Alan Horsey, Organ Recital, Leeds Town Hall

Dan Potts reviews: Alan Horsey, Organ Recital, Leeds Town Hall, Monday 1st October 2012 …

An apparently unrelenting deluge was the external weather condition in which Monday’s organ recital was given. The gods were not smiling on Leeds city centre. It was certainly necessary to be fleet of foot when traversing the short distance from bus stop to Town Hall entrance. A complete dousing was narrowly avoided. A dry, warm welcome awaited the music-lover in the Victoria Hall; and to be received in this floridly salubrious, marbled chamber was like entering the idealised bowel of some sort of mythological behemoth, viscerally opposed to the rain-gods. This sense was heightened greatly by the performance of the sixth of the eight pieces in the program, for it was a ‘Sun Dance’ by Chilcott. With its additive rhythm and jazz-like syncopations it was a quirky number engaging a popular aesthetic and providing variety: a good choice by Alan Horsey. According to the program notes, he is no stranger to variety – ‘Such spare time as Alan now has is devoted to his twin passions: domestic poultry and woodwork.’ It can be said that owing to the instrumental, timbral continuity of the recital, Alan Horsey might well be pleased to learn that the variety brought to the program by ‘Sun Dance’ was not jarring. Indeed, it ‘dovetailed’ quite nicely.

‘Toccata’ by Belier opened the proceedings. Arresting for the rapid, repeated, sequential agitation in the treble it was eventually grounded in the employment of the pedals. What at first seemed to be an imperfection of dragging in the playing style was revealed on further hearing to be a highly polished, pianistic one, which allowed for the resonance to decay tastefully: no mean feat in the cavernous chamber that is Victoria Hall. Bach came next with ‘Prelude and Fugue in G, S541’. The prelude, which was modest to begin with, had a ceremonial quality in the contrapuntal writing. The piece charmed with a broadly antiphonal passage; the call of a single, bare melodic line was responded to with polyphony. Gravity came toward the close with a descending bass-line anchoring a sequential passage, infused with that unique, measured pianism previously mentioned. The Fugue was piano and modest at the entry of the first subject. A divine sense of unfolding revelation was conveyed through the harmonic progression in the development of this with other strands. This was food for the soul, soothing and enlivening, becoming more grandiose and profound toward the close via a gradual crescendo.

Boyce followed with a two-movement ‘Trumpet Voluntary in D’. The Larghetto, which was hymn-like to begin with and, conveyed with a sense of innocence, developed more into a sort of aria. Pleasing suspensions in sequence described resolutions of dissonances as polyphony ensued. The Vivace involved a much more ‘fruity’ trumpet sound and was more forte. This was a duet full of dynamic contrast. Perhaps the ritardando at the close was too drawn out. Franck’s ‘Andantino in G minor’ was the curious piece that followed the Boyce. The first section, with very simple harmonic progressions, seemed to be a sort of folk-song made edgy with the choice of melodic sound. The next section, which was harmonically more complex, was much softer timbrally. Following the return of the folk-song a slower section with fruity and spicy melodic timbres resolved, unexpectedly, in a minor key after much vacillation between augmented sixth and diminished seventh over a nagging dominant pedal. A challenging piece performed with that unique measure which allows for the decay of the resonance.

Next came a piece that stood out from the rest: Reger’s ‘Introduction & Passacaglia in D minor’. A grandiose opening speaking major-minor shifts showed off the power of the organ impressively. The passacaglia began on the pedals only, Horsey’s hands employed altering the stops. This was an unusual spectacle coupled with the rhythmic regularity of the passacaglia. The pedals continued in this fashion while two contrapuntal lines emerged over the consoles. A slow crescendo and gradual acceleration began the end of the piece with trills on the pedals and pulsating modal ascents. Excellent measure was displayed throughout as unexpected harmonic sequences introduced unrelated tonal areas. Then came the aforementioned ‘Sun Dance’ by Chilcott with its jazz-like additive and syncopated rhythms, which confused the ear further with repeated hemiolas. There followed an extremely charming piece by Carter – ‘Aria’ – which spoke longingly, regretfully and resignedly through soft timbres and lulling rhythms of former hope. The softness of the piece allowed it not to be pulled about to allow for the decay, and it was performed in strict time; this added greater, more mature profundity.

Happily the recital ended with a barn-storming ‘Toccata in B flat minor (Pieces de Fantaisie)’ by Vierne. Horsey grappled with this monster with apparent ease, and still with pianistic measure. Complex, rapid agitation and unexpected harmonic progressions ensued. The piece ended following a highly impressive passage in which ascending melodic lines were played with such ferocity that the effect was one of pulsation. This led to profound, unfolding contrary motion toward the close. Horsey’s program allowed for such comprehensive (genre-specific) variety that he was unable to allow time for oral interventions. Instead, he modestly took a bow and gesticulated toward the organ itself by way of an acknowledgement of the instrument itself. The absence of an introduction to his oral persona was compensated for by a tour of his musical character. The impression was one of great subtlety and variety.