Pachelbel, His Canon and Much More
Douglas Lawrence plays the Ronald Sharp organ in the Ormond College Chapel, Melbourne, in favourite Baroque organ works by Pachelbel, Buxtehude, Scheidt, Camidge and Greene.
Maurice Greene composer
Matthew Camidge composer
Samuel Scheidt composer
Dieterich Buxtehude composer
The programme centres on Pachelbel, including the popular Canon in D major, and on Buxtehude, with the Ciacona in E minor and the Passacaglia in D minor, alongside pieces by Greene, Camidge and Scheidt.
These are the only recordings of the Ormond College Chapel organ as built by Sydney organ builder Ronald Sharp, made before the instrument was rebuilt and enlarged in 1993. The disc reissues the acclaimed The Best of Pachelbel LP with highlights from its Buxtehude sequel and previously unreleased 1976 takes. The final track is the Canon, recorded after the 1993 rebuild.
Francis Alan Jackson, CBE, organist and director of music at York Minster for 36 years, played the instrument on a visit to Australia and called it “the most beautiful sound I have heard in music” in an ABC radio interview with Glen Menzies.
Reviews
… Pachelbel and Buxtehude (two LPs) have been digitally remastered and released on one splendid CD – with the Canon recorded this year on the organ rebuilt and enlarged by Kurt Smenge, allowing a fascinating comparison.
This record is in every respect a treasure
This is a great collection and the sound is as Ron Sharp left it.
The acoustics are a joy; warm, flattering and intimate … the Canon in D recorded here after the instrument’s restoration, comes up so well as to suggest this is a more positive arrangement than the one for strings.
The playing and articulation cannot be faulted. The sound of the organ is heard close up: delightful for softer pieces and you could listen to those endlessly.
Artists
Douglas Lawrence
Melbourne organist Douglas Lawrence is Director of Music at The Scots' Church and Teacher of the Organ at the University of Melbourne. He founded the Choir of Ormond College and directed it from 1982 to 2006.
Johann Pachelbel
Johann Pachelbel (1653–1706) was a German Baroque composer, organist and teacher who brought the south German organ tradition to its peak. His chorale preludes, fugues and keyboard variations place him among the central figures of the middle Baroque.
Ronald Sharp
Ronald Sharp (1929-2021) was a self-taught Australian organ builder whose most notable instruments were the organ at the Sydney Opera House (1979), the chapel at Ormond College, Melbourne (1974) and Perth Concert Hall (1976) as well as a number of others. He specialised in mechanical, tracker action instruments in the baroque tradition, but using modern materials.
Audio preview
Tracks
- Ormond College bell :29
- Toccata in E minor, P.462 Johann Pachelbel 1:42
- Fantasia in G minor, P.128 Johann Pachelbel 3:19
- Toccata in C major, P.456 Johann Pachelbel 2:02
- Chorale Prelude, P.255 Komm Heiliger Geist Johann Pachelbel 1:21
- Ricercar in C minor, P.419 Johann Pachelbel 4:50
- Ciacona in F minor, P.43 Johann Pachelbel 7:32
- Chorale Prelude, P.166 Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ Johann Pachelbel 1:42
- Chorale Prelude, P.70 Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund Johann Pachelbel 2:46
- Chorale Prelude, P.478 Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her (a) Johann Pachelbel 1:32
- Chorale Prelude, P.479 Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her (b) Johann Pachelbel 3:09
- Diapason Maurice Greene 1:55
- Gavotte Matthew Camidge 2:00
- Echo: ad manuale duplex, forte e piano, SSWV 128 Samuel Scheidt 1:51
- Air and 4 variations on the old Dutch song “Ah, you fine young horseman”, SSWV 111 Samuel Scheidt 5:58
- Ciacona in E minor, BuxWV 160 Dieterich Buxtehude 5:30
- Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder, BuxWV 178 Dieterich Buxtehude 2:55
- Nun bitten wir den Heiligen Geist, BuxWV 208 Dieterich Buxtehude 2:14
- Prelude and Fugue in D minor, BuxWV 140 Dieterich Buxtehude 5:28
- Gelobet seist du Jesu Christ, BuxWV 188 Dieterich Buxtehude 1:51
- Von Gott will ich nicht lassen, BuxWV 221 Dieterich Buxtehude 1:53
- Passacaglia in D minor, BuxWV 161 Dieterich Buxtehude 5:54
- Nun komm der Heiden Heiland, BuxWV 177 Dieterich Buxtehude 1:54
- Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, BuxWV 198 Dieterich Buxtehude 2:00
- Canon in D major, PWC 37 Johann Pachelbel 5:33
Performers
Composers
Dieterich Buxtehude
Dieterich Buxtehude (c. 1637–1707) was a Danish-born organist and composer of the middle Baroque, long based at Lübeck. His organ works remain central to the standard repertoire.
Matthew Camidge
Matthew Camidge (1764–1844) was an English organist and composer, long based at York Minster, whose keyboard music includes organ concertos and a once-familiar gavotte.
Samuel Scheidt
Samuel Scheidt’s early Baroque organ and sacred vocal music helped define the north German style. Chorale preludes grow through patterned variations; dances, fantasias, echo pieces and Christmas settings keep the tune clear while the texture thickens.
Where to listen
Pachelbel, His Canon and Much More is available for streaming through Spotify and Apple Music. It can also be purchased through the iTunes Music Store.
Pachelbel, His Canon and Much More is available as a CD. It can be purchased online through Buywell Music or the Australian Music Centre which both offer online ordering.
Product details
- Catalogue number
- MD 3013
- List price
- $25.00 AUD
- Total playing time
- 77 minutes 20 seconds
- Contributor
- Ronald Sharp
- Recording Engineer
- Martin Wright
Nicholas Alexander - Mastering Engineer
- Martin Wright
- Venue
- Ormond College Chapel
- Release date
- 1995
- Musical work
copyright - © 1976, 1980, 1995 Move Records
- Sound recording
copyright - ℗ 1995 Move Records
- Categories
- Baroque, Classical, Organ
- Genres
- Organ, Baroque
- Barcode
- EAN 9314574301328
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