The German premier of Stanford’s Concert Piece for Organ and Orchestra (Op. 181) will be given on the 31st of December 2016 at 16:00 in the Basilica of St Aposteln in Cologne. The work will be performed by the Orchestra of Basilikamusik under the baton of Vincent Heitzer with Richard Brasier at the Organ.
This work was completed on the 15 April 1921 whilst Stanford was on holiday in Malvern. Stanford sought its publication but was ultimately unsuccessful. The first performance of the work was given by Dame Gillian Weir (Organist) and Vernon Handley (Conductor) with the Ulster orchestra on the 19th of June 1990 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. These forces subsequently recorded the work for Chandos Records. There are plans for the publication of the score by Dr.J.Butz of the Musikverlag in Bonn in 2017.
The programme for this concert is as follows:
Organ Concerto No.2 in G minor – Joseph Gabriel Rheinberger (1839-1901)
Concerto for Organ, Strings & Timpani – Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)
Concert Piece for Organ and Orchestra – Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924)
Richard Brasier – Organist
Basilikamusik Orchestra
Vincent Heitzer – Conductor
Admission – 15 Euro
