The Organ
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The 1915 three-manual St George’s organ is the largest instrument built entirely as new by Frederick Rothwell (1853-1944). Rothwell was a master of voicing and an ingenious technical innovator whose work was championed by such leading musicians as Walford Davies, William Harris and George Thalben-Ball.
The organ is included in the British Institute of Organ Studies’ register of historic instruments of importance to the national heritage; the Rothwell patent console, with stop and combination keys placed above their respective manual to aid rapid changes in registration, is the earliest of the few survivors. Played by Roger Fisher, the organ was featured on the CD ‘Solemn Melody: A Tribute to Sir Henry Walford Davies’, selected in the Editor’s Choice of Gramophone, October 2001. Subsequently Australian virtuoso concert organist Thomas Heywood chose the instrument for his CD recording of Romantic performances of the music of George Frideric Handel: ‘Too Hot to Handel’. To see a YouTube playlist featuring performances on the historic Rothwell organ at St George's, Headstone click here.
To see Thomas Heywood playing La Réjouissance from Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks click here. To hear Andrew Fuller (cello) and Roger Fisher (organ) playing Thalben-Ball's Elegy in Bb click here. To hear Thomas Heywood playing the Allegro, ma non presto from Handel's Organ Concerto No. 2 in Bb major click here. |
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The Church Piano
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Steinway D 562449 was selected in Hamburg by Ulrich Gerhartz to be the first main performance instrument at the London Symphony Orchestra’s LSO St Luke’s venue, opened in 2003.
Acquired by St George’s in 2015, the piano is used during services, for concerts, and for commercial recordings. To see a YouTube playlist featuring performances on the instrument click here. To see Joaquín Achúcarro playing Brahms's Second Piano Concerto on Steinway D 526449 with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Colin Davis click here. To see Lang Lang playing Sun Yi-Qian's Spring Dance on the piano click here. To see Tobias Haunhorst playing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 in Eb major on the instrument with the Arch Sinfonia conducted by Chloé van Soeterstède click here. |
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The Hall Stage Piano
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The 6' 11" Yamaha S6 'premium' grand piano on the stage of St George's Hall was made in Hamamatsu, Japan in 2005.
The model is favoured by jazz pianists. To see John Bailey playing the piano in the Romano Viazzani Ensemble's rendition of Canaro en Paris click here. To see Martin Litton playing the instrument in Brandyn Shaw and his 'Radio' Rhythm Makers' rendition of Faint Harmony click here. To see John Bailey playing the piano in the Romano Viazzani Ensemble's rendition of Terminal Tango click here. |
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