A Promising Future?


A Promising Future?

Well, dear friends, this year’s series of recitals by celebrity organists has started.

I’ve already told you how exciting it is that organists with an international reputation have agreed to come and play in the Abbey.  How fantastic is this  -  little old me, waiting to be restored and completed, now looking forward to some of the finest organists in the world visiting and playing their music on me.  This will really put me and this wonderful ancient building well and truly on the map - as we should be.

Enough of that, but it is now happening.  Just a few days ago, Mr Paul came and gave a fantastic concert.  He looks so young, yet so composed, which I suppose is what you’d expect of someone who is looking ahead to becoming Kings College Cambridge’s organ scholar.  His playing was terrific, and I have to say that I did (almost) manage to keep up with him and I did manage to behave myself for the whole time he was here.

He also played some of my most favourite music, by Stanford, Parry and Smart, and even managed to get me to sing out one of Bach’s most tricky preludes and fugues.  But most important of all, Mr Paul enjoyed his visit and enjoyed playing here in the Abbey.  And because he enjoyed himself, so did an enthusiastic audience of nearly 100 people.  There were smiles all round and Mr Paul’s superb playing was the talk of the Abbey for several days.  People even said how good I sounded!

All this bodes so well for the rest of the series and I am crossing all my tubes and motors in the hope that I can keep up with all these nimble fingers and acquit myself and my lovely pipes in a way that continues to bring credit and recognition to my work and to the exciting project starting this Easter.



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