Hannah Parry-Ridout Organ Recital at Norwich Cathedral

On Thursday 20th February 2014 I attended the Hannah Parry-Ridout Lunchtime Organ Recital at Norwich Cathedral. Hannah is Assistant Musical Director of the Fulham Camerata, Assistant Organist at St. Mary's Putney and a regular accompanist to choirs and instrumentalists. She started her musical career as a chorister in the Norwich Cathedral Girls' Choir and started playing the organ with the aid of a Norwich Diocesan Scholarship.

The programme consisted of Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565 - Bach, Master Tallis's Testament - Howells, Intermezzo from Sonata No.4 - Rheinberger, Scherzo from Symphony No.4 - Widor and St. Patrick's Breastplate Movement III from Sonata Celtica - Stanford.

This was another fantastic Lunchtime Organ Recital at Norwich Cathedral with featured works by Bach, Howells and Stanford. Hannah Parry-Ridout who graduated from the Royal College of Music in 2010 performed a wonderful programme of music which was greatly appreciated by the enthusiastic audience at Norwich Cathedral.

Sequence of Music for Remembrance-tide at Norwich Cathedral

On the evening of Thursday 14th November 2013 I was back at Norwich Cathedral for the Norwich Cathedral Consort's performance of Sequence of Music for Remembrance-tide. The Consort were conducted by Ashley Grote with organist Kris Thomsett.

The programme consisted of Hear my prayer - Purcell, Valiant-for-truth - Vaughan Williams, Agnus Dei - Barber, Rhapsody III in C sharp minor, Op 17 - Howells, Take him earth, for cherishing - Howells, Elegy - Thalben Ball, Bring us, O Lord - Harris, Never weather beaten sail - Parry and For the fallen - Guest.

The Norwich Cathedral Consort performed wonderfully along with Ashley Grote and Kris Thomsett. This was a moving and emotional event at Norwich Cathedral which took place in the Presbytery.

The Festival Eucharist at Norwich Cathedral

On Sunday 12th May 2013 I attended The Festival Eucharist at Norwich Cathedral. The annual Eucharist cements and renews the unique relationship between the Norfolk and Norwich Festival and Norwich Cathedral. This year the service celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Queen's coronation with Liturgical performances of music heard at the ceremony in 1953.

The service used Vaughan Williams' Mass in G minor for double choir and included anthems and motets by Vaughan Williams, Howells and Wesley. It closed with Walton's Coronation Te Derum which was composed to conclude the coronation ceremony and Gordon Jacob's arrangement of the National Anthem.

Norwich Cathedral was full of the pomp and majesty of great choral works from Stanford's Gloria in Excelsis which was composed for the coronation of George V in 1911 to Walton's Crown Imperial march. The Norwich Cathedral Choir directed by Ashley Grote and organist David Dunnett made this a moving and memorable service.