Organist and choirmaster David Burchell knows a Saint-Saëns piece backwards.
You think violinists have it tough? All that sawing away, hour after hour. Spare a thought, then, for orchestral organists. You sit with your back to the other musicians, looking not directly at the conductor but through a closed-circuit TV screen or even a mirror. Because of the delay caused by the organ’s mechanics, you have to play ahead of the beat and the pipes are generally arrayed in a way that means you have the worst seat in the house to hear the thing you’re playing. One is reminded of Ginger Rogers’ dictum that she did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels.
Dunedin city organist – that’s an official title – David Burchell, being a tall man, has an extra issue to contend with on Dunedin Town Hall’s instrument.
“In its normal position,” Burchell says, “the mirror just gives me a view of my own head, so I hook the mirror over to see past myself to the conductor.”
The next time he has to do that the conductor will be James Judd, who leads Dunedin Symphony Orchestra in Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No 3, better known as the Organ Symphony, on Saturday, September 13. There’s not actually that much organ in it.
“It’s very much that the organ is an extra sonority,” Burchell says. “This isn’t a concerto; the organ doesn’t enter until about 20 minutes in. You sort of sit there twiddling your thumbs thinking, ‘Will I stuff it up when I finally come in?’”
Indeed, for this concert the city organist has more to do in his role as music director of City Choir Dunedin, preparing his group for the concert’s other work, Francis Poulenc’s Gloria. It’s a wonderful piece that deserves to be better known, and will feature soprano Anna Leese as soloist.
For religious music it’s often quite boisterous, bringing to mind the famous quote about Poulenc that he was half monk, half hooligan. This monk isn’t exactly a hooligan, but he’s definitely been at the Frangelico.
“Lighthearted is not quite the right word,” Burchell says of the Gloria, “but Poulenc gives it a light touch. It’s joyful but not a deeply serious religious work.”
Burchell says his aim is to make the choir “bulletproof” before Judd takes over.
“So they know the notes, they know the text, they’re able to get their heads out of the book and respond to what James wants. And it’s nice to hear the choir respond to somebody else’s leadership, who may get something out of the choir that I don’t.”
Does Burchell ever have concerns about handing his charges over to someone else?
“It’s a little nerve-racking,” he says. “But the choir has never let me down yet.” l
Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, soloist Anna Leese: Gloria and Organ Symphony, Dunedin Town Hall, September 13.
