programme notes

A Celebration of the Life of
David Sanger
17 April 1947 – 28 May 2010
Saturday 5 March 2011 at 2pm
Great St Mary's, the University Church, Cambridge
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Davidʼs family and friends welcome you to this celebration of his life.
We are delighted that so many distinguished musicians will be performing and look
forward to welcoming you to the reception which follows at Selwyn College.
Programme
Choir directed by Tim Brown (formerly Director of Music, Clare College, Cambridge)
Organists: Richard Beckford (Associate Professor and Director of Choirs, South Carolina State University) and Ian
Tindale (Organ Scholar, Selwyn College, Cambridge)
O filii et filiae – Old French Melody arr. David Sanger
For today’s event, many of David’s friends, family, colleagues and students have come together to sing two of his choral pieces. Some of the
singers are experienced, professional-standard performers and others have not sung for the best part of twenty years!
The first piece was written for Easter Day at Westminster Cathedral and is scored for two organs, choir and congregation. Since we have all of
those resources available today, we thought we would make use of them! The audience is invited to join in as directed.
Refrain (after each verse, all join in): Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
O sons and daughters, let us sing!
The King of Heaven, the glorious King,
O’er death today rose triumphing.
When Thomas afterwards had heard
That Jesus had fulfilled his word,
He doubted if it were the Lord.
On this most holy day of days,
To God your hearts and voices raise
In laud and jubilee and praise.
That Easter morn, at break of day,
The faithful women went their way
To seek the tomb where Jesus lay.
“My piercèd side, O Thomas, see;
My hands, My feet, I show to thee;
Not faithless but believing be.”
An angel bade their sorrow flee,
For thus he spake unto the three:
“Your Lord is gone to Galilee.”
No longer Thomas then denied;
He saw the feet, the hands, the side;
“Thou art my Lord and God,” he cried.
ALL:
And we with holy church unite,
As evermore is just and right,
In glory to the King of Light.
Choir only:
Alleluia!
That night th’apostles met in fear;
Amidst them came their Lord most dear,
And said, “My peace be on all here.”
How blest are they who have not seen,
And yet whose faith has constant been;
For they eternal life shall win.
Timothy Byram-Wigfield (Director of Music, St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle)
Prelude and Fugue in A minor BWV 543 – Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
I first had lessons with David when arriving as a very young and naïve organ scholar of Christ Church, Oxford in 1982. David was consistently
warm-hearted, encouraging, and patient in equal measure! – and these qualities have since formed the basis of my approach to all my pupils. I
continued to receive lessons from him as Sub Organist of Winchester Cathedral, during which time we were delighted and proud to welcome him
to give the Celebrity recital for the Southern Cathedrals’ Festival.
The natural warmth of his character encouraged a long friendship, lasting through my appointments in Edinburgh and in Cambridge. I have
chosen the Bach A minor not only to reflect the innate scholarship and technique which David brought to his teaching of baroque music, but also
as a fine musical example of maturity, flair, and nobility, which were the very qualities of his own playing.
Tim Byram-Wigfield
Clive Driskill-Smith (Sub-Organist, Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford)
Roulade – Seth Bingham (1882-1972)
I studied with David for ten years (1996-2006) while Organ Scholar and then Sub-Organist at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. I first heard
David play Bingham's Roulade as an encore at his Royal Festival Hall recital in 2003. When he next came to Oxford I remember we talked about
Roulade over a pint and agreed that it is a charming piece which works well as a light interlude in between larger works in a concert programme.
David played it in many recitals over the last six years, including his last performance at Glenalmond School Chapel on 22nd April 2010, and I
chose to play Roulade today because it reflects David's sense of fun and the twinkle in his eye. He used to introduce it by saying "You have
probably all eaten a roulade, but have you ever heard a musical one?!"
Clive Driskill-Smith
Hans Fagius (Professor of Organ, Royal Danish Academy of Music)
Passacaglia – David Sanger (written for Hans’s 50th birthday)
I met David for the first time in 1972 at an organ competition in Leipzig where we both were candidates, and we spent quite a lot of time together
there. Then we lost contact for some years until I was asked from Norway if I could arrange some concerts for David in Sweden. That was, I think
1978, and after that David was my best friend in the organ world. I am sure I have helped him with 50 concerts in Sweden and I have been to
England many times because of his help.
He was a dear friend of my family and he was our guest many, many times. We spent quite a lot of time playing organ duets, made a CD together
and played many duet concerts around Europe over several years. I feel that we had a unique friendship despite living so far from each other. I
think we both very much looked forward to the occasions when we could meet in Sweden, England or elsewhere when we both played in the
same festival or were member of the same competition jury.
It was an incredibly moving surprise when, just in time for my 50th birthday, I received an envelope from David containing an organ piece written
as a birthday present.
The Passacaglia is more harmonically advanced than David’s other organ works, and there is a clear tribute to Bach in the structure. However,
you can also hear influences of Frank Martin’s famous Passacaglia, one of David’s favourites.
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In the theme, eight bars long, all 12 chromatic notes are included, and it is repeated 14 times in the piece (14 is the number created by the letters
B+A+C+H, where A=1, B=2, etc.). After we have heard the theme six times there comes a section with three variations where the passacagliatheme is combined with a new second theme and a theme based on the notes in Bach’s name (in German, B means B-flat and H means B-natural),
creating a three-part counterpoint where the themes change places. In the last section the BACH-theme is again combined with the passacagliatheme, but now as a part of a massive structure with double pedal.
I remember that David proudly told me about the complicated structure of the piece, something that had caused him considerable work!
Hans Fagius
Hans Fagius and Stephen Farr
1st movement from Duet for Organ – Samuel Wesley (1766-1837)
The practice of playing the organ four-handed seems to us a mere curiosity but was a widely accepted phenomenon at the end of the 18th century
and in the first half of the 19th century. In some countries the pedal was insufficient for playing, for example, the music of JS Bach, a problem
which was solved by playing four-handed. In England, the pre-requisites for playing the European repertoire with pedal were extremely limited
since English organs generally lacked a pedalboard well into the 19th century. The leading organist in England at the turn of the 18th and 19th
centuries was Samuel Wesley, who was significant as a composer and an enthusiastic advocate of JS Bach’s music. The Duet in C, sometimes
called Grand Duet, dated 24 May 1812 was written to be played by Wesley together with Vincent Novello. It is conceived on a large scale in a
typically Wesleyan mixture of Classical, early Romantic and conservative Baroque styles.
David often performed duets with, among others, John Scott, Stephen Farr and Hans Fagius, with whom he released a duet recording in 1985 to
wide critical acclaim. The recording was made at Österhaninge Church in Sweden, which featured a rather creaky organ bench. This nearly ruined
a number of takes as Hans and David tried as hard as they could to suppress their laughter…
John Scott (Director of Music, St Thomas, Fifth Avenue, New York City)
Adagio in E – Frank Bridge (1879-1941)
I have many happy memories of David – playing some duet concerts together; examining at the RCO; as Chair of the Organ Department at the
RAM; teaching together in Cambridge as part of the Oundle course and staying with him in Cumbria. In all of this, he was the most genial,
entertaining and engaging colleague. The last time I saw him was when he came to stay with me in New York, just as the final proofs for his
Vierne edition had been sent to the printer. In passing, I made a comment about having read something about a missing bar in the Adagio of
Symphonie VI. As meticulous as ever, he was immediately on the trail and sent faxes to Jon Laukvik and Carus, the publishers. This chance
conversation led to the anomaly being acknowledged in the final print and David’s endless fascination with the correctness and completeness of
the score was satisfied!
Although David specifically asked us not to mourn his untimely passing, it seems appropriate to offer something to honour his memory which
encompasses a mood of nostalgic reflection. The Bridge Adagio fulfils this, without being unduly elegiac, I hope.
The work begins with a whisper – the main theme presented in the tenor register (Bridge was an accomplished viola player). This haunting melodic
figure winds its way through the other voices as they enter, with string-like subtlety and enigmatic harmonic direction.
A new paragraph heralds a slow crescendo to a glorious emotional climax, out of which tranquillity is gradually restored. The work ends, as it
began, in an atmosphere of wistful and contemplative stillness, enhanced by the unexpected final cadence.
John Scott
Stephen Farr (Director of Music, Worcester College, Oxford and St Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge)
Deuxième Fantaisie – Jehan Alain (1911-40)
One of David's great gifts as a teacher was knowing exactly when to present his students with repertoire that would engage and enthuse them. For
me, the crucial moment came in 1980 with the loan of a battered copy of Jehan Alain's 'Trois Pieces', a gesture which sparked an abiding love of
the composer: so it's a privilege to play one of Alain's works today - one with which David himself had a particular affinity. The link between
David and Marie-Claire Alain, of course, needs no further comment.
Alain's 'Deuxieme Fantaisie' was premiered by the composer in the Basilique Saint-Ferjean in 1936 and is now among his most frequently
performed works. Alain's individual harmonic language and characteristically imaginative use of sonority are clearly evident, and his longstanding interest in the music of the Orient finds notable expression in the sinuous melody heard (on the Cromorne) in the second section of the
work. The work is performed today in the version transmitted in the edition of 1943, and incorporates some minor modifications of harmony and
rhythm taken from the autograph MS.
Stephen Farr
Philip Rushforth (Director of Music, Chester Cathedral)
Marche Européenne – David Sanger
Two Chorale Preludes – Johann Christoph Oley (1738-98)
o Wenn meine Sünd mich kränken (If my sins trouble me)
o Wie schön leucht der Morgenstern (How brightly shines the morning star)
I remember meeting David at a recital he gave at Chester Cathedral in the early 1980s when I was a chorister. Having started learning the organ
with Roger Fisher, a few years later I was put into a masterclass that David gave at the Wesley Church in Chester, which contains a fine threemanual JJ Binns. I played the first movement of the Elgar Sonata in G to him and he gave instruction as to how best manage the large intermanual stretches. David was the first person I considered for lessons when I became organ scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge. He seemed to
have the monopoly of students in Oxbridge and I looked forward to my lessons every three weeks with him. I was always his first student the
morning after we had drunk a few pints of Abbot Ale in the Champion of the Thames, and I remember many evenings spent listening to music in
my rooms with him and the likes of Rupert Jeffcoat and David Woodcock until the early hours.
David always sent me copies of his compositions, and I felt compelled to programme his Marche Européenne today. I played it on 19 May last
year in Lake Como, Italy, just nine days before he died. I texted him to say I was playing it and he replied straight away with a typically
appreciative response. In my time as Assistant Organist of Southwell Minster, a conference was arranged in Edinburgh which included a class
with David exploring unusual repertoire for the liturgical year. I volunteered to play and he said that I should learn a few chorale preludes by
Johann Christoph Oley, two of which I have chosen for today’s concert. They are delightful pieces and David liked original and humorous music.
Wie schön reminds me of his cheeky sense of humour and infectious giggle, usually coupled to a critical but encouraging remark made about my
playing!
Philip Rushforth
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David Goode (Organist, Eton College)
1st Movement from Sonata No 2 – Max Reger (1873-1916)
I met David when I went up to Cambridge as Organ Scholar at King’s in 1991, and he became my organ teacher for the next 4 years. For a gifted
but slightly headstrong student he was the perfect teacher: patient, highly informed, good fun and just firm enough (usually with a well-chosen
word or two). I was already heavily into Reger and considered that I was quite flash to be doing the Second Sonata. However, there were quite a
lot of rough edges, and the way he dealt with this was: ‘Do you know, I just heard Hans Fagius perform this sonata. He did all the registrations
himself, and I don’t think there was a single wrong note in it. Makes you think doesn’t it?’ It did. Moreover his approach to Reger playing, in
particular making coherent sense of its architecture, (and bothering to play every note properly if one can), has profoundly influenced my own,
for which I’m most grateful. After I left Cambridge he was always available with a helpful reply to a query, or a copy of an edition. He will be
much missed.
David Goode
Jon Laukvik (Professor at the University of Music and Interpretative Art, Stuttgart and professor at the Norwegian
Academy of Music (Norges musikkhøgskole), Oslo
Two Chorale Preludes – Johannes Brahms (1833-97)
o O Welt, ich muss dich lassen (O world, I must leave you)
o O Gott, du frommer Gott (O God, you righteous God)
Johannes Brahms’s Chorale Preludes are his last compositions (1896). It seems very likely that the death of his beloved Clara Schumann in May
1896, along with the loss of other close friends and the feeling of his own death approaching, was the most important reason for writing these
pieces. The texts of the chorales Brahms used deal mainly with death and eternity. A couple of the preludes (like “Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele”)
were probably written at an earlier stage.
Brahms’s main musical inspiration seems to have been Bach’s “Orgelbüchlein”. The “Seufzer” (sighing) motifs in “O Welt, ich muss dich
lassen” shows this quite clearly. The opening motif of “O Gott, du frommer Gott” consists of the first four notes of the choral melody. This
procedure of constructing a theme is also typical of Bach’s working process.
I first met David in the 1970s in Bergen, Norway, where we both played and taught Norwegian organists during the Church Music Festival
there, arranged for several years by Dag Fluge. We later worked together in competition juries and met at festivals and also in my house in
Stuttgart.
We got really close working at the edition of the complete organ works of Louis Vierne, which was published by the Carus company in early
2008. David was a wonderful co-editor, exact, intelligent and experienced. The Vierne edition would not have been possible without his
comprehensive help.
Our last common work was on the English version of the second volume of my tutor on organ performance (“The Romantic Period”). Here
David made the language flow so beautifully. Once again he showed his friendship through reading through the text more than one time. I am
very happy he saw the book before he passed away.
May he rest in eternal peace.
Jon Laukvik
Kevin Bowyer (Organist to the University of Glasgow)
Choral from Symphony No2 – Louis Vierne (1870-1937)
David's recording of Vierne's Second Symphony was the first of his LPs to come my way. It made such a profound impression on me that I
determined straight away to seek him out as a teacher as soon as I could. His playing was so fresh and full of joy. The Choral moved me
particularly.
Kevin Bowyer
Choir directed by Sarah MacDonald (Director of Music, Selwyn College, Cambridge)
Organist: Richard Beckford (Associate Professor and Director of Choirs, South Carolina State University)
Go forth into the world in peace – David Sanger
To conclude, a piece written for Ray Trickey, a friend of David’s for over forty years and Assistant Choirmaster when David was Organist of St
Laurence Church, Catford. Ray died in September and so it is particularly fitting that we perform this piece today.
Go forth into the world in peace; be of good courage; hold fast that which is good; render to no man evil for evil; strengthen
the fainthearted; support the weak; help the afflicted; honour all men; love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the
Holy Spirit.
And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be upon you, and remain with you for ever.
Amen.
Please make your way straight away to Selwyn College for the reception.
Directions can be found on the back of this programme. We have the use of the Hall at Selwyn until 5.30pm, after
which we will move into the smaller New Senior Combination Room, which adjoins the Hall. As there have been
some costs incurred in providing drinks and cake for the reception there will be some baskets for donations at
Selwyn.
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Donations
Bach Recording
A retiring collection will be taken at Great St Maryʼs in aid of
two of the charitable aims of the Royal College of
Organists: this will help fund organ training for young
organists, and enable the RCOʼs archivists to catalogue the
collection of books, music and files that David bequeathed
to them.
Shortly before he died, David recorded three more discs of
Bachʼs organ music, at Bodin Church in Norway, with the
Norwegian record label Euridice. The set of three discs is
being launched here today, by the producer Bjørn Andor
Drage (himself an organist and composer), and will be on
sale at the reception at the special introductory price of
£20.
Please put any donation (cash or cheque made payable to
“The Royal College of Organists”) in the enclosed
envelope. If you are a UK taxpayer, please fill in your
details on the envelope so that the College can claim back
your tax. If you are not a UK taxpayer, please leave it blank
or unsigned. The amount raised will be publicised on
Davidʼs website, www.davidsanger.co.uk.
Our friend David
As we all are well aware, David was a
musician of the most exceptional ability
and a teacher of the highest calibre.
Many have recounted how his
performances have had a profound effect
on them and that his approach to
teaching transformed their playing and
gave them huge insight into the organ
and its music.
He was also an extraordinary friend to
many people. He had an ability to help
and encourage people, not only in
musical terms but in whatever they
sought to achieve. As organist and
choirmaster at St Laurence, Catford,
through his teaching at Oxford,
Cambridge and other places, through his
trips to perform and advise in this
country and abroad, and through
socialising in the local area around the
Chapel in Embleton, he became great
friends with countless people. He had an
uncanny knack of being able to relate to
anyone, regardless of background. He
was always very modest about his
abilities and although his friends watched
his progress through his career as he
became ever more highly regarded and
successful, it never changed him as a
person. In fact, many of his friends and
family have been amazed over the past
few months since he died – they had no
idea how well thought-of he was.
On the social networking website, Bebo,
David described himself as follows:
“Born to play the organ and to play
racquet sports (Badminton esp.). I like to
teach and meet lots of new and
interesting people. It's wonderful to be
able to play in many different countries
on all differing types of organs. It is a
privilege to play Bach and all other good
composers for the organ. I like real ale,
fine wine and good food. Friends are
important to me. I am only really happy
when I make those around me laugh, and
I don't care if they laugh at me (providing
they don't mind my laughing with - not at
- them). I like going on holiday to remote
and sunny places and exploring new
places.”
The point about not caring about people
laughing at him is quite right – a number
of people have commented on how
David enjoyed playing the “victim” – he
loved having his leg pulled. And he gave
people ample opportunity to do so!
One friend of over forty years recalls
David’s attempts to return from France
in time for his wedding (David was the
best man – incidentally, although David
never married, he came close to it once).
He drove an old VW campervan at the
time (late 70s) and the clutch had given
out. He drove all the way back from the
Côte d’Azur without a clutch but,
despite his heroic efforts, only made it in
time for the reception. David had
attempted to show his ‘hip’ credentials
by naming his campervan ‘Tanx’ after
the album by the pop group T Rex,
whose music he admired. He proceeded
to wallpaper the van and gave it curtains
for a homely feel (decidedly ‘unhip’!).
The same correspondent remembers
David buying a Polyphon (a music box
which played large metal discs) from a
wood store, restored it and later sold it to
finance the purchase of his Chapel in
Cumbria, a move which many at the
time thought was a big mistake... He also
recalls coming back from the Lake
District one time in another of David’s
cars; this one lacked a first gear. The
correspondent concludes: “It is quite
poignant, in my childhood David and
Ray Trickey (also moved to the Lake
District and recently deceased), were
quite influential in my early teens,
certainly I will always remember the
humour and David’s pet phrase at that
time, 'Is that so?'. Funny how you can
never forget some things, nice I suppose
in a way.”
Another long-standing friend says: “In
1967, I needed an organ teacher. David
Sanger was a name that seemed to have
been heard of locally (he only lived three
miles away) so I rang him and asked. He
seemed very friendly and eager to teach
me and although for someone like me,
with very limited ability, the cost was an
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expensive 25 shillings per hour I decided
to go for it.
“What I got for my 25 bob was a lesson
on the large Walker organ in 1st Church
of Christ Scientist in Westminster that
lasted as long as 3 hours, usually
followed by coffee in a cafe round the
corner and this led to around 43 years of
very special friendship.
“David seemed to have few friends then
but eventually things started to change.
“Coffee gave way to beer, halves gave
way to pints and then his first car
appeared - a huge old Riley. On its demo
to me and my brother, it hit a quite scary
50mph on the Sidcup by-pass and David
reckoned it was easier to see the road by
looking through the steering wheel rather
than over it. I felt I had to point out that
if he just wanted to see the road there was
a much closer view of it through the
floor.
“The value of his car, David told me,
would increase considerably over the
years as it was a rare piece. When he
tried to sell it a few months later little
interest was shown, probably because it
would not go backwards any more: this
could mean an increased journey cost (at
13mpg) if it was facing the wrong way
when you started out. Fortunately, the
nice people at the local council were
prepared to tow it to the dump for a small
consideration so he went for that, the last
time he took the sensible option with one
of his motors for many years.”
Another friend remembers: “David
became the proud purchaser of a secondhand rubber dinghy which had definitely
seen better days! He’d acquired a vessel
which contained several punctures
covered up with nothing more than
Elastoplast, and an old outboard motor
which spluttered and coughed
incessantly. However, that didn’t faze
David, as he excitedly invited a group of
about six people to join him for a spin on
the dirtiest and deepest part of the lower
River Medway in Kent. Somehow,
despite the boat’s severe handicaps, we
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all survived!
“As the above shows, David had an
adventurous spirit, but he could also
appear to be a bit cautious or uncertain
about other things. For example, David
often appeared at first to be a bit
suspicious of new advances in technology
– I can remember him saying on quite a
number of occasions “oh, I’ll never get
one of those”, or words to that effect, but
that became a bit of an in-joke for the
people who knew him well, because we
all knew that often he’d purchase the very
thing he’d been very wary of within a
very short time! However, there were
some things he could not bring himself to
upgrade or part with, such as his trusty
old Wharfedale speakers…
“David’s food cupboards contained the
most wonderful variety of spices, herbs,
sauces, pickles and jams – many of which
had sell-by dates in the mid-Nineties! He
never seemed to throw away or waste
anything. Long before re-using leftovers
became a fashionable and green thing to
do, David often preserved his food
remains in the freezer, for use at a (much)
later date.”
One of his former students talks about
David’s prowess on the squash court:
“David and I played squash many times
when he came to teach in Oxford. After
playing for 40 minutes or so, if he was
losing, he often suggested mischievously
that whoever won the next and final
game would win the whole match. Even
though I was exhausted and David had
more stamina, it became a joke that I
always, foolishly, agreed to this, and he
always won the final game!”
Many of David’s friends from St
Laurence’s days will remember an oftused phrase, the “Sanger Special”. This
could refer to a number of things, for
example a new arrangement or
composition that he had produced. This
was in the days before music-writing
software, so scores would be handwritten
and would invariably feature any number
of repeats, da capos, del segnos, etc. The
chances of the whole choir reading the
same part of the score at any given time
were, shall we say, slim.
One of the former St Laurence choir
mums remembers: “We cannot think of
David without remembering the
wonderful times we spent at his Chapel
in Cumbria. David welcomed us, our
children, family and friends on many,
many occasions. These visits were
unforgettable experiences. David had the
knack of making everyone feel at home
(especially if we were happy to cook him
a meal!) These were times which the
whole family enjoyed. Walking the fells,
visiting various watering-holes, then
returning to such a warm and welcoming
place to tuck in to good home cooked
food. After that some would work off the
meal with a “round the table tennis”
game, sometimes involving up to 10
players. Alternatively, we might have a
singsong round the organ. Frequently
David would then have to go off on a
foreign trip or teaching appointment, and
happily trust us to continue our holiday
in his beloved Chapel. We will never
forget David and all the happy times,
both musical and otherwise which we
enjoyed in his company.”
Another Sanger Special was the Lakeland
walk. There was the occasion on Sharp
Edge (a ridge that comes up to a razorsharp point) on Blencathra when David
instructed another walker to take the
lead. Unfortunately, the new leader had
never done the walk before and nearly
led the entire group over the edge...
There was another time in Borrowdale
when David took a couple of friends to
the beautiful spot at Watendlath. Here,
one can park high up and walk down a
wonderful valley and have lunch at the
climbers’ bar at the Scafell Hotel in
Rosthwaite. David had done his duty in
ensuring that everyone in the party had
the correct gear and footwear but on
arrival at the start of the walk, realised
that he had forgotten his own boots and
only had a pair of black leather slip-on
shoes. The weather was glorious,
however, and so he thought he would
take the risk, even being heard to say
“You could walk down here barefoot
today!” The Cumbrian weather,
however, has a habit of changing quickly,
and on leaving the bar after lunch the
party was faced with driving rain and a
climb past Dock Tarn, around which the
ground had turned into a quagmire.
David, usually such a mild-mannered
chap, turned the air blue as his shoes
refused to remain on his feet...
His move from London to Embleton in
the Lake District in 1989 was quite a risk
– he really did not know whether he
would continue to get so many playing
engagements or do as much teaching
from somewhere so relatively remote.
However, he soon made great friends
with a number of people in the local area
– he really took them to his heart and
they took him to theirs.
In the early days of him being in
Embleton, David frequented the old Blue
Bell pub. At the end of the evening he
would call in there for a drink. That’s
what he did on his first New Year he was
at the Chapel. On leaving the pub, at a
respectable time for New Year, he said,
‘You must all come and visit me in the
Chapel some time’. So, fuelled with
alcohol, some of his companions took
him at his word, and at 3 o’clock that
same morning they knocked on the
Chapel door. David came down stairs, in
his dressing gown, invited them all in,
made them coffee, and was the perfect
host. He hadn’t, though, expected his
invitation be taken up so soon.
On one occasion David sent to some
close friends a formal dinner invitation
for a special meal. He had the 3-course
meal all very carefully planned; when the
guests arrived they saw notes dotted
around the kitchen giving times for when
he should put the potatoes on, and the
parsnips on etc. At the end of the evening
he asked his guests to tell him honestly
how the meal had gone. They said it was
really lovely; it was ‘spot on’. ‘Oh good’,
he said, ‘my real guests are coming next
week’.
In conclusion, it is impossible to put into
words what David meant to so many of
us in so many ways. It is true that the
organ world has lost an extraordinary
talent but we will never forget the
support, the laughter and the friendship
that David brought to our lives.
Nick Stein
with contributions from Mike O’Brien, Julia
Dale, Clive Brearley, David Freeman, Clive
Driskill-Smith and Sylvia Stein
The Royal College of Organists
The offering from today’s event will go to support the College’s work in education and research.
RCO Academy
RCO Academy was launched in 2009 during
David Sanger’s Presidency, building on an
educational programme which began in 1995
with the appointment of the College’s first
Education Officer.
Since then the College has worked alongside
a broad range of valued partners to develop a
programme of events and activities which
together provide high quality experiences
across the United Kingdom in the field of
organ playing and choral directing for people
of all ages and backgrounds, whether or not
they have any previous experience.
Through its RCO Academy programme, the
College supports:
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Outreach to all, raising
awareness of organ and choral
music
The recruitment and nurturing of
the next generation of young
musicians
Those seeking accreditation in
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5
;
organ playing, organ teaching
and choral directing
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Lifelong learning and continuing
professional development for
organists of all standards and
aspirations
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Opportunities to share common
interests and explore the full
glory of the organ and its
associated repertoires.
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Details of the current programme of RCO
Academy events can be found on the
RCO’s website www.rco.org.uk or by
contacting the College.
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The Royal College of Organists as a
professional examining body and learned
society
The College’s examination programme has
set the gold standard in qualifications for
organists and choral directors for more than
a century, and more recently for those
teaching the organ. The rigorous
preparation necessary to achieve success in
these examinations has helped to maintain
high standards in organ performance and
choral directing.
The College offers accreditation at five
levels:
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Certificate (CertRCO), which
indicates reliable and confident
musicianship at the organ; it is
aimed at both the amateur player
and the developing student;
Associateship Diploma (ARCO),
which indicates professional
competency in organ playing;
Fellowship Diploma (FRCO),
which indicates professional
expertise in organ playing;
Licentiateship in Teaching
(LTRCO), which indicates
professional expertise in organ
teaching;
Choral Directing Diploma (Dip
CHD), which indicates
professional expertise in choral
directing.
In addition to its activities as an examining
body, the College has a long history of
providing its members and interested
members of the public with education and
scholarship in the organ and choral fields.
This mission is supported by lectures,
forums and other public events organised
by the College, and through the publication
of an annual research journal: RCO Journal.
Our support for initiatives such as the Early
English Organ Project (EEOP) further
underlines this commitment to scholarship
and research. This unique project has
transformed our knowledge and
understanding of the pre-Reformation
English organ, and under the College’s
stewardship remarkable reconstructions of
two Tudor organs are made available to
institutions and musicians in the UK and
abroad.
The College's Library is as old as the
College, and is naturally a cornerstone for
much of the institution’s academic work.
From modest beginnings it has grown over
the years into a library of great distinction,
whose comprehensive specialist holdings of
organ and choral music and books are
known across the world. It is housed at
Birmingham City University. Currently,
the holdings comprise many tens of
thousands of titles, a number which
continues to increase through acquisitions
as resources allow. These acquisitions
ensure that the breadth of the Library
collection is maintained in the areas of new
publications and historical source material.
Over the years the College Library has also
been in receipt of a number of important
bequests. The most recent is David
Sanger’s complete collection of organ
music, organ books, sound recordings, and
various archival materials. The College is
grateful to David’s executors for their
assistance in relocating this collection from
Cumbria to Birmingham. In due course,
the numerous items in the collection will be
integrated into the existing RCO holdings.
The organs of Great St Mary’s
The University Organ
The Parish Organ
(High above the West End – Smith 1698, Hill 1870, Mander 1995)
(At the East End – Kenneth Jones 1991)
Great
Bourdon
Open Diapason
Stopped Diapason
Gamba
Principal
Nason Flute
Twelfth
Fifteenth
Mixture
Trumpet
Cornet (mid c)
Choir
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8
8
4
4
2 2/3
2
III
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IV
Swell
Open Diapason
Stopped Diapason
Principal
Fifteenth
Mixture
Double Trumpet
Cornopean
Oboe
Clarion
Tremulant
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8
4
2
III
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8
8
4
Stopped Diapason
Dulciana
Principal
Flute
Fifteen
Cremona
Great
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8
4
4
2
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Double Diapason
Open Diapason
Rohrflute
Octave
Spitzflute
Superoctave
Mixture
Cimbel
Trumpet
Pedal
Open Diapason
Bourdon
Principal
Flute
Fifteenth
Mixture
Trombone
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16
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8
4
II
16
Solo
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8
4
4
2
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II
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Swell
Salicional
Voix Celestes
Stopped Diapason
Principal
Nason Flute
Fifteenth
Larigot
Sesquialtera
Mixture
Double Trumpet
Cornopean
Oboe
Couplers
Swell to Great
Swell to Choir
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Choir to Pedal
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8
8
4
4
2
1 1/3
II
II-IV
16
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Double Diapason
Open Flute
Wide Octave
Nazard
Doublette
Wald Flute
Tierce
Trumpet
16
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4
2 2/3
2
2
1 3/5
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Pedal
Open Wood
Subbass
Principal
Trombone
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16
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Couplers
Swell to Pedal
Swell to Great
Great to Pedal
Solo to Great
Solo to Pedal
Solo Octave to Pedal
Accessories
Six combination pistons to each
manual
Eight general pistons
Eight memory channels
Balanced Swell pedal
Tremulants to Swell and
Great/Solo
Wind control
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Selwyn College
Great St Mary’s
Directions from Great St Mary’s to Selwyn College
Cross the road and walk towards King’s College. Go through the college gates (we have
permission from the Vice Provost of King's, so it might be necessary to mention at the
gate that you have come from the David Sanger event at Great St Mary’s), and walk
along the left hand side of the court. Continue straight on and cross over King’s Bridge.
Cross the road (Queen’s Road) at the pedestrian crossing, turn left and immediately
right. Walk down West Road until just beyond the Music Faculty, and turn left into the
back of Selwyn. The Hall is on the left side of the main court when you come into the
college past the gardens and the chapel.
Acknowledgements
Bevington Organ
We would like to thank all the musicians, who have
generously given their time and artistry and in many
cases travelled considerable distances to be here.
It was David's wish that his beloved Bevington
organ should continue to be used somewhere
where it will be appreciated and looked after.
We would also like to thank everyone else who has
helped to make this celebration possible, especially:
Anyone interested in the Chapel at Embleton and/or
the organ is invited to inspect the details on the
website www.cumbriachapel.com, where they will
find the full organ specification.
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Nick Stein, who organised the event and
prepared the programme;
Sarah MacDonald for all her help in coordinating arrangements in Cambridge;
the authorities at Great St Maryʼs for the use
of the church, and the University of
Cambridge for use of the University Organ;
the authorities at Selwyn College for the use
of their facilities for the reception;
the Vice Provost of Kingʼs College for
permission for us all to walk through the
College grounds en route to Selwyn.
Any enquiries about the chapel should be made to
the agents (Edwin Thompson) using the link on that
site. But if you are interested in the organ alone, or
can suggest any person or institution (or even a
type of institution) which might be interested, please
email organ@davidsanger.co.uk.
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