On Saturday 25 April, at 7:30 pm, the Quiristers went to an organ recital at Winchester Cathedral to see Thomas Trotter, an international concert organist. He played the pieces elegantly, one by one, pressing his and the composer’s feelings to us. It was perfect for a radiant evening at Winchester.

Thomas Trotter is one of the most widely admired musicians in the world. He has won many awards including The Queen awarding him The Queen’s Medal for Music. He was an organ scholar at King’s College Cambridge and later on played a role in many orchestras and concerts all around the world.

He started the concert by playing the Grand Choeur Dialogue by Eugene Gigout (1844-1925). This piece had a lot of trumpet-like sound filling the entire cathedral with resonance.

Next, he played Musica Ricercarta by Hungarian composer György Ligeti (1923-2006). This was not the easiest piece to listen to and Ligeti wanted it to be like that. The pace on the hands was totally different which made playing extremely difficult. However, the low quick pitches up to the high chords were played brilliantly by Thomas Trotter.

Thirdly, he played Sonata in G major by Edward Elgar (1857-1925) which had four sections to it; Allegro maestoso, Allegretto, Andante espressivo and Presto (comodo). This piece was very animated in the sections, and alive. It was also nostalgically played, which made the piece very exquisite.

Then, it was Chanson by the Czech composer Rudulf Friml (1879-1972). The piece was legato all through, which made a short sound very “chanson” like.

Lastly, it was the final piece of the concert, Etude Héroique Op 38 by Rachel Laurin (1961-2023). The piece was fast-paced throughout. It is especially challenging for organists to play this piece, especially the pedalling footwork, however, Thomas Trotter made it look easy.

As the organ recital came to a conclusion, the Quiristers were very pleased with the performance. And finally, Thomas Trotter came down from the organ loft to greet us all. It was a truly great start to the term.

By Riku
Year 8 Quirister