£10.00 £8.33 Ex vat
Simon Niemiński
Organ of Third Baptist Church, Saint Louis, Missouri
22 in stock
Description
Launched to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Alfred Hollins’s birth, this disc showcases the 1930 Kilgen/1947 Möller organ at Third Baptist Church in Saint Louis, Missouri. In 2012 the organ was rebuilt and enlarged by the Reuter organ company and now contains 72 stops across 7 divisions. It is ideal for the music of Hollins and his contemporaries containing as it does a wealth of pipework from the 1930s.
In addition to favourite works by Hollins, the imaginative programme pairs his works with little-known pieces by some of the dedicatees of Hollins’ music in a wonderful introduction to the characterful and colourful lighter organ music of the early decades of the twentieth century.
SIMON NIEMIŃSKI was born in London and studied in London at the Royal College of Music, at Cambridge University and as Organ Scholar of York Minster. He is Organist of St Mary’s Metropolitan Cathedral, and Director of Music at The Robin Chapel in Edinburgh, having previously been Organist and Master of the Music at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, where he directed the choir in daily choral services, concerts, recordings and broadcasts.
He has featured in programmes including The Organist Entertains on BBC Radio 2, to Choral Evensong several times live on Radio 3, and Pipedreams in the USA. As a recitalist, he has played at venues around the UK, Europe and the USA. His CD recordings have helped to revive the music of unjustly neglected composers, including releases of music by Eugène Reuchsel and Edward Shippen Barnes – an American pupil of Louis Vierne.
Track List
Concert Overture No 3 in F minor – Alfred Hollins (1865–1942)
8:33Chorus in E flat – Frank Heddon Bond (1875–1948)
4:35Morceau de Concert – Hollins
7:51Elfentanz – Bernard Johnson (1868–1935)
3:43Theme with Variations and Fugue – Hollins
12:20The Seraph’s Strain – William Wolstenholme (1865–1931)
5:15A Song of Sunshine – Hollins
4:36Cort ge Acad mique – Ernest MacMillan (1893–1973)
4:36From the West – Edwin Lemare (1865–1934)
i. In Missouri
9:14ii. In North Dakota
8:12Le Carillon – Wolstenholme
2:35Concert Toccata in B flat – Hollins
6:23Total Playing time: 77:58
Production credits
Recorded in Third Baptist Church, Saint Louis, MO USA on 26–27 February 2015
Producer: Gary Cole, Engineer: Daniel Ruder
Sample audio extracts
Reviews
‘The organ, in the Third Baptist Church, St Louis, Missouri, was originally built by Kilgen in 1885, enlarged by Moller in 1947, and finally rebuilt and further enlarged by Reuter in 2012. Nieminski handles it superbly and plays this music with understanding and virtuosity. Although in a dry acoustic, the sound is warm, clear, and colorful. The booklet contains extensive notes on the composers and music, along with the organ specification. A delightful recording.’ American Record Guide May/June 2016
‘Every syllable of his fine playing can be savoured, and the booklet contains plenty of interesting biographical material and, naturally, the specifications of the gargantuan organ. ’ MusicWeb December 2015