Malcolm Williamson : Musique pour orgue

   in Choir & Organ (Sep, 2014)
Williamson’s controversial tenure as Master of the Queen’s Music may have been famously unproductive but, as this disc illustrates, his creative spark as an organist in the 1960s and 70s is worth recalling. There are two previously unrecorded pieces: the Offertoire: Dialogue des Chæurs, a well-crafted competition test piece, and the unashamedly lyrical Fantasy on ‘O Paradise’ – although the latter sits rather uncomfortably against the muscular atonalism of the six-movement Symphony. Tom Winpenny’s performance is very persuasive, virtuosic and reflective in equal measure. The fine restored Harrison organ, while liberally positioned around the church, is very well captured on this recording. …