Pachelbel, His Canon and Much More
Douglas Lawrence plays the Ronald Sharp Organ at Ormond College, Melbourne. An excellent disc of favourite organ works by Pachelbel, Buxtehude, Schiedt, Camidge and Greene.
Maurice Greene composer
Matthew Camidge composer
Samuel Scheidt composer
Dietrich Buxtehude composer
Features works by Pachelbel including the popular 'Canon in D major', music by Buxtehude including the 'Ciacona in E minor' and the 'Passacaglia in D minor', in addition to works by Greene, Camidge, and Schiedt.
These are the only recordings of the organ in the Ormond College Chapel built by Sydney organ builder Ronald Sharp, before it was rebuilt and enlarged in 1993.
Francis Alan Jackson, CBE, a British organist and composer was the organist and director of music at York Minster for 36 years. He visited Australia some time between 1974 and 1993 and had the opportunity to play the Ormond College organ, describing it as "the most beautiful sound I have heard in music" during an interview on ABC radio by Glen Menzies.
Press quotes
“... 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.”
— Barney Zwartz, The Age
“This record is in every respect a treasure”
— The Herald
“This is a great collection and the sound is as Ron Sharp left it.”
— Bruce Steele, Organo Pleno
“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 Melburnian
“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.”
— Victorian Organ Journal
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 and was the founding director of Choir of Ormond College, a position he held from 1982 to 2006.
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
Track Listing
- Ormond College bell :29
- Toccata in E minor, P.462 Johann Pachelbel 1:38
- Fantasia in G minor, P.128 Johann Pachelbel 3:15
- Toccata in C major, P.456 Johann Pachelbel 1:58
- Chorale Prelude, P.255 Komm Heiliger Geist Johann Pachelbel 1:17
- Ricercar in C minor, P.419 Johann Pachelbel 4:46
- Ciacona in F minor, P.43 Johann Pachelbel 7:30
- Chorale Prelude, P.166 Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ Johann Pachelbel 1:41
- Chorale Prelude, P.70 Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund Johann Pachelbel 2:43
- Chorale Prelude, P.478 Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her (a) Johann Pachelbel 1:33
- Chorale Prelude, P.479 Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her (b) Johann Pachelbel 3:04
- Diapason Maurice Greene 1:53
- Gavotte Matthew Camidge 1:59
- Echo: ad manuale duplex, forte e piano, SSWV 128 Samuel Scheidt 1:49
- Air and 4 variations on the old Dutch song "Ah, you fine young horseman", SSWV 111 Samuel Scheidt 5:55
- Ciacona in E minor, BuxWV 160 Dietrich Buxtehude 5:26
- Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder, BuxWV 178 Dietrich Buxtehude 2:53
- Nun bitten wir den Heiligen Geist, BuxWV 208 Dietrich Buxtehude 2:13
- Prelude and Fugue in D minor, BuxWV 140 Dietrich Buxtehude 5:24
- Gelobet seist du Jesu Christ, BuxWV 188 Dietrich Buxtehude 1:49
- Von Gott will ich nicht lassen, BuxWV 221 Dietrich Buxtehude 1:50
- Passacaglia in D minor, BuxWV 161 Dietrich Buxtehude 5:49
- Nun komm der Heiden Heiland, BuxWV 177 Dietrich Buxtehude 1:53
- Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, BuxWV 198 Dietrich Buxtehude 1:56
- Canon in D major, PWC 37 Johann Pachelbel 5:33
Performers
Composers
Dietrich Buxtehude
Dieterich Buxtehude was a German-Danish organist and composer of the Baroque period. His organ works represent a central part of the standard organ repertoire and are frequently performed at recitals and in church services.
Johann Pachelbel
Johann Pachelbel was a German Baroque composer, organist and teacher, who brought the south German organ tradition to its peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secular music, and his contributions to the development of the chorale prelude and fugue have earned him a place among the most important composers of the middle Baroque era.
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
- 76 minutes 16 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
- Barcode
- EAN 9314574301328
Related recordings
Gold
The Australian Chamber Choir performs works by eight Australian composers. Douglas Lawrence directs a program of pure gold.
Keys to Heaven
This recording by the Australian Chamber Choir starts with a work composed in 18th century Venice by an orphan of the Ospedale della Pietà, and reconstructed by Elizabeth Anderson. Works by Palestrina, and Allegri are also featured.
Perth Concert Hall: Ronald Sharp organ
Jangoo Chapkhana performs on the Perth Concert Hall organ that was built by Australian organ builder Ronald Sharp. The program includes a wide variety of works by Buxtehude, Sweelinck, Bach, Messaen and others. There is also 10 minute Variation on Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring composed by the organist.
A Baroque Christmas
The music on this CD is a historical Christmas “pick of the pops”, from the late 1400s to the end of the Baroque period. Directed by Douglas Lawrence, the Australian Chamber Choir offers a program recorded live in concert during their 2019 European tour. The 17 tracks are drawn from from lesser-known seasonal works, championing a sublime repertoire that is all too often neglected.