ALTON ORGAN SOCIETY (Founded 1967) ♬♪𝄞 Updated Wednesday 5 November 2025

Alton Organ Society's 2025/2026 Season of Organ Concerts
Organ Recitals Nationwide

There are times when an organ concert performance takes your breath away both with choice of programme and the delivery skill of the organist. That time occurred on Tuesday 4 November 2025 when Iain Farrington delivered the most polished, technically brilliant and moving concert. Iain's first part of his programme started and continued with compositions by four well known and distinguished French organists. Alexandre Guilmant was renown for revising old classics composed, in this case, by Handel. Originally a minuet, his Grand Choeur in D was a big, bold and grand sound that was the perfect start. Allegedly, Guilmant, who knew Dupré's parents, remarked when Marcel was a baby that he would become an internationally renown organist! That was evident when Iain played Dupré's "Cortege et Litanie"; a hymn like work which uses plainsong as one of the two themes and which blended together in a climatic end as the "procession" reached its destination. Dupré was a technical genius whose organ playing was regarded highly by international audiences, in particular in the USA. Widor is famous for his bold and popular Toccata from his 5th organ Symphony. We heard a complete contrast when Iain played a slow and romantic "Andante sostenuto" from Widor's Symphonie Gothique. The last of the French pieces was the well known and loved "Finale" (Symphony No 1) by Louis Vierne who was organist a Notre Dame, Paris from 1900 until his death in 1937. Now for something completely different as we moved to England and witnessed the most beautiful compositions by the organist himself. Titled "Lay my burden down", Iain composed these five African-American spirituals 11 years ago. The second piece - "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child" was dedicated to his late mother who died on the day he was involved with the 2012 Olympics hosted in London. It was very moving and, clearly, written from the heart. Iain's arrangement of Amazing Grace was heavily influenced by Aretha Franklin's rendition in the 1970s. It was quite a long piece but so full of gorgeous bluesy chords and was also inspired by Iain's love of gospel music. He ended this collection of a mix of sad and joyful pieces with a technical and joyful uplift in "Every time I feel the spirit". The applause was overwhelming. Some of us resisted the temptation had to break the unwritten rule and applaud after each movement! Do visit Iain's and read his comprehensive and interesting biog here. Iain's concert was the most memorable given by a talented musician combining organ playing of the highest professional standard with exquisite compositions filled with harmonic extremes, jazzy rhythms and superb musicianship.

Next month we look forward a return visit of Peter Wright (Formerly, Southwark Cathedral) in the Society's 59th Season on Tuesday 2 December 2025 starting at 8.00 pm (refreshments from 7.30 pm). Click here to see Peter's programme.

Full details of the wonderful line up of guest organists can be seen here. Keep in touch and visit this website and see details of individual organists as their respective programmes and biographies are added. Admission to each concert is £12. However, you can take out Season Membership for £72 which is equivalent to £9 for each of the 8 organ concerts between October 25 and May 26. Click here to download a copy of the Season Membership application form. Peter Wright's biog and programme has now been added to the website and can be viewed here.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Parish of St Lawrence Church Alton Organ Society will be held on Wednesday 12 November 2025 at 2.00 pm at St Lawrence Church, Alton, GU34 2BW. Click here to read or download the agenda.

Alton Organ Society Committee - New Members Welcome

The organ society committee is keen to attract new members to maintain the future success of Alton Organ Society now starting its 59th year. There are tasks that do not require organ playing skills but the ability to administer the running of the society. For instance, if you are interested and able to be a graphic designer - creating posters, designing programme formats etc - we would like to hear from you. Maybe you are good at running a website including updating on a regular basis to keep it fresh and interesting. Again, we would like to hear from you. If you plan to attend any of the future organ concerts and would like to discuss these roles with committee members, please do approach one of us. If you wish to contact us by email, please click here.

David Hill MBE organist and International Choral Director, Patron of the Alton Organ Society and currently President of the Royal College of Organists very kindly recorded a CD on the St Lawrence Church, Alton, organ to celebrate 55 years of the Organ Society and to raise funds for the restoration of the Speechly organ. The music was recorded by Herald AV Publications, a specialist recording company, in October 2022. The CD was launched at St Lawrence Church, Alton on Tuesday 4 October 2022. The CD costs £15 of which £3.00 of the purchase price will go towards the organ restoration fund. David's CD was reviewed by Choir & Organ Magazine and copies of that review and Graeme Kay's article on the Society can be seen here. The CD can be purchased from members of the Society Committee, from Resurrection Furniture in Alton and at the Society's Organ Concerts. For further details and purchase of a CD do use the contact page here.

There is an excellent website that lists national organ concerts (including those held in Alton) and can be viewed here. Please list altonorgansociety.co.uk & Organ Recitals Nationwide among your favourites.