I am only just old enough to remember when "God Save the Queen" was considered [sort of, partly] the national anthem of Australia. This brings back memories! Beautifully played.
Thank you for including Hyfrydol. This was the first hymn i ever played in a service; days before my 10th birthday in the school chapel on the music teacher's day off. It has remained a firm favourite of mine ever since. I am now 60...
I remember the first time I sung with my choir at Southwark, that it was quite a surprise that the choir organ was directly behind us! It was a lovely feeling of actually being one with the organ. I used to smile inwardly as when the noise of us and the organ made that glorious brass chandelier sway!!!
Richard your skilful handling of all the keys, remind me of my late brother Rev Pathak, who played our magnificent organ in St Mary's church, Pune 🎹👌🙏🎼
Thank you for championing these great hymns. Nothing stirs my soul like a great classic hymn. I’ve started playing the piano at a local Methodist church so I could have an excuse to play hymns. Hyfrodol is my all time favorite. And every church should have a resident cat.
Hi Richard, tonight is January 7 here in the Colonies. I have been listening to your favorite organ at Southwark Cathedral. Being that I follow all your recordings AND that my dear Grandmother was a concert organist and I grew up at her feet listening to her rehearse. What a gift of music she provided me for a lifetime. Southwark is a really glorious instrument. Thanks be to GOD for your ongoing gifts of this music to us. William Culpepper , Culpepper, Virginia 2024
A number of years ago a good friend of mine was the head verger at Southwick Cathedral. Often when I came up to London for a few days I would stay with him. As such I was able to listen to the rich tones from the organ. It was marvelous.
Thanks Richard, It has been a real pleasure since I discovered you and joined BIS earlier this year. I hope 2024 is another good year for you and your family, including the cats. Merv
Hello Richard. Greetings from Christchurch New Zealand. Thank you for this fine selection of traditional hymns, and the excellent registrations and demonstration of Southwark organ. It is truly a lesson in hymn playing and can imagine the impact of playing for a full Cathedral. Sadly we have not been able to use our lovely HNB organ since the 2011 earthquake which rendered our Cathedral off limits for another few years rebuilding.
Mr. McVeigh, THANK YOU for your stunning channel of incredibly fine music and ultra superb playing, thank you again for your brilliant musicianship. As an amateur organist, I greatly appreciate what you're doing for the organ world by putting forth very magnificent videos exposing our beloved instrument to boundless many around the world. BRAVO!!
What a magnificent way to end the year 2023. Thank you Richard for playing on this Great Organ these wonderful hymns. Have a Happy, Healthy and Blessed 2024!
Your registrations for soft and midrange phrases are PERFECTION. Excellent show of the flute and string stops. When you build to the couplers and louder registrations, however, you’re coupling and mutating the deeper reed stops too much, and all the regalia is lost. Hymns are meant to be sing alongs, so I would build a bit more slowly off the flute and string stops and transition firmly into the reeds and diapasons as a finale. You can still show virtuosity and color without going back and forth in the louder stops. Such a great instrument and a talented performer!
I tend to agree with the last comment regarding the volume and use of reeds. I was always advised that accompanying the liturgy and hymn singing on a large organ should be done with discretion in order not to use too much or too little organ.
What a beautiful rendition of wonderful hymns. What a privilege to play a beautiful instrument and provide us with the pleasure of listening to you play it. Happy New Year, keep playing! 🎉
What a wonderful way to end 2023 and welcome 2024! Thank you Richard and Caroline for all the beautiful music this year. Many blessings and good health to you both and your lovely children. Happy New Year!
Here are the words to the final verse of Abide With Me: Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes; Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies; Heaven's morning breaks, and Earth's vain shadows flee; In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.
Hyfrydol is always spectacular. But Sine Nomine, oh! My goodness. I grew up in a historic, small Methodist Church in a small farming community. The church had a cornerstone from the late 1800's. I studied piano and began playing hymns for worship services as a teenager. Then I taught myself to play the Hammond organ. When I left for the university, my sister stepped right up, and easily exceeded my ability. I did get to practice on the pipe organ at the Methodist Church I attended while at the university. That little church at Nestor is still there--with a different organ, and parishioners of many more diverse names and languages, but still singing beautifully. May God bless each one!
Southwark is the only London Cathedral I have never been to a service at. I have never heard the organ live either. My current London favourite is Westminster RC but this could change if this organ is as beautiful in the flesh as recorded.
This was the one cathedral I got to visit on my brief and unplanned stop in London back in December 2018. Some friends of mine got married in this cathedral and told me to check it out. Only 1 pound "photography fee", which is more reasonable than some other cathedrals.
11:14 It's most appropriate that you should play this hymn - it's one that many will associate with Mr Bean! (The theme tune to Mr Bean was sung by the choir of Southwark Cathedral.)
Is Southwark committed to Hawpwerk yet? If so, could we do a Sunday event on it soon? Rotterdam first as I need a fix, but I’d enjoy a Southwark evening as well soon.
Please give us just a little teaser about the organs. I'm looking at the Southwark organ and I see accessories which are not your standard Willis, or H&H,or HNB. What woud be really nice is a LINK to the churches' own «ORGAN» page. That way we could satisfy our curiousity to whatever depth we want. At least, however, the builder and date.
I love the hymns. I wonder why you play at such a slow pace as it drags for me. I would think if you went from 60 to 65 or even 70 beats per minute, it would make a huge difference in the liveliness of your music.
If I played at that pace, our congregation would leave me well behind. Having said that, depending on the particular hymn or liturgical season, some hymns required to be played with dignity and reverence and certainly shouldn’t be hurried.
