Holy Trinity Church pipe organ concert

SOARING PIPES: The Holy Trinity Church's German-built, World War 2 memorial organ will come alive this month in the hands of organist Anthony Tattersall who will perform a range of works by English, German Irish and Kiwi composers. Picture supplied

The Holy Trinity Church’s “characterful ranks” of pipes allows a musical picture to be painted with brilliant and subtle colours, says organist Anthony Tattersall.

Accompanied by his wife Kerry, a soprano who will sing a few solo pieces, Mr Tattersall will perform an eclectic range of works on the church’s German-built, World War 2 memorial organ.

“Its thunderous sounds stir the heart while the soft flutes bring a calmness to such a wonderful place of worship,” he says.

Works for the concert range from the meditative to the ceremonious. The programmes include early 20th-century German composer Sigfrid Karg-Elert Nun Danket Alle Gott (Now thank we all our God) and Irish composer Charles Villiers Stanford’s Postlude on a theme of Gibbons, a work of barely-restrained drama, played by organist Anthony Tattersall.

English composer Edward Elgar’s Nimrod from the composer’s Enigma Variations also features in the programme.

Each variation is a musical sketch of one of the composer’s circle of close acquaintances.

The sketches are not portraits. Each variation contains an idea built on a particular personality or incident.

Nimrod (Variation IX) refers to an Old Testament patriarch described as “a mighty hunter before the Lord”.

Variation IX relates to music editor Augustus J. Jaeger, a close friend of Elgar who encouraged him to continue composing despite setbacks.

Jäger is German for hunter.

Before he migrated from Britain to New Zealand, Mr Tattersall was organist and master of choristers at a large parish church. Because the church had a “double choir’, it sang a cathedral repertoire.

Mr Tattersall’s love of music began as a seven-year-old when he joined the cathedral choir in the Lancashire town of Blackburn.

For the next 35 years, he served as a choral scholar and musician at the Gothic revival cathedral. “I used to sit for hours listening to fine cathedral organists fill the large acoustic with enchanting sound and marvelled in their talents. Their inspiration has brought me to this point here at Holy Trinity.”

Reverend Stephen Donald, priest-in-charge looks forward to Mr Tattersall “putting our organ through its paces”.

“There are fewer occasions to hear our unique instrument played than in the past. Two of our regular organists have retired in the past year, and the organ is played regularly only one Sunday a month, and at some weddings and funerals.”

ProgrammeNimrod — Edward Elgar (England, 18th century)

Nun Danket Alle Gott — Sigfrid Karg-Elert (Germany, 20th century)

Slow movement and Trumpet Voluntary — John Stanley (England, 18th century)

Tuba Tune — Craig Lang (New Zealand, 20th century)

Elegy — Charles Parry (England, 18th century)

Andante — Adolf Hesse (Germany, 19th century)

Toccata and Fugue in D Minor — Johann Sebastian Bach (Germany, 18th century)

Prelude and Fugue in G minor (BWV 558) — Bach

Postlude on a theme of Gibbons (song 22) — Charles Stanford (Ireland, 19th century)

¦ Organist Anthony Tattersall will perform a range of works on the Holy Trinity Church pipe organ at 2pm Sunday. The programme includes soprano solos by Kerry Tattersall.

Cost: Adults $15, students and children $2

Mr Tattersall will also play at the Holy Communion at 10am.