A bleak misty Dunedin afternoon yesterday brought a good-sized audience into the Town Hall for "Pomp and Fireworks," as promised by International concert organist Colin Andrews with "Norma" the town hall organ.
British born Andrews (now based in the USA) has "befriended" hundreds of different pipe organs in his travels to many countries, and this themed hour and a-half recital of the Coronation and royal events repertoire was appropriate for King’s Birthday Weekend music.
There was plenty of "pomp" conveyed in the six programmed works, but fireworks were very few, and I felt this performer did not explore enough of Norma’s registrations, nor had he considered the order of performance.
Royal Fanfares and Interludes by Sir Arthur Bliss, contained simple yet commanding fanfares separating the interludes, but lacked continuity through many seconds of silence between. Sir William Walton’s March Crown Imperial was accorded a well-paced but quite ordinary delivery.
Every organist conquers the Toccata from Widor’s 5th Organ Symphony . Andrews chose to introduce this well-known movement with a pleasantly subdued melodic delivery of the work’s preceding Adagio , but the following toccata disappointed, with unevenness and occasional anxious moments in what should be a display of absolute virtuosity.
Joseph Bonnet’s Variations de concert highlighted with a section of foot virtuosity. A work by Franck and two encores completed the recital.
Andrews has recorded extensively for radio and CD, including the complete organ works of Olivier Messiaen, but for me, he failed to highlight the many colours and settings of this city’s magnificent symphonic organ, which is regularly heard accompanying city choirs and at graduations.
