Christ Church Greenwich has announced the Inaugural Celebration Concert for its new Harrison & Harrison organ will be performed by Director of Music at Westminster Abbey James O”™Donnell who has overseen the music for royal ceremonies, including the recent state funeral for the Queen of England, wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011, the funeral of the Queen Mother and the 2021 service of thanksgiving for the life of Prince Phillip, the Queen”™s husband.
As director of music for 23 years, with more than 50 organ and choral recordings to his name, O”™Donnell is currently the organist at Westminster Abbey and leader of its celebrated choir. He will be retiring from Westminster this year and joining Yale School of Music and the Institute of Sacred Music.
O”™Donnell will be playing the new 4-manual Harrison & Harrison organ recently installed at Christ Church Greenwich. This landmark instrument is the culmination of a nine-year process of discernment, design, production and installation. Containing a total of 4,639 pipes, it was built in Durham, England, and represents the largest organ made by Harrison & Harrison in the USA. The range of sound available to the player is vast, affording the possibility of sensitive accompaniment of choirs and congregations, as well as a dynamic variety that makes repertoire from across the ages come to life.
For this Celebration Concert, OӪDonnell will present a program, including works by Bach, Vierne, Stanford, Wammes, and Durufl̩. This program has been specifically chosen to showcase the vast array of tonal colors available on the new organ.
The performance takes place Saturday, Oct. 22, at 5 p.m.;
reception to follow.
Tickets are $40 and $125 for patron seating; $20 for students with ID. Visit, https://christchurchgreenwich.org/opening-organ-recital/
