Colin Walsh (Lincoln Cathedral) will give an Organ Concert at St Lawrence Parish Church, ALTON on Tue 4 Dec 07 starting at 8.00 pm.
Colin Walsh is at the front of his generation of organists in England. He has played many recitals in this country in cathedrals, abbeys, college chapels and two at the Royal Festival Hall.
Further afield, he has played in France, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Germany, The Czech Republic, Slovakia, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the USA. During the summer of 2005 he was involved in the third performance of John Tavener's 'The veil of the Temple' as part of the Holland Festival in the Oude Kirk, Amsterdam and plays the organ for the Universal Label on a CD entitled 'The Choirboys'. In 2006 he toured New Zealand as European artist of the Organists' Congress and, in the same year, he gave a recital on the famous Cavaillé-coll organ of St. Ouen in Rouen. Appearances during 2007 will include the City of London Festival, the Southern Cathedrals' Festival, the Lahti Organ Festival, Finland and recitals in Cologne Cathedral, Notre Dame de Paris and the Svetlanov Hall, Moscow. He will tour Australia and New Zealand in September.
His many recordings on the Priory label include two early recitals of modern French music from Salisbury, Vierne and Duruflé from St Albans and Vierne (second and third symphonies; twenty-four pièces en style libre) from Lincoln. The restoration of the Lincoln organ in 1998 was accompanied by a CD of more popular music on the Cantoris label and a recording of French music on the Guild label was released in 2005. On the same label, a recording of the fifth and sixth symphonies of Widor has just been released. He has recorded many times for the BBC. His teachers have included Simon Preston, Nicholas Danby and Jean Langlais.
His three year studies in France with Jean Langlais at St Clotilde inspired him to specialise in French symphonic and modern music, in particular the works of Franck, Vierne and Langlais. This has brought him wide acclaim throughout the world. In 1988 he played Messiaen in front of the composer himself.
"The most impressive thing about this recording is the acoustic of Lincoln Cathedral which gives a wonderful sense of life and authority to Colin Walsh's fine performance."
(The Organ)
"Colin Walsh's sparkling playing on the Salisbury Cathedral Organ does great justice to the chosen repertoire." (The Organ)
"An excellent, spontaneous performance, showing great panache and authority" (Hifi News)
"In every respect this is a real gem of a disc" (Gramophone)
"He possesses a technique which all but takes one's breath away" (Gramophone)
"Reveals subtle charms as well as moments of pure magic" (Gramophone)
"We were struck by the sense of poetry from this English interpreter" (Rouen Press)
"Outshining stiff competition on the Vierne front is Colin Walsh's magnificent account of the second and third symphonies" (Gramophone)
"Another set of outstanding interpretations, beautifully polished and communicated to the listener with a sense of wholeness and continuity. This is an art that many organsts can emulate" (HiFi News)
"Colin Walsh performed a truly magnificent organ concert here at Uppsala Cathedral this afternoon. The audience (about 200 people) gave him a standing ovation after the final piece. We would be delighted to see Colin here in the future!" (Andrew Canning - Uppsala Cathedral)
His work as organist has always been connected with long established choral foundations: at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle and Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford; at Salisbury Cathedral as Assistant Organist and at St. Albans and Lincoln Cathedrals as Organist. Since January 2003 he has been Organist Laureate of Lincoln Cathedral where he presides over the fine Father Willis organ and plays regularly for the Cathedral's services. He is a Council Member of the Royal College of Organists and has close associations with the Royal Academy of Music and Royal Northern College of Music. He is represented by PVA Management. |
