St Albans International Organ Festival

The International Organ Festival (IOF) is a biennial music festival and organ competition held in St Albans, England since 1963. Originally held annually, it was changed to every two years in 1965 due to the complexity of organising the increasingly ambitious programme. The festival is run mainly by volunteers.

Background

The festival was conceived by Peter Hurford to celebrate the building of the new organ in St Albans Cathedral by Harrison & Harrison. The main competitions are still conducted on this instrument, its eclectic style and modern electropneumatic action now complemented by another self-contained tracker action instrument which The International Organ Festival Society, the charity which runs the Festival, has had built for its own use and sited at St Saviour's Church, St Albans. This was built by Peter Collins in the style of, and in homage to, the early 18th century German organ builder Andreas Silbermann. There is a new (2005) organ in St Peter's Church, St Albans by Mander Organs, which from 2007 will play a role in the festival and competitions.

There are two main competitions, the interpretation competition and the improvisation competition (the Tournemire Prize). Judges have included Piet Kee, Marie-Claire Alain, Anton Heiller, Ralph Downes, Thomas Trotter, Ton Koopman, Naji Hakim and David Sanger. The competition is considered prestigious, as may be judged by the list of past winners, and judges have occasionally decided not to award first prize.

Alongside the festival there is an exhibition of organs by the major British organ builders, and during the week there are demonstration recitals played on these.

The main concert series includes large orchestral and choral works, solo performances, and cabaret in the evenings. Many of the great orchestras (the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and others) have played in the Festival, and there have been recitals and concerts from performers such as John Williams, Sarah Walker, Musica Antiqua Köln, Evelyn Glennie, Emma Kirkby and James Bowman. Concerts have sometimes been broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Most of the concerts take place in the Cathedral, but some take place in St Saviour's.

The artistic directors have almost all been the Master of the Music of the Cathedral from the time of the founding of the festival by Peter Hurford until today. The current Artistic Director is Andrew Lucas.

The 2007 Festival (which took place 12-20th July) featured organists Ludger Lohmann, David Titterington, Lynne Davis, Paul Jacobs, Martin Baker (all Jury Members) and Simon Johnson and Richard Pinel; the choirs of St Albans Cathedral, St John's College, Cambridge, St Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, NYC; St Albans Abbey Girls' Choir, St Albans Bach Choir, Black Voices, the Hilliard Ensemble; Sinfonia Verdi; solo artists Catherine Bott and John Lill; and conductors John Scott, David Hill and Andrew Lucas.

The Fringe

In 2007 for the first time [http://www.leisureconnection.co.uk/content/4/193/festivals.html St Albans Festival] came together with the International Organ Festival to provide a fringe programme. Events were mostly outdoors in historic parts of the City such as in front of the Clock Tower and in the Tudor streets of St Michael's or in the Alban Arena. Artists taking part included Seth Lakeman and Isla St Clair.

Previously, cabaret events and other entertainment had been run as part of the festival, including performances from Richard Stilgoe, Jake Thackray, Instant Sunshine and others.

Past winners

Interpretation competition

*1963 Susan Landale, UK
*1964 Gillian Weir, UK
*1965 Hans Joachim Bartsch, Germany
*1967 Danièle Gullo, France
*1969 David Sanger, UK
*1971 Larry Cortner, USA
*1973 Jan Overduin, The Netherlands / Walter Glyn Jenkins, UK
*1975 Lynne Davis, USA
*1977 Peggy Haas, USA / Marcus Huxley, UK "(joint second)"
*1979 Thomas Trotter, UK
*1981 David Rowland, UK "(second prize)"
*1983 Kevin Bowyer, UK
*1985 Kimberly Marshall, USA
*1987 Bas de Vroome, The Netherlands "(second prize)"
*1989 Mikael Wahlin, Sweden
*1991 Joseph Adam, USA
*1993 Gabriel Marghieri, France
*1995 Mattias Wager, Sweden
*1997 David Goode, UK "(second prize)"
*1999 Pier-Damiano Peretti, Italy
*2001 Johannes Unger, Germany
*2003 Herman Jordaan, South Africa
*2005 Andrew Dewar, UK
*2007 Ulrich Walther, Germany [ [http://www.herts24.co.uk/search/story.aspx?brand=HADOnline&category=WhatsonMusicClas&itemid=WEED26%20Jul%202007%2011:32:32:077&tBrand=HADOnline&tCategory=search Herts Advertiser 26 July 2007 - accessed 13 August 2007] ]

Improvisation competition

*1963 Guy Bovet, Switzerland
*1964 André Isoir, France
*1971 Hans Eugen Frischknecht, Switzerland
*1973 Kees van Ersel, The Netherlands
*1975 Nathan Ensign, USA
*1977 Jos van der Kooy, The Netherlands
*1979 Christoph Tietze, USA
*1983 Naji Hakim, France
*1985 Marie-Bernadette Dufourcet-Hakim, France
*1987 David Drury, Australia
*1991 Christoph Kuhlmann, Germany
*1993 David Briggs, UK
*1997 Martin Baker, UK
*2001 Hayo Boerema, The Netherlands / Thomas Lennartz, Germany "(joint second)"
*2003 Robert Houssart, The Netherlands
*2005 Gerben Mourik, The Netherlands
*2007 not awarded [ [http://www.herts24.co.uk/search/story.aspx?brand=HADOnline&category=WhatsonMusicClas&itemid=WEED26%20Jul%202007%2011:32:32:077&tBrand=HADOnline&tCategory=search Herts Advertiser 26 July 2007 - accessed 13 August 2007] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.organfestival.com/ IOFS website]