Organ recital by UNAM UK - Centre for Mexican Studies

Organist Marilyn Harper will play a selection of Renaissance and contemporary works for organ at King's College London Chapel. 

About the event

The Centre for Mexican Studies, UNAM-UK represents the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Our mission is to promote academic and cultural exchange between Mexico and the UK. Some three years ago, we hosted an organ concert at the Chapel by Mexican organists Gustavo Delgado and his wife, Ofelia Ramírez. Following a series of serendipitous circumstances that arose from the encounter of Gustavo, Ofelia and Marilyn, we are now honoured to host a concert by Marilyn Harper, who has prepared a wonderful programme including Renaissance and contemporary organ pieces.

About the performer

Marilyn Harper hails from Bolton, where early studies in both organ playing and choral singing took place at Bolton Parish Church. After further study at the Royal Manchester College of Music with Eric Chadwick, Marilyn was appointed Organ Scholar at Girton College Cambridge where she studied the organ with Dame Gillian Weir. An extensive teaching career followed, and during retirement, Marilyn still continues as an Accredited Teacher on behalf of the Royal College of Organists. Marilyn has performed as accompanist and soloist in many venues in Europe and the UK. Marilyn is married to Norman Harper and mother of Tim, both also organists.

Organ recital programme

Celebration, Cecilia McDowall (b 1951)

Overture of Camilla, Giovanni Bononcini (1670-1747)

Fantasia Crommatica a 4, Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck (1562-1621)

Ein Feste Burg ist unser Gott BuxWV 184, Klag-Lied BuxWV 76, Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707)

Toccata (VI) da Sonarsi all Leuatione, Johann Jacob Froberger (1616-1667)

Prelude and Fugue in E minor BWV548, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Toccata Festiva, Guy Turner (b 1955)

Mexico has a rich tradition of organists spanning nearly 500 years. The first organ was installed in the Cathedral around 1530. Some three years ago, we hosted an organ concert at the Chapel by Gustavo Delgado and his wife, Ofelia Ramírez. Gustavo Delgado is an organist, composer and musicologist, and has published Los órganos históricos de la Catedral de México: Contexto histórico y análisis de su composición fónica. You may download the full book in PDF format here.

About the composers

Cecilia McDowall (b. 1951) is acclaimed for her choral and organ works, orchestral works, music for smaller ensembles and for keyboard. Celebration, published in 2016, was composed in 2014, commissioned by the University of Portsmouth as a celebratory piece for its graduation ceremonies, in recognition of the achievements of its students and staff. The first performance was given by Dr David Price, Organist of Portsmouth Cathedral, at the Guildhall, Portsmouth on 15 July 2014.

Giovanni Bononcini (1670-1747). Born in Modena, subsequently living in Monte and Rome, Bononcini came to England in 1720, invited by the newly founded Royal Academy of Music to compose operas. His rival, Handel, already had stronger, royal support, and Bononcini did not fare well with such strong competition, thus spending the rest of his career in Vienna. Overture of Camilla is transcribed for keyboard and is included, together with transcriptions of Concerti by Vivaldi, in Anne Dawson, Her Book, first published in 1716. This manuscript, held in the Henry Watson Library in Manchester, was edited and published in 2021 by Jonathan Baxendale of Lyrebird Music. The overture is in three movements, fast-slow-fast, and its resemblance to Handel is unmistakeable.

Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck (1562-1621) was the eldest son of a musical family. His grandfather held an organist’s post in Deventer, Holland, and his father moved the family to Amsterdam on his appointment to the Oude Kerk. His early death almost coincided with the Catholic reign ending and the Calvinist rule beginning. In his mid -teens, JP Sweelinck was invited to become the Oude Kerk Organist where he remained for the whole of his career. During his lifetime, he was a sought- after teacher, attracting many students from Germany and the surrounding regions. He was a celebrated improviser and composer of motets for Catholic rites which were still permitted under the new administration, and also wrote many chansons. He bought harpsichords for the city and performed on them. His known keyboard compositions date from the last 15 years of his life. Fantasia Crommatica has been described as the best chromatic piece of music before Bach. Using proportions and ratios, the bedrock of fantasia composition in Renaissance Europe, the piece begins slowly with long notes, gradually acquiring shorter ones until the climax of the spectacular ending. It is a contrapuntal masterpiece, displaying techniques of inversion, augmentation and diminution to great musical effect.

Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707) was taught by his father in Helsingor, Denmark before becoming organist at the Marienkirche in Lübeck, where, like Sweelinck, he held the job for most of his life. Despite remaining local, he was very well aware of all contemporary musical styles, particularly Italian lightness and North German counterpoint. Famous for many cantatas, and keyboard pieces, he set a trend for concert-giving. His organ works were brought to the world’s attention by Philip Spitta in the late 19th century, giving rise to a number of editions in use today. Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, a chorale prelude, shows the chorale in joyful, decorated style for the right hand. Klag-Lied, a song from a cantata, was sung at both Buxtehude’s father’s funeral and at his own. The text is as follows:

Muss der Tod den auch entbinden,

Was kein Fall entbinden kann?

Muss sich der mir auch entwinden,

Der mir klebt dem Herzen an?

Ach der Väter trübes Scheiden

Machet gar zu herbes Leiden;

Wenn man unsre Brust entherzt,

Solches mehr als tödlich schmerzt.

Johann Jacob Froberger. (1616-1667) Born in Stuttgart, Froberger was a well-travelled, well-connected musician whose education, led by his father, was based on Il Transilvano by Girolamo Diruta. His keyboard works have been circulated more since modern editions of his works became available. It is now acknowledged that his keyboard writing substantially influenced his contemporaries. The Elevation Toccata may be played during the Prayer of Consecration in the Catholic Mass. Most people attending a large church or basilica in those days would not necessarily see what was taking place in the sanctuary, but the organist would improvise, following the ritual in such a way as to make the actions perceptible to the congregation. In this spirit, imagine yourself in a large basilica, close your eyes and imagine.

Johann Sebastian Bach. JS Bach’s (1685-1750) life and works are well documented. A popular story is of Bach travelling, including walking, around 200 kilometres to hear the master play and to learn from his works. The scale of Prelude and Fugue in E minor is immense, showing a clear understanding of concerto form. It also shows strong contrasts between the opening ritornello and the contrasting bravura passages in the fugue.

Guy Turner (b.1951) Toccata Festiva was written during lockdown in 2020. It is not known who gave the first performance, as several of Guy’s organist friends learned it at the same time. It provides a foot tapping, punchy conclusion to today’s concert. Guy Turner has written and arranged many choral compositions, both for church and secular use. He studied with John Rutter in Cambridge and some of his work is published by OUP. With Marilyn Harper and other undergraduates, he founded the St Michael’s Singers of Cambridge in 1974, a choir which still meets and performs from time to time. Guy is a lay clerk at Southwell Minster and amongst other activities he is one of the many question setters and verifiers for BBC2’s Only Connect and University Challenge quiz programmes.