St Mary's Cathedral Grand Organ Recital Series in Sydney, Australia | Festival

St Mary's Cathedral Grand Organ Recital Series

Locality: Sydney, Australia

Address: St Mary's Cathedral, 2 St Mary's Road 2000 Sydney, NSW, Australia

Website: http://www.cathedralchoir.sydney/

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25.01.2022 A vacancy has arisen for an Assistant Organist at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney. Applications close on Tuesday 6th August with interviews & auditions taking place... the week beginning 12th August. For further details or to apply please contact our Music Administrator, Hannah McCarthy, at [email protected] or by phoning 9220 0481 See more

24.01.2022 We are, sadly, unable to host any organ concerts in the cathedral for now, for obvious reasons. But, we can still share some music with you! Here is an Australian piece arranged and played by Simon Niemiski, for the ANZAC commemorations last weekend, with some information about how it came to be composed.

24.01.2022 Announcing our 2019 organ concerts! Wednesday 10th April, 7.00 p.m. SIMON NIEMISKI (St Mary’s Cathedral) The Australian première of... Giles Swayne’s 'Stations of the Cross' Wednesday 15th May, 7.00 p.m. JOSHUA RYAN (St Mary’s Cathedral) Wednesday 12th June, 7.00 p.m. Music for two, three and four organists, with the St Mary’s Cathedral organists THOMAS WILSON, SIMON NIEMISKI, JOSHUA RYAN and DOMINIC MOAWAD Wednesday 14th August, 7.00 p.m. MICHAEL BUTTERFIELD (London) Wednesday 16th October, 7.00 p.m. THOMAS WILSON (St Mary’s Cathedral) Wednesday 13th November, 7.00 p.m. Music for trumpet and organ: PAUL GOODCHILD (trumpet) and SIMON NIEMISKI Sunday 15th December, 4.00 p.m. SIMON NIEMISKI (St Mary’s Cathedral) Olivier Messiaen’s 'La Nativité du Seigneur Free admission to all concerts, with a retiring collection. More details to follow.

23.01.2022 Our next organ concert at St Mary's will be in a fortnight, on Wednesday 15th May at 7.00 p.m., with Joshua Ryan (Assistant Organist at the cathedral.) Programme: J.S. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in C minor BWV 546 Howells: Rhapsody Op. 17, No. 1... Bairstow: Scherzo (from Organ Sonata in E flat Major) Brahms arr. Lemare: Intermezzo op. 117, No. 1 Wagner arr. Lemare: Prelude (from Parsifal) Martin: Passacaille pour orgue (1944) Free admissionretiring collection.

21.01.2022 ORGAN CONCERTS RETURN TO THE CATHEDRAL! After a long break, solo organ concerts will be returning this month! There will be three concerts before the ‘lights of Christmas’ showings: Tuesday 15th December, 7.00pm: TITUS GRENYER... Including a transcription of J.S. Bach’s Orchestral Suite in C Major, BWV 1066. Wednesday 16th December, 7.00pm: THOMAS WILSON Tuesday 22nd December, 7.00pm: SIMON NIEMISKI Feliks Rczkowski: Suita Kold (Suite of Christmas Carols) Arthur Somervell: Shepherd’s Cradle Song Henry Balfour Gardiner arr. Niemiski: Noel Marcel Dupré: Variations sur un Noël, Op. 20 And, this Sunday 20th December at 4.00pm, before the Cathedral Carol Service: Olivier Messiaen's masterwork 'La Nativité du Seigneur’, played by Simon Niemiski. Free admission to all concerts; no advance registration required.

20.01.2022 ANNOUNCEMENT RE OUR CONCERT THIS WEDNESDAY 13th NOVEMBER, 7.00 p.m.: Owing to unforeseen circumstances the originally-scheduled artistes are unable to appear this evening. However, we are delighted that our cathedral Assistant Organist, Titus Grenyer, will play in their place, at short notice! The programme will include the Sonata by Sir Edward Elgar. More details to follow.

20.01.2022 Coming soon, music for 2, 3 and 4 organists. Come and see how 4 organists can squeeze onto a single organ console! Wednesday 12th June, 7.00 p.m.

19.01.2022 On Wednesday 14th, we will welcome back Michael Butterfield to St Mary's, after two years' study in London! His programme: Georg Muffat Toccata quinta in C Johann Pachelbel Chaconne in F minor... J.S.Bach Organ Concerto in A minor Maurice Durufle Prelude, Adagio and Choral varie sur le theme du 'Veni Creator' Olivier Messiaen Dieu parmi nous (La Nativite du Seigneur) Wednesday 14th August, 7.00 p.m. Free admission.

15.01.2022 Tickets are officially on sale! Head to https://tickets.cityrecitalhall.com/single/psDetail.aspx to purchase your tickets!

15.01.2022 THIS WEDNESDAY! We're very grateful to Titus Grenyer for stepping in at short notice, as replacement artiste for our cathedral concert this month! He will be playing an impressive programme, with music by J.S. Bach and Sir Edward Elgar. 7.00 p.m., with free admission. All welcome!

13.01.2022 Some spectacular music this Friday!

10.01.2022 An organ concert for Christmas: Olivier Messiaen's masterwork 'La Nativité du Seigneur, played by Simon Niemiski. Sunday 15th December, 4.00 p.m. Free admission.

10.01.2022 If you're near the cathedral this afternoon, drop in for one (or more) of our Australia Day free organ concerts! 1 o'clock: SIMON NIEMISKI Herbert Brewer: Marche Héroïque Percy Grainger: Country Gardens... Norman Cocker: Tuba Tune G.F. Händel arr. W. T. Best - ‘Organ Concerto in D major’ Derek Bourgeois - Serenade Clément Loret - Scherzo-Fanfare 2 o'clock THOMAS WILSON Joseph Bonnet - Variations de Concert J S Bach - Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier W.A. Mozart - Andante in F Sir Edward Bairstow - Allegro giocoso (Sonata in E flat) Louis Vierne - Carillon de Westminster 3 o'clock GARETH BAARD J.S Bach - Prelude and Fugue in C major (BWV 531) Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck - Echo Fantasia Henk Temmingh - Three Pieces i. Intrada ii. Cantilena iii. Toccata César Franck - Choral no. 3

08.01.2022 The organ voluntary on Easter Day at Vespers was the Fugue (Alleluia Pascal) from Marcel Dupré’s Choral et Fugue, Op. 57, and now we give you the whole work to ...enjoy. The work originated from an improvisation which Dupré (18861971) played at a recital in the church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the organ. The opening Choral is based on the Salve Regina plainchant, and the Fugue on the Easter Alleluia. See more

06.01.2022 One week today! Thomas Wilson continues our organ concerts series with a recital of music from Bach and Schumann to Walton and Mulet. Wednesday 16th October, 7.00 p.m. Free admission. Programme:... Thierry Escaich Vers l'espérance Sir William Walton Orb and Sceptre J.S. Bach Toccata in F César Franck Prière J.S. Bach Fugue in F Schumann Six Fugues on the name BACH No. 1 in B flat major No. 5 in F major Henri Mulet Tu es petra See more

04.01.2022 The organ voluntary after Solemn Mass this Armistice Day is a new transcription by Simon Niemiski (Assistant Director of Music) of the Elegy 'In Memoriam Ruper...t Brooke' by the Australian composer FREDERICK SEPTIMUS KELLY DSC (29th May 1881 13th November 1916). He was born nearby in Philip Street, and attended Sydney Grammar School, before being sent to study in England. As well as being an Oxford music scholar, he was a talented rower, winning a gold medal in the 1908 Olympics. In 1914 he was commissioned into the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, as was his great friend, the poet Rupert Brooke. Brooke never saw active service, dying from blood poisoning on board a ship off the Greek island of Skyros, en route to the Gallipoli landings. He was buried in an olive grove on Skyros, with Kelly being part of the burial party. The occasion moved Kelly to compose his Elegy for string orchestra and harp, which he described in his diary: 'It is so entirely bound up with Rupert Brooke and the circumstances of his burial that in a sense I feel myself the chronicler of its ideas rather than the composer. As we slowly made our way behind the coffin to the olive grove a particular phrase constantly recurred to my mind. The work is a true portrayal of my feelings on that night and the passionless simplicity of the surroundings with occasionally a revealing of my personal anguish.' The following year, Kelly was killed while rushing a machine gun position during the last phase of the battle of the Somme. He was buried in Martinsart British Cemetery. This transcription of his Elegy receives its first performance this Armistice Day. The organ postlude after Solemn Vespers is by ERNEST FARRAR (7th July 1885 18th September 1918) one of a whole generation of composers lost to war. Born in London, his career was cut short by World War 1 after enlisting in the Grenadier Guards. Farrar was killed on the Western Front in 1918, having been at the front for two days. He composed prolifically, with a few of his works being for organ, including this optimistic Epilogue on the Old 100th.

04.01.2022 Read more about our organ concerts this year, including an exciting première on 10th April!

03.01.2022 Tonight! All welcome!

02.01.2022 Tomorrow - including Wagner's 'Die Meistersinger' overture, Bach, Vierne and more!