| Catalogue | Search | |
Australia's longest-running classical music label
|
Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields
Rhys Boak and five other organists play fifteen Ballarat organs
Visiting Ballarat in late 1995, Italian organist, Sergio de Pieri, discovered that within the heritage churches of the goldfields were many beautiful pipe organs, several built by George Fincham, others imported from England or with origin unknown. Some were treasured and kept in good repair, their mechanical action and their beautifully stenciled façade pipes retained. Others were unused, sometimes in disused buildings and occupied by borers or a possum or two.
Sergio de Pieri immediately created a festival, the Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields, ten days of classical music throughout the goldfields each January, having as its central theme the bringing to life of the heritage instruments but also bringing many highly regarded singers, instrumentalists and chamber groups to the region in a wide-ranging classical music program. This CD celebrates the festival's tenth year. You will hear a great variety of music played on 15 of the Ballarat region's organs. The festival has brought music to many people who flock to the festival each year, enjoying not only the music but the exploration of heritage buildings in the beautiful countryside, the shared picnics and pasta and the discovery of beautiful, heritage instruments. There is a fully illustrated 16 page booklet which surveys the organ builders, churches and their organs, the music, and the performers. Performers include Laura Cantagalli, Rosalie Bonighton, Ryoko Mori, Rhys Boak, John O'Donnell, and Sergio de Pieri. Press quotes:
“...the entire project has been put together with such loving attention to detail and such devotion to an important part of Australia's musical heritage, that what emerges is a peculiar little gem ...
While the performance standards are uniformly high, the real stars, and equal villains, are the 15 Ballarat organs themselves... If you close your eyes, you can imagine yourself back three or four generations, listening to music making the way Australia's earlier generations experienced it - on small church instruments played by musicians with evangelical fervour.” — Martin Buzacott, Limelight Audio previews:
Track Listing:
Scherzo in G minor - M.E. Bossi (1861-1925)
Rhys Boak on the 1890 Fincham and Hobday organ in the Ballarat Parish Mission Church, Lydiard St. Sth. Ballarat Canzonetta - D. Buxtehude (1637-1707) Ryoko Mori on the 1860 Hamlin organ in St. Paul's Anglican Church, Clunes Fugue in G minor BWV542 - J.S. Bach (1685-1750) Rhys Boak on the 1889 Fincham and Hobday organ in the Barkly Street Uniting Church Toccata No. 3 - G. Muffat (1653-1704) John O'Donnell on the 1888 William Anderson organ in the Daylesford Uniting Church Chant de Paix - J. Langlais (1907-1991) Rhys Boak on the 1903 Geo. Fincham and Sons organ in the Loreto Convent Chapel, Mary's Mount, Ballarat Fugue in C minor - F. Mendelssohn (1809-1847) Ryoko Mori on the 1864 Walker organ in St. Paul's Anglican Church. Bakery Hill, Ballarat Andante from Sonata No. 6 - F. Mendelssohn Ryoko Mori on the 1912 Geo. Fincham and Sons organ in St. Alipius Catholic Church, Ballarat Chorale Prelude "Aus Meine Herzens Grunde" - S. Karg-Elert (1877-1933) Rhys Boak on the 1921 J. E. Dodd organ in Christ Church Anglican Cathedral, Ballarat Chorale Prelude "Liebster Jesu" - S. Karg-Elert Rhys Boak on the 1921 Geo. Fincham and Sons. organ in the Pleasant St. Uniting Church Toccata on "Puer Nobis" - R. Bonighton "Joshua fought the battle of Jericho" - R. Bonighton Rosalie Bonighton on the 1891 Fincham and Hobday organ in St. John's Anglican Church Soldiers Hill, Ballarat Intermezzo from Sonata No. 8 - J. Rheinberger (1839-1901) Ryoko Mori on the 1894 Fincham and Hobday organ in the Carngham Uniting Church (Snake Valley) Intermezzo Op. 98 II - J. Rheinberger Ryoko Mori on the 1874 Geo. Fincham organ in the Neil St. Uniting Church Andante from the Sonata in C minor - G.B. Pescetti (ca. 1704-1766) Sergio de Pieri on the 1904 E. Cornwall-Cook organ in St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Daylesford Canon No. 5 in G minor - R. Schumann (1810-1856) Esquisse No. 1, Op. 58 in C major - R. Schumann Laura Cantagalli on the 1929 Hill, Norman and Beard organ in St. Peters Anglican Church Ballarat Chorale No. 2 in B minor - Cesar Franck (1822-1890) Rhys Boak on the 1930 Geo. Fincham and Sons organ in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Ballarat Catalogue Number: MD3294
Price: AU$26.00
(convert to $US)
Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields can be purchased through Buywell Just Classical who offer secure on-line ordering. |
 Featured Artists:
Born in Treviso, Italy, well-known organist Sergio de Pieri emigrated to Australia in the 1960s and was chiefly responsible for reviving local interest in the organ and its true repertoire. He was organist at the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne, Chief Study Organ Lecturer at the University of Melbourne and still regularly performs throughout Australia, Europe, USA and Canada.
Currently Director of Ensemble Gombert John O'Donnell studied at the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music in Sydney and the University of Durham. Since performing the complete organ works of Bach in 1974 he has enjoyed an international reputation as an organist and harpsichordist.
Rhys Boak is one of Australia's busiest organists. He is in constant demand locally and internationally as both a recitalist and accompanist. He is a veteran of several concert tours including tours to Europe and Asia and his playing can be heard on more than a dozen CD recordings. He is currently the organist and manager of music at St. Michael's Church, Melbourne.
Ryoko Mori was born in Tokyo, Japan. From an early age she studied piano and soon developed an interest in the organ. She studied organ in Japan and USA. Since marrying her Australian husband, the organist Rhys Boak, she has been based in Melbourne and is the organist and choirmaster of the Malvern Presbyterian Church and deputy organist at the Toorak Uniting Church.
Rosalie Bonighton was born in Ballarat. She studied composition with Keith Humble, Ian Bonighton, Theodore Dollarhide and Lawrence Whiffin. She gained a Bachelor of Music from the University of Melbourne and completed her Master of Arts at La Trobe University in composition. She has won composition prizes in 1967, 1983 and 1999. She is also the organist of St. John's Anglican Church, Soldiers Hill, Ballarat.
Laura Cantagalli was born in Florence and studied music at the Venice Conservatoire including organ studies with Sergio de Pieri. She completed further studies at the Geneva Conservatoire, organ with Lionel Rogg and vocal studies. Laura is now organist at the Eglise Reformee de Courtelarty, one of the rare churches that has two organs the same size.
Click here for a complete list of MOVE CDs featuring organs built by George Fincham and the Fincham company.
Composers:
|
