Advent to Epiphany: The Frobenius Organ at Oundle School
Chapel
Arcangelo CORELLI (1653-1713) arr. Jan VERMULST (1925-94)
& Robert GOWER (?)
‘Christmas Concerto’ - Concerto Grosso in G, Op. 6 No.8 (1690?)
[14:08]
Jean TITELOUZE (1562/3-1633)
Magnificat Sexti Toni [10:14]
Dietrich BUXTEHUDE (1637-1707)
Chorale Fantasia on ‘Wie Schön leuchtet der Morgenstern’ [6:45]
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Chorale Prelude: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland BWV 659 [4:05]; Chorale Prelude:
Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland BWV 660 [2:50]; Chorale Prelude: Nun komm, der
Heiden Heiland BWV 661 [2:48]
Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911)
Introduction et Variations sur un Ancien Noël Polonais [4:03]
Flor PEETERS (1903-1986)
Heer Jezus heeft een hofken [7:11]
Gerhard KRAPF (1924-2008)
Veni, Emmanuel [1:40]
Helmut WALCHA (1907-1991)
Chorale Prelude on ‘Den die Hirten Lobten sehre’ [2:06]
Paul MANZ (1919-2009)
Wie schön leuchtet [2:33]
Mark BLATCHLY (b.1960)
Three Versets on ‘Away in a Manger’ (pub.1995) [5:39]
Garth EDMUNDSON (1892-1971)
Toccata-Prelude IV on ‘Vom Himmel hoch’ (1937) [4:28]
Alexander Eadon (organ)
Plainchant versets for Titelouze sung by Daisy Tebbutt
rec. The Frobenius Organ at Oundle School Chapel, 21-24 February 2015
PRIORY PRCD1164 [68:29]
This new CD from Priory features the fine Frobenius organ
in Oundle School Chapel. This is a ‘co-educational boarding and day
independent school’ in the historic market town of Oundle in Northamptonshire.
It was founded by the Worshipful Company of Grocers of the City
of London in 1556: they still support it.
The liner-notes suggest that in spite of the instrument’s justified
fame, there has been no commercial recording since 1985. This was ‘The
New Frobenius Organ at Oundle School’ with the organist James Parsons
(Priory PR168). It featured Bach, Maxwell Davies, Howells and Saint-Saëns.
The present CD celebrates the instrument’s 30th anniversary, in an attempt
to redress the balance.
The programme presents music appropriate to the Christmas season from Advent
to Epiphany and is designed to display the organ’s versatility: the
music ranges from the 15th to the 20th centuries.
The CD opens with the attractive Concerto Grosso, op.6, no.4 by Arcangelo
Corelli which is better known as the Christmas Concerto. It is believed to
have been composed for Christmas Eve 1690 for his new patron, the Duke of
Modena. Normally heard in its string and continuo version, this six movement
concerto transcribes extremely well for organ. The track-listings (but not
the liner-notes) for some reason show this work to have been composed by a
certain Alessandro Corelli (1660-1725). These dates actually suggest Alessandro
Scarlatti.
The haunting Magnificat Sexti Toni by the French composer Jean Titelouze is
accompanied by the chant of the canticle, beautifully sung by Daisy Tebbutt.
Clearly, this instrument is at its best playing Bach and Buxtehude. So the
latter composer’s Chorale Fantasia on ‘Wie Schön leuchtet der
Morgenstern’ is used to display the ‘Germanic flavour’ for
which the organ is justly famous. The variation structure of the work allows
for some very interesting registrations. Alexander Eadon then performs three
consecutive settings by Bach of the chorale prelude, ‘Nun komm, der
Heiden Heiland’. It is certainly stimulating to hear them played ‘back
to back’ in this manner.
Just to prove that romantic music can be effectively played on this instrument,
the recital includes Alexandre Guilmant’s ‘Introduction et Variations
sur un Ancien Noël Polonais’. It is not a work I warm to, and one feels
that Guilmant has not quite realised the intimate mood of the ‘Infant
Holy, Infant Lowly’ text in this somewhat loud and lively piece.
Flor Peeters’ ‘Heer Jezus heeft een hofken’ (King Jesus
hath a garden) is a lovely reflective little theme and variations. The theme
makes use of the romantic salicional and flute stops. The second variation
is wayward, with interesting use of polytonality and the finale is brash,
but satisfying. In contrast, the short ‘Veni, Emanuel’ by Gerhard
Krapf is written for manuals only and is surprisingly beguiling. Helmut Walcha,
the great Bach organist, contributes an attractively simple chorale prelude
on ‘Den die Hirten Lobten sehre’ (He whom the shepherds praised).
Paul Manz’s ‘Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern’ is a will-o’-the-wisp
piece that showcases the Rohr 8̍ flute on the Great and the pedal coupled
to the Positive 4̍ flute.
The most modern piece on this disc is Mark Blatchly’s Three Versets
on ‘Away in a Manger’ which was published in 1995. For some reason
this work is not mentioned in the liner-notes. However, the composer uses
imaginative harmonies and accompaniments to point up this well-loved carol.
The CD ends with Paul Edmundson’s Toccata-Prelude IV on ‘Vom Himmel
hoch’ which is the finale from his Christmas Suite no.2. This American
composer provides a great warhorse which I guess would sound impressive on
any instrument, large or small, baroque or romantic.
Strangely there is no history given about the organ builder or the organ:
a few words may be of interest to readers.
Th. Frobenius & Sons was founded in 1909 in Copenhagen, Denmark by Theodor
Frobenius (1885-1972). In 1925 the company moved to the suburb of Lyngby.
Joined by his two sons, he gained a reputation for building organs with mechanical
actions and slider windchests. They are regarded as epitomising neo-classical
design. Important instruments include Aarhus Cathedral in Denmark, as well
as The Queen’s College, Oxford, All Saints, Kingston upon Thames and
the Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh. The Oundle School organ was installed in
1984 and the inaugural concert given by the late Carlo Curley in January 1985.
The liner notes do give the all-important organ specification of
organ, which has three manuals and pedals: Great, Positive and Swell. The
instrument has tracker action for the keys and mechanical action for the stops.
One useful feature of the sleeve-notes are the details of the registration
used for each piece.
Alexander Eadon is currently Assistant Director of Music of Eastbourne College.
Between 2009 and 2015 he was Choirmaster at Oundle School. At present, Eadon
has a free-lance career, giving recitals in concert halls and organ lofts
across the world.
Altogether an enjoyable CD which succeeds in being both a seasonal and inclusive
exploration of one of the more interesting neo-classical organs in the country.
John France
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