Audiences enjoyed nearly two weeks of concerts as St Albans International Organ Festival celebrated its 60th anniversary.
The event - which started on Monday, July 3 - featured live performances by international artists, with an atmosphere very different from the 31st biennial festival two years ago, which took place just as pandemic restrictions were easing.
On Saturday, July 15, the festival concluded with a concert by the winning organists of its associated competitions.
The Intepretation First Prize and Gold Medal were presented to Sunkyung Noh from South Korea, who is studying in Leipzig after completing her first degree in Hamburg.
Due to an exceptional field of candidates, joint first prize in the Improvisation Competition was awarded to Samuel Gaskin from the USA and Niklas Jahn from Germany.
Highlights from the concert included the performance of two monumental works in the same evening: The Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony and Berlioz’s Te Deum, presented by Britten Sinfonia with the St Albans Bach Choir and Cathedral Choristers.
The Tallis Scholars also performed their first ever concert in St Albans.
A wide range of musical tastes were catered for, with solo piano performances, jazz and classical song, chamber ensembles, symphonic repertoire and more.
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Artists included the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective, renowned pianist Angela Hewitt, tenor James Gilchrist with Anna Tilbrook, celebrated violinist Rachel Podger with Christopher Glynn and special guest narrator John Suchet, and the evergreen jazz singer and Hertfordshire resident Elaine Delmar.
In addition to the regular programme of concerts, the festival also held Bach Corner lunchtime concerts in the Cathedral Crossing, giving a platform to outstanding young organists for 30 minutes of uplifting music in the middle of the day.
An art exhibition was also in display in the North Transept at St Albans Cathedral, while Lussmanns restaurant hosted live jazz music from musicians Gareth Hunt, Mike Gorman, Bob Haddrell, Dom Pipkin and Sean Hargreaves.
Planning is already underway for the 33rd festival, which will take place in July 2025.
Before then, the festival's monthly free concerts will start up again in September.
Details will be published at https://organfestival.com/.
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