Delphian have produced
a number of well presented recordings recently featuring Scottish
organs and Scottish based organists. This is perhaps their
most adventurous release to date, featuring the works of contemporary
composers, many of whom have links with Scotland or are indeed
Scottish. Perhaps the most striking thing about the music
though, is that, by and large, it is composed by non-organists.
Interesting then to hear a fresh approach to 'our' instruments
from musicians with perhaps fewer pre-conceived ideas and
notions.
I admire this recording
a lot. The formerly Edinburgh based organist, Michael Bonaventure
has picked an utterly uncompromising programme and performs
it with virtuosity and commitment. Perhaps the best known
piece is Judith Weir's marvellous miniature 'Ettrick Banks'.
Here I missed a little lightness in the approach; think of
John Scott's quicksilver reading in St Giles' Cathedral, also
in Edinburgh, for Priory. For me, this is also the most attractive
work on the disc. Elsewhere I enjoyed Avril Anderson's 'Repetitive
Strain', making use of minimal techniques, and even, after
repeated listening, Peter Nelson's offering, depicting a whale
stranded on a beach. Some astonishingly virtuosic pedal writing
here. That apart the music, mostly atonal, is an acquired
taste; not quite mine I should say, but others will enjoy
it more than I did, and Ian McQueen's excellent programme
notes do enhance the experience! Incidentally, I would find
it hard to believe that Eddie McGuire's Prelude doesn't take
at least some inspiration from Philippe Boesmans' much admired
organ work 'Fanfare II'. Written six years apart the works
begin and end almost identically and share other features.
The organ is an interesting
choice and, at the moment, flavour of the month in terms of
recent recordings. Essentially a Willis III of 1953, it incorporates
pipework and the eccentric layout of a Hope-Jones instrument
of 1897, as well as the Tuba and Swell reeds from the former
Willis III organ of St Giles' Cathedral. This rather strange
instrument sounds improbably impressive in the room, at least
partially due to the resonant acoustic. It strikes me as not
being the obvious organ in the city for the repertoire, surely
the 1992 Rieger now in St Giles' matches the aesthetic of
this repertoire better than any other? That said, Bonaventure
finds some extraordinary sounds and the result is undeniably
effective.
Congratulations to Delphian
on an innovative, daring and challenging release.
Chris Bragg
Michael
Bonaventure, organ
