessary notes for a CD of its kind. Terence Charlston’s notes for the performed programme are excellent and offer the listener a highly accurate commentary. The booklet also gives the organs’ stop-lists and the chosen registration, followed by the history of the Abbey and the organs.

The Tickell organ is a very nicely voiced instrument with Germanic features. Its sound spreads nicely within the big acoustic of the Abbey. The one-manual Tamburini organ is tuned to an unequal old Italian temperament and the result is an instrument with an ‘historic’ sound. Both of them, due to Charlston’s chosen registrations, offer the listener’s ears real enjoyment.

Terence Charlston has the ability to make the music come alive with a professional and sensitive musicality. His performances present convincingly the different elements that Bach applied to his compositions; from the South German and Italian characteristics of the Pastorella to the French style Fantasia in G major.

His playing is highly committed and spirited with superb rhythmical flexibility, colorful ornamentation and convincing articulation. His chosen registrations work effectively all way through, especially in the Prelude, Trio and Fugue in C major. They also produce some very nice echo effects as in Fantasia in G major. The articulation is so well handled that all the lines come across clearly in spite of acoustics that produce substantial reverberation. The use of the Pedalexercitium as an introduction to the Fantasia and Fugue in G minor is really effective. Above all, these performances are unique for the superb control of the rhythm, which leads to dramatic outbursts as in the Fugue of Toccata and Fugue in D minor or the Fantasia in G major.

This recording is of a highly musical quality. You need to buy it now!

Christina Antoniadou

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