A Celebration of the Life of David Sanger 17 April 1947 28 May 2010 Saturday 5 March 2011 at 2pm Great St Mary's, the University Church, Cambridge
Davidʼs family and friends welcome you to this celebration of his life. We are delighted that so many distinguished musicians will be performing and look forward to welcoming you to the reception which follows at Selwyn College. Choir directed by Tim Brown (formerly Director of Music, Clare College, Cambridge) Organists: Richard Beckford (Associate Professor and Director of Choirs, South Carolina State University) and Ian Tindale (Organ Scholar, Selwyn College, Cambridge) O filii et filiae Old French Melody arr. David Sanger For today s event, many of David s friends, family, colleagues and students have come together to sing two of his choral pieces. Some of the singers are experienced, professional-standard performers and others have not sung for the best part of twenty years! The first piece was written for Easter Day at Westminster Cathedral and is scored for two organs, choir and congregation. Since we have all of those resources available today, we thought we would make use of them! The audience is invited to join in as directed. O sons and daughters, let us sing! The King of Heaven, the glorious King, O er death today rose triumphing. Programme Refrain (after each verse, all join in): Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! When Thomas afterwards had heard That Jesus had fulfilled his word, He doubted if it were the Lord. On this most holy day of days, To God your hearts and voices raise In laud and jubilee and praise. That Easter morn, at break of day, The faithful women went their way To seek the tomb where Jesus lay. An angel bade their sorrow flee, For thus he spake unto the three: Your Lord is gone to Galilee. That night th apostles met in fear; Amidst them came their Lord most dear, And said, My peace be on all here. My piercèd side, O Thomas, see; My hands, My feet, I show to thee; Not faithless but believing be. No longer Thomas then denied; He saw the feet, the hands, the side; Thou art my Lord and God, he cried. How blest are they who have not seen, And yet whose faith has constant been; For they eternal life shall win. ALL: And we with holy church unite, As evermore is just and right, In glory to the King of Light. Choir only: Alleluia! Timothy Byram-Wigfield (Director of Music, St George s Chapel, Windsor Castle) Prelude and Fugue in A minor BWV 543 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) I first had lessons with David when arriving as a very young and naïve organ scholar of Christ Church, Oxford in 1982. David was consistently warm-hearted, encouraging, and patient in equal measure! and these qualities have since formed the basis of my approach to all my pupils. I continued to receive lessons from him as Sub Organist of Winchester Cathedral, during which time we were delighted and proud to welcome him to give the Celebrity recital for the Southern Cathedrals Festival. The natural warmth of his character encouraged a long friendship, lasting through my appointments in Edinburgh and in Cambridge. I have chosen the Bach A minor not only to reflect the innate scholarship and technique which David brought to his teaching of baroque music, but also as a fine musical example of maturity, flair, and nobility, which were the very qualities of his own playing. Tim Byram-Wigfield Clive Driskill-Smith (Sub-Organist, Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford) Roulade Seth Bingham (1882-1972) I studied with David for ten years (1996-2006) while Organ Scholar and then Sub-Organist at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. I first heard David play Bingham's Roulade as an encore at his Royal Festival Hall recital in 2003. When he next came to Oxford I remember we talked about Roulade over a pint and agreed that it is a charming piece which works well as a light interlude in between larger works in a concert programme. David played it in many recitals over the last six years, including his last performance at Glenalmond School Chapel on 22nd April 2010, and I chose to play Roulade today because it reflects David's sense of fun and the twinkle in his eye. He used to introduce it by saying "You have probably all eaten a roulade, but have you ever heard a musical one?!" Clive Driskill-Smith Hans Fagius (Professor of Organ, Royal Danish Academy of Music) Passacaglia David Sanger (written for Hans s 50th birthday) I met David for the first time in 1972 at an organ competition in Leipzig where we both were candidates, and we spent quite a lot of time together there. Then we lost contact for some years until I was asked from Norway if I could arrange some concerts for David in Sweden. That was, I think 1978, and after that David was my best friend in the organ world. I am sure I have helped him with 50 concerts in Sweden and I have been to England many times because of his help. He was a dear friend of my family and he was our guest many, many times. We spent quite a lot of time playing organ duets, made a CD together and played many duet concerts around Europe over several years. I feel that we had a unique friendship despite living so far from each other. I think we both very much looked forward to the occasions when we could meet in Sweden, England or elsewhere when we both played in the same festival or were member of the same competition jury. It was an incredibly moving surprise when, just in time for my 50th birthday, I received an envelope from David containing an organ piece written as a birthday present. The Passacaglia is more harmonically advanced than David s other organ works, and there is a clear tribute to Bach in the structure. However, you can also hear influences of Frank Martin s famous Passacaglia, one of David s favourites. 2
In the theme, eight bars long, all 12 chromatic notes are included, and it is repeated 14 times in the piece (14 is the number created by the letters B+A+C+H, where A=1, B=2, etc.). After we have heard the theme six times there comes a section with three variations where the passacagliatheme is combined with a new second theme and a theme based on the notes in Bach s name (in German, B means B-flat and H means B-natural), creating a three-part counterpoint where the themes change places. In the last section the BACH-theme is again combined with the passacagliatheme, but now as a part of a massive structure with double pedal. I remember that David proudly told me about the complicated structure of the piece, something that had caused him considerable work! Hans Fagius Hans Fagius and Stephen Farr 1st movement from Duet for Organ Samuel Wesley (1766-1837) The practice of playing the organ four-handed seems to us a mere curiosity but was a widely accepted phenomenon at the end of the 18th century and in the first half of the 19th century. In some countries the pedal was insufficient for playing, for example, the music of JS Bach, a problem which was solved by playing four-handed. In England, the pre-requisites for playing the European repertoire with pedal were extremely limited since English organs generally lacked a pedalboard well into the 19th century. The leading organist in England at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries was Samuel Wesley, who was significant as a composer and an enthusiastic advocate of JS Bach s music. The Duet in C, sometimes called Grand Duet, dated 24 May 1812 was written to be played by Wesley together with Vincent Novello. It is conceived on a large scale in a typically Wesleyan mixture of Classical, early Romantic and conservative Baroque styles. David often performed duets with, among others, John Scott, Stephen Farr and Hans Fagius, with whom he released a duet recording in 1985 to wide critical acclaim. The recording was made at Österhaninge Church in Sweden, which featured a rather creaky organ bench. This nearly ruined a number of takes as Hans and David tried as hard as they could to suppress their laughter John Scott (Director of Music, St Thomas, Fifth Avenue, New York City) Adagio in E Frank Bridge (1879-1941) I have many happy memories of David playing some duet concerts together; examining at the RCO; as Chair of the Organ Department at the RAM; teaching together in Cambridge as part of the Oundle course and staying with him in Cumbria. In all of this, he was the most genial, entertaining and engaging colleague. The last time I saw him was when he came to stay with me in New York, just as the final proofs for his Vierne edition had been sent to the printer. In passing, I made a comment about having read something about a missing bar in the Adagio of Symphonie VI. As meticulous as ever, he was immediately on the trail and sent faxes to Jon Laukvik and Carus, the publishers. This chance conversation led to the anomaly being acknowledged in the final print and David s endless fascination with the correctness and completeness of the score was satisfied! Although David specifically asked us not to mourn his untimely passing, it seems appropriate to offer something to honour his memory which encompasses a mood of nostalgic reflection. The Bridge Adagio fulfils this, without being unduly elegiac, I hope. The work begins with a whisper the main theme presented in the tenor register (Bridge was an accomplished viola player). This haunting melodic figure winds its way through the other voices as they enter, with string-like subtlety and enigmatic harmonic direction. A new paragraph heralds a slow crescendo to a glorious emotional climax, out of which tranquillity is gradually restored. The work ends, as it began, in an atmosphere of wistful and contemplative stillness, enhanced by the unexpected final cadence. Stephen Farr (Director of Music, Worcester College, Oxford and St Paul s Church, Knightsbridge) Deuxième Fantaisie Jehan Alain (1911-40) John Scott One of David's great gifts as a teacher was knowing exactly when to present his students with repertoire that would engage and enthuse them. For me, the crucial moment came in 1980 with the loan of a battered copy of Jehan Alain's 'Trois Pieces', a gesture which sparked an abiding love of the composer: so it's a privilege to play one of Alain's works today - one with which David himself had a particular affinity. The link between David and Marie-Claire Alain, of course, needs no further comment. Alain's 'Deuxieme Fantaisie' was premiered by the composer in the Basilique Saint-Ferjean in 1936 and is now among his most frequently performed works. Alain's individual harmonic language and characteristically imaginative use of sonority are clearly evident, and his longstanding interest in the music of the Orient finds notable expression in the sinuous melody heard (on the Cromorne) in the second section of the work. The work is performed today in the version transmitted in the edition of 1943, and incorporates some minor modifications of harmony and rhythm taken from the autograph MS. Stephen Farr Philip Rushforth (Director of Music, Chester Cathedral) Marche Européenne David Sanger Two Chorale Preludes Johann Christoph Oley (1738-98) o Wenn meine Sünd mich kränken (If my sins trouble me) o Wie schön leucht der Morgenstern (How brightly shines the morning star) I remember meeting David at a recital he gave at Chester Cathedral in the early 1980s when I was a chorister. Having started learning the organ with Roger Fisher, a few years later I was put into a masterclass that David gave at the Wesley Church in Chester, which contains a fine threemanual JJ Binns. I played the first movement of the Elgar Sonata in G to him and he gave instruction as to how best manage the large intermanual stretches. David was the first person I considered for lessons when I became organ scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge. He seemed to have the monopoly of students in Oxbridge and I looked forward to my lessons every three weeks with him. I was always his first student the morning after we had drunk a few pints of Abbot Ale in the Champion of the Thames, and I remember many evenings spent listening to music in my rooms with him and the likes of Rupert Jeffcoat and David Woodcock until the early hours. David always sent me copies of his compositions, and I felt compelled to programme his Marche Européenne today. I played it on 19 May last year in Lake Como, Italy, just nine days before he died. I texted him to say I was playing it and he replied straight away with a typically appreciative response. In my time as Assistant Organist of Southwell Minster, a conference was arranged in Edinburgh which included a class with David exploring unusual repertoire for the liturgical year. I volunteered to play and he said that I should learn a few chorale preludes by Johann Christoph Oley, two of which I have chosen for today s concert. They are delightful pieces and David liked original and humorous music. Wie schön reminds me of his cheeky sense of humour and infectious giggle, usually coupled to a critical but encouraging remark made about my playing! Philip Rushforth 3
David Goode (Organist, Eton College) 1st Movement from Sonata No 2 Max Reger (1873-1916) I met David when I went up to Cambridge as Organ Scholar at King s in 1991, and he became my organ teacher for the next 4 years. For a gifted but slightly headstrong student he was the perfect teacher: patient, highly informed, good fun and just firm enough (usually with a well-chosen word or two). I was already heavily into Reger and considered that I was quite flash to be doing the Second Sonata. However, there were quite a lot of rough edges, and the way he dealt with this was: Do you know, I just heard Hans Fagius perform this sonata. He did all the registrations himself, and I don t think there was a single wrong note in it. Makes you think doesn t it? It did. Moreover his approach to Reger playing, in particular making coherent sense of its architecture, (and bothering to play every note properly if one can), has profoundly influenced my own, for which I m most grateful. After I left Cambridge he was always available with a helpful reply to a query, or a copy of an edition. He will be much missed. David Goode Jon Laukvik (Professor at the University of Music and Interpretative Art, Stuttgart and professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music (Norges musikkhøgskole), Oslo Two Chorale Preludes Johannes Brahms (1833-97) o O Welt, ich muss dich lassen (O world, I must leave you) o O Gott, du frommer Gott (O God, you righteous God) Johannes Brahms s Chorale Preludes are his last compositions (1896). It seems very likely that the death of his beloved Clara Schumann in May 1896, along with the loss of other close friends and the feeling of his own death approaching, was the most important reason for writing these pieces. The texts of the chorales Brahms used deal mainly with death and eternity. A couple of the preludes (like Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele ) were probably written at an earlier stage. Brahms s main musical inspiration seems to have been Bach s Orgelbüchlein. The Seufzer (sighing) motifs in O Welt, ich muss dich lassen shows this quite clearly. The opening motif of O Gott, du frommer Gott consists of the first four notes of the choral melody. This procedure of constructing a theme is also typical of Bach s working process. I first met David in the 1970s in Bergen, Norway, where we both played and taught Norwegian organists during the Church Music Festival there, arranged for several years by Dag Fluge. We later worked together in competition juries and met at festivals and also in my house in Stuttgart. We got really close working at the edition of the complete organ works of Louis Vierne, which was published by the Carus company in early 2008. David was a wonderful co-editor, exact, intelligent and experienced. The Vierne edition would not have been possible without his comprehensive help. Our last common work was on the English version of the second volume of my tutor on organ performance ( The Romantic Period ). Here David made the language flow so beautifully. Once again he showed his friendship through reading through the text more than one time. I am very happy he saw the book before he passed away. May he rest in eternal peace. Kevin Bowyer (Organist to the University of Glasgow) Choral from Symphony No2 Louis Vierne (1870-1937) Jon Laukvik David's recording of Vierne's Second Symphony was the first of his LPs to come my way. It made such a profound impression on me that I determined straight away to seek him out as a teacher as soon as I could. His playing was so fresh and full of joy. The Choral moved me particularly. Kevin Bowyer Choir directed by Sarah MacDonald (Director of Music, Selwyn College, Cambridge) Organist: Richard Beckford (Associate Professor and Director of Choirs, South Carolina State University) Go forth into the world in peace David Sanger To conclude, a piece written for Ray Trickey, a friend of David s for over forty years and Assistant Choirmaster when David was Organist of St Laurence Church, Catford. Ray died in September and so it is particularly fitting that we perform this piece today. Go forth into the world in peace; be of good courage; hold fast that which is good; render to no man evil for evil; strengthen the fainthearted; support the weak; help the afflicted; honour all men; love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit. And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be upon you, and remain with you for ever. Amen. Please make your way straight away to Selwyn College for the reception. Directions can be found on the back of this programme. We have the use of the Hall at Selwyn until 5.30pm, after which we will move into the smaller New Senior Combination Room, which adjoins the Hall. As there have been some costs incurred in providing drinks and cake for the reception there will be some baskets for donations at Selwyn. 4
Donations A retiring collection will be taken at Great St Maryʼs in aid of two of the charitable aims of the Royal College of Organists: this will help fund organ training for young organists, and enable the RCOʼs archivists to catalogue the collection of books, music and files that David bequeathed to them. Please put any donation (cash or cheque made payable to The Royal College of Organists ) in the enclosed envelope. If you are a UK taxpayer, please fill in your details on the envelope so that the College can claim back your tax. If you are not a UK taxpayer, please leave it blank or unsigned. The amount raised will be publicised on Davidʼs website, www.davidsanger.co.uk. Bach Recording Shortly before he died, David recorded three more discs of Bachʼs organ music, at Bodin Church in Norway, with the Norwegian record label Euridice. The set of three discs is being launched here today, by the producer Bjørn Andor Drage (himself an organist and composer), and will be on sale at the reception at the special introductory price of 20. Our friend David As we all are well aware, David was a musician of the most exceptional ability and a teacher of the highest calibre. Many have recounted how his performances have had a profound effect on them and that his approach to teaching transformed their playing and gave them huge insight into the organ and its music. He was also an extraordinary friend to many people. He had an ability to help and encourage people, not only in musical terms but in whatever they sought to achieve. As organist and choirmaster at St Laurence, Catford, through his teaching at Oxford, Cambridge and other places, through his trips to perform and advise in this country and abroad, and through socialising in the local area around the Chapel in Embleton, he became great friends with countless people. He had an uncanny knack of being able to relate to anyone, regardless of background. He was always very modest about his abilities and although his friends watched his progress through his career as he became ever more highly regarded and successful, it never changed him as a person. In fact, many of his friends and family have been amazed over the past few months since he died they had no idea how well thought-of he was. On the social networking website, Bebo, David described himself as follows: Born to play the organ and to play racquet sports (Badminton esp.). I like to teach and meet lots of new and interesting people. It's wonderful to be able to play in many different countries on all differing types of organs. It is a privilege to play Bach and all other good composers for the organ. I like real ale, fine wine and good food. Friends are important to me. I am only really happy when I make those around me laugh, and I don't care if they laugh at me (providing they don't mind my laughing with - not at - them). I like going on holiday to remote and sunny places and exploring new places. The point about not caring about people laughing at him is quite right a number of people have commented on how David enjoyed playing the victim he loved having his leg pulled. And he gave people ample opportunity to do so! One friend of over forty years recalls David s attempts to return from France in time for his wedding (David was the best man incidentally, although David never married, he came close to it once). He drove an old VW campervan at the time (late 70s) and the clutch had given out. He drove all the way back from the Côte d Azur without a clutch but, despite his heroic efforts, only made it in time for the reception. David had attempted to show his hip credentials by naming his campervan Tanx after the album by the pop group T Rex, whose music he admired. He proceeded to wallpaper the van and gave it curtains for a homely feel (decidedly unhip!). The same correspondent remembers David buying a Polyphon (a music box which played large metal discs) from a wood store, restored it and later sold it to finance the purchase of his Chapel in Cumbria, a move which many at the time thought was a big mistake... He also recalls coming back from the Lake District one time in another of David s cars; this one lacked a first gear. The correspondent concludes: It is quite poignant, in my childhood David and Ray Trickey (also moved to the Lake District and recently deceased), were quite influential in my early teens, certainly I will always remember the humour and David s pet phrase at that time, 'Is that so?'. Funny how you can never forget some things, nice I suppose in a way. Another long-standing friend says: In 1967, I needed an organ teacher. David Sanger was a name that seemed to have been heard of locally (he only lived three miles away) so I rang him and asked. He seemed very friendly and eager to teach me and although for someone like me, with very limited ability, the cost was an expensive 25 shillings per hour I decided to go for it. What I got for my 25 bob was a lesson on the large Walker organ in 1st Church of Christ Scientist in Westminster that lasted as long as 3 hours, usually followed by coffee in a cafe round the corner and this led to around 43 years of very special friendship. David seemed to have few friends then but eventually things started to change. Coffee gave way to beer, halves gave way to pints and then his first car appeared - a huge old Riley. On its demo to me and my brother, it hit a quite scary 50mph on the Sidcup by-pass and David reckoned it was easier to see the road by looking through the steering wheel rather than over it. I felt I had to point out that if he just wanted to see the road there was a much closer view of it through the floor. The value of his car, David told me, would increase considerably over the years as it was a rare piece. When he tried to sell it a few months later little interest was shown, probably because it would not go backwards any more: this could mean an increased journey cost (at 13mpg) if it was facing the wrong way when you started out. Fortunately, the nice people at the local council were prepared to tow it to the dump for a small consideration so he went for that, the last time he took the sensible option with one of his motors for many years. Another friend remembers: David became the proud purchaser of a secondhand rubber dinghy which had definitely seen better days! He d acquired a vessel which contained several punctures covered up with nothing more than Elastoplast, and an old outboard motor which spluttered and coughed incessantly. However, that didn t faze David, as he excitedly invited a group of about six people to join him for a spin on the dirtiest and deepest part of the lower River Medway in Kent. Somehow, despite the boat s severe handicaps, we 5
all survived! As the above shows, David had an adventurous spirit, but he could also appear to be a bit cautious or uncertain about other things. For example, David often appeared at first to be a bit suspicious of new advances in technology I can remember him saying on quite a number of occasions oh, I ll never get one of those, or words to that effect, but that became a bit of an in-joke for the people who knew him well, because we all knew that often he d purchase the very thing he d been very wary of within a very short time! However, there were some things he could not bring himself to upgrade or part with, such as his trusty old Wharfedale speakers David s food cupboards contained the most wonderful variety of spices, herbs, sauces, pickles and jams many of which had sell-by dates in the mid-nineties! He never seemed to throw away or waste anything. Long before re-using leftovers became a fashionable and green thing to do, David often preserved his food remains in the freezer, for use at a (much) later date. One of his former students talks about David s prowess on the squash court: David and I played squash many times when he came to teach in Oxford. After playing for 40 minutes or so, if he was losing, he often suggested mischievously that whoever won the next and final game would win the whole match. Even though I was exhausted and David had more stamina, it became a joke that I always, foolishly, agreed to this, and he always won the final game! Many of David s friends from St Laurence s days will remember an oftused phrase, the Sanger Special. This could refer to a number of things, for example a new arrangement or composition that he had produced. This was in the days before music-writing software, so scores would be handwritten and would invariably feature any number of repeats, da capos, del segnos, etc. The chances of the whole choir reading the same part of the score at any given time were, shall we say, slim. One of the former St Laurence choir mums remembers: We cannot think of David without remembering the wonderful times we spent at his Chapel in Cumbria. David welcomed us, our children, family and friends on many, many occasions. These visits were unforgettable experiences. David had the knack of making everyone feel at home (especially if we were happy to cook him a meal!) These were times which the whole family enjoyed. Walking the fells, visiting various watering-holes, then returning to such a warm and welcoming place to tuck in to good home cooked food. After that some would work off the meal with a round the table tennis game, sometimes involving up to 10 players. Alternatively, we might have a singsong round the organ. Frequently David would then have to go off on a foreign trip or teaching appointment, and happily trust us to continue our holiday in his beloved Chapel. We will never forget David and all the happy times, both musical and otherwise which we enjoyed in his company. Another Sanger Special was the Lakeland walk. There was the occasion on Sharp Edge (a ridge that comes up to a razorsharp point) on Blencathra when David instructed another walker to take the lead. Unfortunately, the new leader had never done the walk before and nearly led the entire group over the edge... There was another time in Borrowdale when David took a couple of friends to the beautiful spot at Watendlath. Here, one can park high up and walk down a wonderful valley and have lunch at the climbers bar at the Scafell Hotel in Rosthwaite. David had done his duty in ensuring that everyone in the party had the correct gear and footwear but on arrival at the start of the walk, realised that he had forgotten his own boots and only had a pair of black leather slip-on shoes. The weather was glorious, however, and so he thought he would take the risk, even being heard to say You could walk down here barefoot today! The Cumbrian weather, however, has a habit of changing quickly, and on leaving the bar after lunch the party was faced with driving rain and a climb past Dock Tarn, around which the ground had turned into a quagmire. David, usually such a mild-mannered chap, turned the air blue as his shoes refused to remain on his feet... His move from London to Embleton in the Lake District in 1989 was quite a risk he really did not know whether he would continue to get so many playing engagements or do as much teaching from somewhere so relatively remote. However, he soon made great friends with a number of people in the local area he really took them to his heart and they took him to theirs. In the early days of him being in Embleton, David frequented the old Blue Bell pub. At the end of the evening he would call in there for a drink. That s what he did on his first New Year he was at the Chapel. On leaving the pub, at a respectable time for New Year, he said, You must all come and visit me in the Chapel some time. So, fuelled with alcohol, some of his companions took him at his word, and at 3 o clock that same morning they knocked on the Chapel door. David came down stairs, in his dressing gown, invited them all in, made them coffee, and was the perfect host. He hadn t, though, expected his invitation be taken up so soon. On one occasion David sent to some close friends a formal dinner invitation for a special meal. He had the 3-course meal all very carefully planned; when the guests arrived they saw notes dotted around the kitchen giving times for when he should put the potatoes on, and the parsnips on etc. At the end of the evening he asked his guests to tell him honestly how the meal had gone. They said it was really lovely; it was spot on. Oh good, he said, my real guests are coming next week. In conclusion, it is impossible to put into words what David meant to so many of us in so many ways. It is true that the organ world has lost an extraordinary talent but we will never forget the support, the laughter and the friendship that David brought to our lives. Nick Stein with contributions from Mike O Brien, Julia Dale, Clive Brearley, David Freeman, Clive Driskill-Smith and Sylvia Stein The Royal College of Organists The offering from today s event will go to support the College s work in education and research. RCO Academy RCO Academy was launched in 2009 during David Sanger s Presidency, building on an educational programme which began in 1995 with the appointment of the College s first Education Officer. Since then the College has worked alongside a broad range of valued partners to develop a programme of events and activities which together provide high quality experiences across the United Kingdom in the field of organ playing and choral directing for people of all ages and backgrounds, whether or not they have any previous experience. Through its RCO Academy programme, the College supports: 6 Outreach to all, raising awareness of organ and choral music The recruitment and nurturing of the next generation of young musicians Those seeking accreditation in
organ playing, organ teaching and choral directing Lifelong learning and continuing professional development for organists of all standards and aspirations Opportunities to share common interests and explore the full glory of the organ and its associated repertoires. Details of the current programme of RCO Academy events can be found on the RCO s website www.rco.org.uk or by contacting the College. The Royal College of Organists as a professional examining body and learned society The College s examination programme has set the gold standard in qualifications for organists and choral directors for more than a century, and more recently for those teaching the organ. The rigorous preparation necessary to achieve success in these examinations has helped to maintain high standards in organ performance and choral directing. The College offers accreditation at five levels: Certificate (CertRCO), which indicates reliable and confident The University Organ (High above the West End Smith 1698, Hill 1870, Mander 1995) musicianship at the organ; it is aimed at both the amateur player and the developing student; Associateship Diploma (ARCO), which indicates professional competency in organ playing; Fellowship Diploma (FRCO), which indicates professional expertise in organ playing; Licentiateship in Teaching (LTRCO), which indicates professional expertise in organ teaching; Choral Directing Diploma (Dip CHD), which indicates professional expertise in choral directing. In addition to its activities as an examining body, the College has a long history of providing its members and interested members of the public with education and scholarship in the organ and choral fields. This mission is supported by lectures, forums and other public events organised by the College, and through the publication of an annual research journal: RCO Journal. Our support for initiatives such as the Early English Organ Project (EEOP) further underlines this commitment to scholarship and research. This unique project has transformed our knowledge and understanding of the pre-reformation The organs of Great St Mary s English organ, and under the College s stewardship remarkable reconstructions of two Tudor organs are made available to institutions and musicians in the UK and abroad. The College's Library is as old as the College, and is naturally a cornerstone for much of the institution s academic work. From modest beginnings it has grown over the years into a library of great distinction, whose comprehensive specialist holdings of organ and choral music and books are known across the world. It is housed at Birmingham City University. Currently, the holdings comprise many tens of thousands of titles, a number which continues to increase through acquisitions as resources allow. These acquisitions ensure that the breadth of the Library collection is maintained in the areas of new publications and historical source material. Over the years the College Library has also been in receipt of a number of important bequests. The most recent is David Sanger s complete collection of organ music, organ books, sound recordings, and various archival materials. The College is grateful to David s executors for their assistance in relocating this collection from Cumbria to Birmingham. In due course, the numerous items in the collection will be integrated into the existing RCO holdings. The Parish Organ (At the East End Kenneth Jones 1991) Great Bourdon 16 Open Diapason 8 Stopped Diapason 8 Gamba 8 Principal 4 Nason Flute 4 Twelfth 2 2/3 Fifteenth 2 III Trumpet 8 Cornet (mid c) IV Swell Open Diapason 8 Stopped Diapason 8 Principal 4 Fifteenth 2 III Double Trumpet 16 Cornopean 8 Oboe 8 Clarion 4 Tremulant Choir Stopped Diapason 8 Dulciana 8 Principal 4 Flute 4 Fifteen 2 Cremona 8 Pedal Open Diapason 16 Bourdon 16 Principal 8 Flute 8 Fifteenth 4 II Trombone 16 Couplers Swell to Great Swell to Choir Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal Choir to Pedal 7 Great Double Diapason 16 Open Diapason 8 Rohrflute 8 Octave 4 Spitzflute 4 Superoctave 2 II-III Cimbel II Trumpet 8 Swell Salicional 8 Voix Celestes 8 Stopped Diapason 8 Principal 4 Nason Flute 4 Fifteenth 2 Larigot 1 1/3 Sesquialtera II II-IV Double Trumpet 16 Cornopean 8 Oboe 8 Solo Double Diapason 16 Open Flute 8 Wide Octave 4 Nazard 2 2/3 Doublette 2 Wald Flute 2 Tierce 1 3/5 Trumpet 8 Pedal Open Wood 16 Subbass 16 Principal 8 Trombone 16 Couplers Swell to Pedal Swell to Great Great to Pedal Solo to Great Solo to Pedal Solo Octave to Pedal Accessories Six combination pistons to each manual Eight general pistons Eight memory channels Balanced Swell pedal Tremulants to Swell and Great/Solo Wind control
Selwyn College Great St Mary s Directions from Great St Mary s to Selwyn College Cross the road and walk towards King s College. Go through the college gates (we have permission from the Vice Provost of King's, so it might be necessary to mention at the gate that you have come from the David Sanger event at Great St Mary s), and walk along the left hand side of the court. Continue straight on and cross over King s Bridge. Cross the road (Queen s Road) at the pedestrian crossing, turn left and immediately right. Walk down West Road until just beyond the Music Faculty, and turn left into the back of Selwyn. The Hall is on the left side of the main court when you come into the college past the gardens and the chapel. Acknowledgements We would like to thank all the musicians, who have generously given their time and artistry and in many cases travelled considerable distances to be here. We would also like to thank everyone else who has helped to make this celebration possible, especially: Nick Stein, who organised the event and prepared the programme; Sarah MacDonald for all her help in coordinating arrangements in Cambridge; the authorities at Great St Maryʼs for the use of the church, and the University of Cambridge for use of the University Organ; the authorities at Selwyn College for the use of their facilities for the reception; the Vice Provost of Kingʼs College for permission for us all to walk through the College grounds en route to Selwyn. Bevington Organ It was David's wish that his beloved Bevington organ should continue to be used somewhere where it will be appreciated and looked after. Anyone interested in the Chapel at Embleton and/or the organ is invited to inspect the details on the website www.cumbriachapel.com, where they will find the full organ specification. Any enquiries about the chapel should be made to the agents (Edwin Thompson) using the link on that site. But if you are interested in the organ alone, or can suggest any person or institution (or even a type of institution) which might be interested, please email organ@davidsanger.co.uk. 8