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Friday 14 June
Bexley Association Celebrity Recital – Herman Jordaan at St John’s Sidcup
St John’s church, Sidcup Church Road
Sidcup DA14 6BX Friday 14th June 2024 7.30pm
Herman Jordaan (London)
TICKETS ON THE DOOR: Adult £10; BDOCA members £5; age 16 or under £1
Big screen presentation Drinks & Food and Chat with Herman after ❖
Herman Jordaan is an internationally distinguished organist, winner of the first prize at the Interpretation Competition at the prestigious St Albans International Organ Festival in the United Kingdom in 2003. He was also awarded first prizes at the Schnitger International Organ Competition, the International Organ Competition Nijmegen, and the Unisa National Organ Competition, and second prize at the Kotka International Organ Competition. Growing up in Pretoria, South Africa, he studied organ at the University of Pretoria with Wim Viljoen, and then continued his studies at the Conservatory of Amsterdam with Jacques van Oortmerssen and at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague with Jos van der Kooy. He is a prize-winning Fellow of the Royal College of Organists. He obtained the degree Doctor of Music (Performing Art) at the University of Pretoria in 2021.
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On the programme this evening are two works by composers from the performer’s native South Africa. Stefans Grové is widely considered one of South Africa’s most important composers. His large-scale organ works are all inspired by the indigenous music of Africa. Song of an Old Woman in her Hut at Dawn paints an evocative picture of nature: at the break of dawn, a gathering of birds make their calls, in counterpoint to the woman of the title’s pensive song, based on a ‘Xhosa woman’s song of a mourning nature’. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the electrifying Toccata for Madiba by Surendran Reddy, dedicated to President Nelson Mandela and incorporating elements of township jazz. The final section is based on part of the South African national anthem, Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika.
PROGRAMME
Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847)
Prelude & Fugue in C minor, Op. 37 No. 1
Stefans Grové (1922–2014)
Song of an Old Woman in her Hut at Dawn, from Afrika
Hymnus I
César Franck (1822–1890) Choral No. 1 in E major
Denis Bédard (b. 1950) Petite Rhapsodie
Alec Rowley (1892–1958) Toccata (Moto Perpetuo)
INTERVAL
Charles Tournemire (1870–1939) Triptyque, from L’Orgue Mystique 26
Louis Vierne (1870–1937)
Impromptu, from Piėces de Fantaisie (Suite No. 3, Op. 54)
Alec Rowley
Symphony No. 2 in F (1959)
I. [Andante – Allegro con moto] II. Chaconne
III. Finale
Surendran Reddy (1962–2010) Toccata for Madiba
Saturday 15 June 1pm
SSLSO Member’s Recital at Penge Congregational Church, SE20 7QG, part of the Penge Festival
Saturday 15 June 7.30pm
St Mary’s Ewell Recital with Jonathan Holmes
Northern Lights – Scandinavian Organ music inc. Oskar Lindberg Sonata in G minor and Nielsen “Commotio”
Sunday 16 June 7.45 p.m.
Christ’s Chapel, Dulwich – Claire Hobbs
Wednesday 19 June at 1.10 p.m.
St Michael’s Croydon – George Inscoe from Croydon Minster
Thursday 20th June at 7.30 p.m.
St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood – James Gough, Assistant Organist at Southwark Cathedral
Admission is free but we do request, please, you donate generously at the end of the recital in order that we can maintain these concerts, the church fabric and, above all, the organ which will be undergoing an extensive clean and refurbishment later this year, and excitingly, the addition of the 32’ Contra Bass.
James’ programme is:
Praeludium in G minor BuxWV 149 – Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707)
Trio Sonata No. 4 in E minor – J.S. Bach (1685-1750)
i. Adagio-vivace ii. Andante iii. un poco Allegro
Choral No. 2 in B Minor – César Franck (1822-1890)
A Song of Sunshine – Alfred Hollins (1865-1942)
Adoration – Florence Price (1887-1953)
Fantasia on Thaxted – David Bednall (b.1979)
James Gough is a highly sought-after recitalist and the Assistant Organist at Southwark Cathedral. He began his organ studies with Huw Tregelles Williams OBE before moving to Bristol where James read Music and continued his organ studies with Dr David Ponsford. In 2009 James completed a Master’s degree in Organ Performance at the Royal Academy of Music, where his principal organ teacher was Nicolas Kynaston. During his time at the Academy James completed the FRCO diploma, as well as the Licentiate diploma of the RAM, and was the recipient of several Academy prizes including the Eric Thiman Organ Prize. In recognition of his achievements he was selected to perform for the visit of Sir Elton John.
As a recitalist, James has played the complete works of J. S. Bach and Cesar Franck, and performed at some of the UK’s most prestigious venues including St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, The Temple Church and Bath Abbey. Further afield James has given several recitals in France, Germany, Denmark and Sweden, and recent performances have included visits to the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland, the Herforder Orgelsommer in Germany and the Dulwich Festival of Music in London. Forthcoming recitals are planned for Bern, Switzerland, and Osnabrück Dom, Germany, as well as several across the UK.
James recently recorded the Trio Sonatas of J. S. Bach at Clifton Cathedral, which will be released on the Naxos label in 2024. This project came about following a collaboration with Dame Gillian Weir in which Dame Gillian gave an extensive analysis of the works whilst James played the sonatas as part of an event for the Clifton International Festival of Music.
James is very passionate about contemporary music and has given premieres of works by Piet Kee, Diana Burrell and David Bednall to great acclaim.
He has held positions at St Martin-in-the-Fields, St Bride’s, Fleet Street and St Matthew’s, Westminster, and spent a year covering the Assistant Organist role at Wells Cathedral. Alongside a busy performance career, James teaches the organ at the Royal College of Music Junior Department and at Westminster School.
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Our organ concert series continues with
Thursday 18th July at 7.30pm Richard Pinel, Director of Music, St Mary’s, Bourne Street, London
Thursday 22nd August at 7.30pm Florence Rousseau, Kergonan Abbey, France
Sunday 23 June at 7 p.m.
Organ Recital at St Mary’s Chislehurst
Friday 28 June at 1.10pm
Croydon Minster – Barnaby Silverstone, student at Royal College of Music & Organ Scholar at St Mary’s Barnes.
Works by JS Bach, Dan Locklair, Alfred Hollins, David Bednall, Sigfrid Karg-Elert & Cesar Franck
Friday 28 June at 6 p.m.
Royal Festival Hall, Organ at 70: Ourania Gassiou & Eleni Keventsidou
Thursday 4th July at 1 p.m.
Recital by Jonathan Holmes at All Saints Hove
Thursday 18th July at 7.30 p.m.
St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood – Richard Pinel, Director of Music, St Mary’s, Bourne Street, London
Saturday 16th November 2024, at 7.30pm.
Olivier Latry Recital at St Mildred’s, Addiscombe
Further details and tickets from https://www.stmildredsorganproject.com/
Thursday 22nd August at 7.30 p.m.
St John the Evangelist, Upper Norwood – Florence Rousseau, Kergonan Abbey, France
See also the following websites: