PHI CD 211: Handel to Wesley
Alan Spedding plays the 1837 Charles Allen Organ in the Chapel of
St Mary & St Everilda, Everingham, East Riding of Yorkshire

George Frederick Handel (1685-1759) - Concerto in 'Judas Maccabaeus'
[1] Overture [1.09] [2] Allegro [3.03] [3] Andante [4.05] [4] March [1.34]
George Frederick Handel - Pieces for Clay's Musical Clock
[5] A Voluntary on a Flight of Angels [1.16] [6] Sonata [1.17] [7] Gigue [1.02]
[8] Minuet [0.43] [9] Air [0.39] [10] Gigue [0.33]
William Boyce (1711-1779) - Trumpet Voluntary I in D
[11] Larghetto [1.20] [12] Vivace [2.42]
John Stanley (1713-1786) - Cornet Voluntary, Op.VII No. 1 in A
[13] Adagio [1.46] [14] Allegro [4.00]
James Nares (1715-1783)
[15] Introduction [2.56] & [16] Fugue ('with the Subject revers'd') [3.08]
William Hayes (1708-1777) - Concerto in G
[17] Adagio - Allegro [4.08] [18] Andante [4.11] [19] Minuetto Allegro [3.01]
William Walond (c.1725-1770) - Voluntary XI Op. 2 No.5
[20] Andante [1.06] [21] Allegro ma non troppo [2.47]
Mathias Hawdon (d. 1789) - Sonata No. IV in B flat
[22] Largo [2.11] [23] Larghetto [1.39] [24] Trumpet and Eccho [3.14]
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
[25] Fragment (1837) & Samuel Wesley - Fugue for Dr Mendelssohn [3.25]
Samuel Wesley (1766-1837) - Voluntary, Op.6 No. 9
[26] Larghetto [1.30] [27] Fantasia [2.22] [28] Moderato [3.37]
Charles Wesley (1757-1834) - Concerto No.1 from 2nd Set
[29] Maestoso [0.32] [30] Allegro moderato [4.14]
[31] Andante pastorale [2.39] [32] Allegro [4.00]
Alan Spedding - organ Recorded 11 August 2004

TOTLA PLAYING TIME: 77.30

Released: 21/10/2004
Acknowledgements:
Amphion Recordings expresses thanks to Father Twomey, Priest in Charge at Everingham and the Guest family, owners of the chapel for permitting these recordings; Carol Parkinson, Administrator of Organ Recitals at Beverley Minster, for much valuable assistance; and David Wood of Huddersfield for tuning the organ.
Recorded & produced by Martin Monkman, Amphion Recordings

Everingham is full of surprises. Its church is dedicated to St Everilda who founded a convent in the village and few parish churches can claim to be named for a saint who actually lived there. The Roman Catholic Chapel adjoining the Hall is one of the East Riding's best kept secrets. Even more surprising is the fact that among its sumptuous furnishings is an authentic English classical organ of 1837 by Charles Allen, with two manuals and pedals.
The design of the organ looks back to the 18th century while incorporating some unexpectedly 'modern' features. It is conservative in preserving the old English compass with the Great organ extending down to bottom F two octaves and a half below middle C and in having a Swell organ whose bottom note is only F immediately below middle C (the modern standard bottom note for all manuals and pedals is C two octaves below middle C). The organ has an octave and a half of pedals (rare in 18th century British organs) with its own set of booming pedal pipes (forward looking for its time). These and other features place it during a period of flux in British organ building, as native organists were becoming more aware of the advanced state of continental instruments with their full compass manuals and pedals, which made it possible to perform a much wider repertoire, including the works of J S Bach which were being rediscovered in the early 19th century.
This programme has been chosen to exploit the capabilities of the Everingham organ and to chart the progress of English organ music from the Baroque to the early Romantic period.

The design of the organ looks back to the 18th century while incorporating some unexpectedly 'modern' features. It is conservative in preserving the old English compass with the Great organ extending down to bottom F two octaves and a half below middle C and in having a Swell organ whose bottom note is only F immediately below middle C (the modern standard bottom note for all manuals and pedals is C two octaves below middle C). The organ has an octave and a half of pedals (rare in 18th century British organs) with its own set of booming pedal pipes (forward looking for its time). These and other features place it during a period of flux in British organ building, as native organists were becoming more aware of the advanced state of continental instruments with their full compass manuals and pedals, which made it possible to perform a much wider repertoire, including the works of J S Bach which were being rediscovered in the early 19th century.
This programme has been chosen to exploit the capabilities of the Everingham organ and to chart the progress of English organ music from the Baroque to the early Romantic period.

© Alan Spedding 2004

The organ in the Chapel of St Mary and St Everilda, Everingham
The Roman Catholic Chapel of St Mary the Virgin and St Everilda is a great surprise. Here in the East Riding is a grand Italian church. The impressive stuccoed classical exterior almost dwarfs the delightful red-brick Everingham Hall which adjoins. The hall, designed by John Carr, was built between 1757 and 1764 for William Haggerston Constable. It was his descendant William Constable-Maxwell, later 10th Lord Herries, who built the chapel between 1836 and 1839 after the passing of the Catholic Emancipation Act, when it became legal for Roman Catholic churches to be built. Designed in Italy by a young Roman architect, Agostino Giorgioli, its building was supervised by John Harper of York. The interior is magnificent, with giant Corinthian scagliola columns, niches with plaster statues of the Apostles and bas-reliefs of episodes in the life of Christ by Luigi Bozzoni of Carrara. The altar is of marble inset with panels of polished granite and porphyry.
© David Neave 2004

DR ALAN SPEDDING MBE

Alan Spedding was born in London and studied organ and cello at the Royal College of Music. He was organist at Kingston Parish Church before his appointment to Beverley Minster in 1967, where he has been Organist and Master of the Choristers since this date. He has been instrumental in making the great Snetzler/Hill organ better known through recitals, recordings and broadcasts. Alan Spedding is well known as an organ recitalist and has played in many cathedrals, concert halls and universities in Britain.
He has also undertaken recital tours in Germany, Holland and Belguim. A number of his choir and organ solo pieces have been published and performed not only in the UK but in Australia, the USA and Europe. He has broadcast many times on television and radio as organist, conductor and lecturer and has made several recordings. For eighteen years he was music master at Beverley Grammar School and as the conductor of the East Riding County Choir and, formerly with Hull Choral Union, he has conducted most of the standard works in the repertoire.
Alan Spedding is a well-known music festival adjudicator and has directed many choral courses and other events for the Royal School of Church Music. He has served as a council member and diploma examiner for the Royal College of Organists and was created Doctor of Music by the University of Hull in 1994. He was awarded the MBE, for services to music, in the Queen's 2003 Birthday Honours List.