Johannesburg, South Africa...

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Artslink.co.za News 
New pipe organ rang in Easter at St George's
BUZ Publicity
04/13/2012 09:29:33




Artslink.co.za News
Easter Sunday saw the dedication of a new pipe organ at St George's Anglican Church in Parktown, which will be used for services and a series of concerts.

On Sunday, 8 April, the Bishop of Johannesburg, the Right Reverend Brian Germond, blessed the organ – the first new organ of its calibre to be installed in a Johannesburg Anglican church in around 70 years.

The church's previous organ was supplied in 1925 by Cooper, Gill and Tomkins, and comprised 10 stops and 581 pipes. The new state-of-the-art instrument, made by Rieger Orgelbau, consists of 33 stops and 1,984 pipes – ensuring a majestic sound with the ability to achieve a varied palette of tonal colours that will provide superb accompaniment to the 24-strong choir, as well as make it possible to perform a wide variety of classical organ repertoire at St George's.

While the new organ is undoubtedly a beautiful musical instrument, says Sidney Place, diocesan organ advisor, there were challenges that had to be overcome in its installation. It weighs 8.5 tons so additional steel columns had to be installed in the crypt to transfer the weight to the new foundations that were cast under its floor. A new three-phase blower had to be installed and ducts built to carry the pressurised wind up to the pipes above. Furthermore, the layout had to be adapted to fit almost 2,000 pipes into the same space that had previously accommodated less than a third of that number.

Rieger Orgelbau crafted every bit of the console from scratch, and the organ was assembled on site and adjusted to operate smoothly by organ builders Matthias Dobler, Andreas Aschl, Johannes Simma and Andreea Mustaret. Voicers Michel Garnier and Christian Metzler then added the finishing touches to each and every pipe to ensure an exceptional blend of sound throughout the church.

Following the Rieger pipe organ's dedication during St George's Easter Sunday service, the church will host a series of organ recitals by a selection of the world's leading concert organists. The inaugural concert, on 21 April, is already sold out and will feature organist Wim Viljoen and violinist Zanta Hofmeyr playing a new work by Richard Pantcheff which these same artists first performed in Pretoria in September 2010, and which received its UK premiere in London last December.

Thereafter, between May 2012 and February 2013, the church will present a series of recitals featuring four international organists – who will each give two performances.

On 27 and 28 May, Gordon Stewart – a world-class organist who performs regularly at Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral – will play a blend of lighter pieces alongside more "serious" repertoire. John Scott, regarded as one of the top 10 organists in the world who has been awarded the Lieutenant of the Victorian Order accolade by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the royal household, will bring his "Rolls Royce-quality" music to the church on 13 and 15 August.

On 15 and 16 November Olivier Latry, the in-demand "rock star" of the organ world and the chief organist at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, will bring his magnetic performance style to Johannesburg. The concert series wraps up in February 2013 with young American organist Nathan Laube, who plays a wide variety of dazzling music and is the ideal role model for young South Africans intending to take up the organ as an instrument.

Tickets, priced at R175, are already available at Computicket. Discounted season tickets may be purchased from the church at 7 Sherborne Road, Parktown, Johannesburg. Phone 011 482 1606 for more details.


Media Queries:
Bridget van Oerle / Christabel Zulu
BUZ Publicity
011 482 3467 / 3489
083 263 6991 / 084 552 2417
FAX 086 594 8731
christabel@buz.co.za

http://www.artlink.co.za/news_article.htm?contentID=29766

Eric
KB7DQH

[KB7DQH]

http://www.artlink.co.za/news_article.htm?contentID=29880

Pipe organ concerts to resound at St George's
BUZ Publicity
04/26/2012 08:49:56




From May to February 2013, St George's Anglican Church in Parktown will be presenting a series of public concerts featuring our ileading organists.

The broad music-loving public will have the opportunity over the next 10 months to enjoy the wide variety of sounds that the new organ can produce from its 1,984 pipes during a series of concerts by four internationally acclaimed concert organists, who will each give two performances at St George's.

On 27 and 28 May, Gordon Stewart – one of the UK's most popular and versatile organists renowned for his entertaining presentations and who performs periodically at Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral – will play a blend of lighter pieces alongside more "serious" repertoire.

English-born, New York-based, John Scott, who was made a Lieutenant of the Victorian Order by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the royal household, will bring his "Rolls Royce-quality" music to the church on 13 and 15 August.

On 15 and 16 November Olivier Latry, the in-demand French "rock star" of the organ world and the chief organist at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, will bring his magnetic performance style to Johannesburg.

The concert series wraps up on 9 and 10 February 2013 with young American organist Nathan Laube, who plays a wide variety of dazzling music and is the ideal role model for young South Africans intending to take up the organ as an instrument.

Tickets, priced at R175, are available at Computicket. Audiences are urged to book early as tickets are expected to be in high demand. Discounted season tickets costing R600 may be purchased from the church at 7 Sherborne Road, Parktown, Johannesburg. Phone 011 482 1606 for more details or e-mail organ@stgeorges.org.za


Media Queries:
Bridget van Oerle/ Christabel Zulu
BUZ Publicity
011 482 3467 / 3489
083 263 6991 / 084 552 2417
FAX 086 594 8731
christabel@buz.co.za

Eric
KB7DQH