St Bride’s Episcopal Church
The 1865 William Hill Organ
Second International Concert Series
Simon Harden – 11th July 2013
1) Praeludium und Fuga in h-moll BWV 544 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
2) Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele BWV 654
3) Deuxième Choral en si mineur César Franck (1822-1890)
4) Deux danses à Agni Yavishta Jehan Alain (1911-1940)
– Allegro
– Pas vite
5) Sonata Eroïca Joseph Jongen (1873-1953)
6) Riverdance Bill Whelan (b. 1950)
(Arranged for Organ by Andrew Johnstone)
Wine and cake will be served at the back of the church following the concert
Simon Harden was born in Dublin and has lived in Berlin, Hamburg and Paris. He began his studies in Trinity College Dublin reading Music and History of Art. At that time he began to learn the organ with Gerard Gillen and later with Peter Sweeney. Further studies at the Musikhochschulen in Berlin (Leo van Doeselaar) and Hamburg (Wolfgang Zerer) led to a first-class Diplom in performance in 2004. Two years studying french music in Paris (Eric Lebrun) gained him a ‘Premier Prix’ in 2006. On receiving a scholarship from the City of Hamburg, Simon returned to complete a post-graduate degree (Konzertexamen) in the organ soloist class (Wolfgang Zerer and Pieter van Dijk).
During this time Simon won 1st prize and audience prize at the ‘International Schnitger Organ Competition’ in Alkmaar, Holland 2007 and in October 2006 2nd prize at the Swiss International Organ Competition ‘Grand Prix Bach de Lausanne’. In December 2006 he was selected from all the instrumental students at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg to receive the DAAD prize for ‘outstanding performance and intercultural involvement’.
Simon has worked as Organist and ‘Kantor’ for several years in the large North German parish of St Jürgen in Gettorf. He is currently based in Frankfurt where he is Organist and Director of Music at the Anglican Church and pursues a busy career as a performer. Regular concert engagements have taken him to France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, Bulgaria, Belarus and Japan.
NEXT THURSDAY at 8pm – CELEBRITY RECITAL by THOMAS HEYWOOD (Melbourne) http://www.concertorgan.com
For information about more live organ music throughout the UK, please visit http://www.organrecitals.com
St Bride’s Episcopal Church is a charity registered in Scotland, No. SC012625.
Lanarkshire Organists 