REVIEW – Jonathan Delbridge at St Bartholomew's Church, Crewkerne

 

FRIENDS and congregation members of St Bartholomew’s Church, Crewkerne, were treated to an exciting and entertaining organ recital by the young and talented Jonathan Delbridge.

The title of the concert, A Confounded Box of Whistles, is also the name Jonathan has given to his recent album of organ music and comes from a quote by Sir Christopher Wren when referring to the organ at St Paul’s Cathedral.

The programme demonstrated both the colour and dynamic range of the fine Rothwell organ in the church and the variety of music playable on such an instrument.

Jonathan introduced the items with interesting and amusing anecdotes and facts, fully engaging the audience.

The recital was followed by an excellent selection of cakes and other refreshments provided by the Friends of Crewkerne Church, who clearly had put much hard work, time and energy into organising this thoroughly enjoyable occasion.

Included in the programme were three contrasting pieces by J.S. Bach – The Fugue in G major BWV 577 (Gigue) which demonstrated Jonathan’s outstanding keyboard and pedal technique; the beautiful choral prelude on Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier BWV 731, showing Jonathan’s ability to make the organ sing; and the famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV565 requiring considerable agility of fingers and feet, which Jonathan clearly has.

Jonathan showed how orchestral arrangements work well for the organ in his dramatic performance of Handel’s Hornpipe from the Water Music Suite suite and Verdi’s Grand March from Aida.

Both of these works made use of the Harrison and Harrison en chamade festival trumpets, installed over the west door in 2004. But he went further in proving the organ and his versatility by playing a lively and fun arrangement of the jazz piece St Louis Blues.

Further contrast was achieved by the inclusion of music spanning more than 200 years and several countries – in addition to the American, German and Italian works mentioned earlier – from France, the delicate Cuckoo by D’Aquin contrasted with the dancelike Menuet from the Suite Gothique Op.25 by Boellmann.

Whereas the warm melodies of Londonderry Air and To a Wild Rose from Great Britain appeared to sing from the instrument. All of which demonstrates Jonathan’s complete mastery of the organ and its repertoire.

By the end of the recital, the audience’s were feet tapping to the music and cheering this gifted young organist.

Aptly, as an encore, Jonathan summed up his programme with Hornpipe Humoresque by Noel Rawsthorne, which interweaves the famous hornpipe tune with other well-known works in an entertaining and lively manner.

I am sure we will be seeing and hearing a lot more of Jonathan Delbridge in the future.

by CHRIS HOWARTH