The Cirencester International Organ Festival will take place from 18th – 25th April 2015. I am emailing you in the hope that you will kindly publicise this to your members.
This is the fourth organ festival to take place in the town organised by Cirencester Parish Church – home to a world-class organ – and the second year to feature an international programme.
The 2015 festival opens with a gala recital performed international composer, improviser and virtuoso organist Naji Hakim who is visiting the festival from Paris. One of the leading musicians of his generation, Dr Hakim has previously held posts as Organist at the Sacré-Coeur Basilica, before succeeding Olivier Messiaen at the church of La Trinité. Dr Hakim rarely performs in the UK and it is a significant privilege that he has chosen Cirencester as one of his rare UK concert locations.
On the Friday night of the festival Paris and the South West of England will combine for an exciting gala performance by Andrew Dewar. Currently organist of The American Cathedral in Paris, Andrew was born in Somerset before taking up posts in Wells and Bristol. Now an internally renowned recitalist Andrew has won audience prizes at competitions from Canada to St Albans.
The festival will close with Anthony Hammond’s innovative organ improvisation to the silent movie Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, on Saturday 25th April.
The week-long festival, starting on April 18th, includes five free week-day lunchtime recitals and three ticket-only performances.
Tickets are on sale now, available from the website www.cirencesterorganfestival.co.uk. Tickets are £12 each, or £30 for a passport ticket to all three performances. Tickets will go on sale at Cirencester Parish Church shop, at the end of the month. Many of the hotels in the area have provided discounts on B&B rates for festival attendees and details are available from cpcorganfestival@googlemail.com.
The festival flyer can be downloaded here. We can be followed/promoted online via Twitter on @cpcorgan.
The full programme is as follows:
Saturday 18th April, 7.30pm
Opening Gala Concert: Naji Hakim (Paris, France)
International organist, composer and improviser
Tickets: £12
Sunday 19th April, 10.00am – Festival Eucharist
Monday 20th April, 1.10pm – Peter King (Director of Music, Bath Abbey, UK), free entry, retiring collection
Tuesday 21st April, 1.10pm – Paul Rosoman (concert organist, Wellington, New Zealand), free entry, retiring collection
Wednesday 22nd April, 1.10pm – Paul Carr (concert organist, Birmingham, UK), free entry, retiring collection
Thursday 23rd April, 1.10pm – Jonathan Hope (Assistant Director of Music, Gloucester Cathedral, UK), free entry, retiring collection
Friday 24th April, 1.10pm – David Bednall (Sub-Organist, Bristol Cathedral, UK), free entry, retiring collection
Friday 24th April, 7.30pm
Gala Concert: Andrew Dewar (Organist of the American Cathedral, Paris, France)
Tickets: £12
Saturday 25th April, 7.30pm
Closing Gala Movie Concert: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (the classic 1920 adaptation starring John Barrymore)
with improvised organ accompaniment by Anthony Hammond (concert organist, Director of Music for the Parish of Cirencester)
Tickets: £12
Lanarkshire Organists 