Young organ performers delighted and wowed us – the pews were shaking!

The Scots’ Church International Organ Series | Concert 4: Student Recital 

September 14, 2024, The Scots’ Church, Melbourne, VIC

Organ and harpsichord students from Thomas Heywood, Jennifer Chou, Elizabeth Anderson and Douglas Lawrence

Opportunities for performance are an essential part of the development of young musicians, they are also a wonderful opportunity for us as listeners to hear loved or new works, dip our toes into new genres and styles – ancient or modern – and have the privilege of observing the individual style of a performer grow and mature. 

This is particularly true for organists and harpsichordists who have the added challenge of having to develop a relationship with their instrument usually on the day (or if they are lucky in the lead up) to the performance.

The concert opened with Samantha Yan, a student of Liz Anderson, playing the Praeludium from the Partita in Bb major (BWV825) by JS Bach on a magnificent double manual harpsichord, with its crisp mordents. I always think of this as such a happy piece and a lovely way to start the concert. 

Samantha played Carman’s Whistle by William Byrd from My Ladye Nevells Booke and the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, and the Sonata in b minor (K 27) by Domenico Scarlatti. Given the extremes of the range and hand crossing, Samantha did a great job. Try that one blindfolded at home for fun!  

Samantha was joined by Steph Panas for the creepy and kooky and adorably spooky, The Addams Family duet by Vic Mizzy (1916-2009)

Next up was Yesie Lin Viota, a student of Douglas Lawrence, on the magnificent Scots’ Organ playing the Chorale Prelude Liebster Jesu, wir sind heir by JS Bach, using a beautiful solo stop for the highly ornamented descant, and the Sonata No 2 in C minor 1st and 2nd movements by Felix Mendelssohn. Yesie made the bass in the Mendelssohn rumble and the pews were shaking. Great stuff.

The three young performers learn from the virtuoso organist Thomas Heywood. Joshua Ong gave a stirring rendition of the March in C by Henry Purcell arranged by C H Trevor, and there was lovely interplay between the voices of the First Movement of the Trio Sonata No. 1 in Eb Major (BWV525) by JS Bach. The Toccata in G by Theodore Dubois was thoroughly entertaining. 

I adore the music of CPE Bach and I think I’ve said before in this forum, I don’t think we hear enough of his music. He was a style master and the Introduction and Allegro in Ancient Style was played with aplomb by Frank Rowse followed by the Adagio from the Sonata No. 1 by Felix Mendelssohn. And the Nun Danket by Sigfred Karg-Elert, a twentieth century organist and composer renowned for his improvisations, lifted the rafters and was a great choice for the program. 

The Great Gate of Kiev by Modest Mussorgsky is a deep and mysterious work for a massive orchestra, performed by Geethan Pfeifer and transcribed for organ by A. Eaglefield Hull. With so much going on in terms of the timbres, contrasting sections and an endless ending, Geethan held everything together musically and technically. The Festival Toccata by Percy E. Fletcher which followed was festival and fancy. 

The last young performer was Tristan Sumarna, student of Jennifer Chou (the organist at Scots’) who continues to mature as a performer, displaying increasing technical mastery over the instrument. I adored the Adagio of the Organ Sonata in Eb (BWV525) by JS Bach, the voices were clear and distinct due to the careful registrations used, and the Tongues of Fire by Arthur Willis (1926-2020) was not a work I am familiar with, but was a brilliant stroke of programming which brought things to a glorious conclusion. 

What a privilege to hear these young performers, a term I much prefer to students, who delighted and wowed us with a wide ranging repertoire, and growing command of both the instruments and nurturing of their craft with thanks to their parents and teachers.  

The International Organ Series at Scots’ Church Melbourne

Every September since 2000 the RIEGER organ in The Scots’ Church on Collins St, Melbourne has been used for an international concert series, with free concerts every Wednesday at 1pm and Saturdays at 3pm.

The full program can be found here: the international organ series at scors – Search (scotschurch.com)

Entrance is free. A donation is welcomed.

This series is supported by The Robert Salzer Foundation and Organ Music Society Victoria.

About the organ

Organs may be ‘the king of instruments’ but they are notoriously difficult to play and each is an individual as the church or community where the instrument is located. The sound heralds worship, royalty and ceremony. 

Installed in 1999 to the specifications of Music Director (1984-) Douglas Lawrence by a team from Schwarzach in Southern Austria by organ builder Rieger Orgelbau, there is the main organ located in its original 19th century wooden carved casing in the North Transept and the smaller Gallery organ at the Collins Street end of the Church. It has four manuals and 68 speaking stops, and all divisions can be played from the main console.