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Recital by Jonathan Clinch as part of Cathedral Music Festival

Wednesday June 11th 2014

Day
four of the Belfast Cathedral Music Festival saw an organ recital by a splendid
visiting artist, Jonathan Clinch of Durham University. 

The week long Belfast Cathedral Music Festival opened on June 7
with a concert by the Edinburgh University Music Society, and continued on
Sunday with a superb performance of Jonah–Man Jazz featuring the pupils of the
Cathedral’s Choir School Project, the Girls’ Choir and the Cathedral Jazz Band.

On Monday evening, the Girls’ Choir were in the Cathedral again
for Sung Compline.

Jonathan Clinch is an organist and musicologist based at Durham
University. He received his early education at Bradford Grammar School, holding
the post of organ scholar at Blackburn Cathedral during his sixth–form years.

He read music at Oxford University, where he held the organ
scholarship at Keble College, studying with David Sanger, Nicolas Kynaston and
Colm Carey. Upon graduating he took up the post of Assistant Organist at St
George’s Cathedral, Perth, Western Australia and was subsequently College Organist
at Bradfield College in Berkshire.

In 2009 he completed an MA degree (with distinction) in organ
performance at Durham, studying with Dame Gillian Weir.  He followed this
with part–time PhD study on the music of Herbert Howells.

Since August 2013, Jonathan has worked for the university, where
he oversees extra–circular music and teaches in the music department. His
recent completion of Herbert Howells’s unfinished Cello Concerto has just been
published by Novello and recorded by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Writing
his blog after Jonathan’s recital on Tuesday June 10, the Dean of Belfast, the
Very Rev John Mann, said: “Organ recitals are a unique musical experience in
that there is very little that is visual, but a huge and at times emotionally
draining contrast in sound to be heard. 
What it must take out a performer is hard to imagine.”

Jonathan played four
pieces. The first three were J.S. Bach – Fantasia &
Fugue in G minor BWV 542; Percy Whitlock – Fantasie Choral no.2 in F sharp
minor and César Franck– Andantino

Dean
Mann writes: “The last, definitely not an after service voluntary, lasting
about 25 minutes, Julius Reubke’s Sonata
on the 94th Psalm, presented just the kind of contrasts that an
organ can produce – and played brilliantly. 
Thank you!”

The
Cathedral Music Festival continues tonight (Wednesday) with an organ recital by
the Cathedral’s own Master of the Choristers David Stevens, with the St Anne’s
Girls’ Choir.

The
Girls’ Choir will also sing Choral Evensong at 5.30pm tonight.

The
remainder of the festival programme is as follows:

THURSDAY 12th 7:30pm
Solo violin & harpsichord works

Katie Stevens, violin

John Mann, violin, cello

David Stevens, harpsichord

To include works by J. S. Bach, C. P. E. Bach and G. F. Händel

FRIDAY 13th 7:30pm
Vocal & orchestral works

Catherine Harper, soprano

Belfast Baroque

To include Neun
deutsches Arien by G. F.
Händel

SATURDAY 14th 7:30pm
Baroque Favourites

Handel: Zadok the Priest

Bach: Wohl mir, dass ich Jesum habe, BWV 147 (10)

Vivaldi: Gloria from Gloria in D major, RV 589

Bach: Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordan kam, BWV 7

Bach: Violin Concerto, BWV 1042

Purcell: Rejoice in the Lord always

Handel: ‘Hallelujah’ from Messiah

SUNDAY 15th 11:00am
Festival Eucharist

St. Anne’s Cathedral Choir

Belfast Baroque

Mozart: Spatzenmesse

Bach: Wohl mir,
dass ich Jesum habe, BWV 147 (10)

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