Paul Hale (Organist emeritus Southwell Minster)
Felix Mendelssohn (arr. Brown): War March of the Priests
David Machell: Aria, March (from Suite for Organ, dedicated to Paul Hale)
Sergei Rachmaninov (arr. Miles): Vocalise
Denis Bédard: Variations on Amazing Grace
Noel Rawsthorne: Prelude on The Londonderry Air
Eric Coates (arr. Catling): Knightsbridge March

A welcome return to the Binns organ from Paul Hale, who for a number of years was one of our trustees. He reminds us of his “cathedral” history with Mendelssohn’s glorious War March of the Priests, just the thing to accompany a large throng of clergy. Paul then plays two movements of a suite dedicated to him by local composer David Machell and follows this with a reminder that while Rachmaninov could write ravishing tunes he could cloak them in a distinctly Bachian way.
Two traditional airs then get contrasting treatments. Noel Rawsthorne’s response to the Londonderry Air certainly does nothing that would have surprised Sir Hubert Parry who described it as “the most beautiful tune in the world”. Canadian Denis Bédard believes in formal structure and the beauty of melody, and is a member of a group of composers called Les Mélodistes Indépendantes. He does not put Amazing Grace through the assault course that Marcel Dupré created for the Noel Nouvelet (Now the green blade riseth) but he gives it some interesting presentations, including one for pedal solo.
“The man who writes tunes.” One might say this of Denis Bédard. Dame Ethel Smyth certainly said it of our local musical hero Eric Coates, who performed in the Albert Hall Nottingham on several occasions as viola player and conductor. One of his best-known pieces, the Knightsbridge March, makes a rousing conclusion to Paul’s recital.
The concert runs from 1.10pm to 1.55pm. Admission £5 at the door, or book online. Feel free to bring your own lunch.
Paul Hale was a music scholar at Solihull School, where his life-long passion for the organ was ignited. He won an organ scholar New College, Oxford, studying under David Lumsden. Having been awarded the ARCM and FRCO, he taught at Tonbridge School and was then Assistant Organist of Rochester Cathedral. Paul was Cathedral Organist at Southwell Minster from April 1989; on becoming Rector Chori Emeritus in 2016, he was presented by the Archbishop of Canterbury with the Lambeth Thomas Cranmer Award for his “immense and devoted service”, having previously been awarded honorary Fellowships by the Guild of Church Musicians and the Royal School of Church Music. Paul Hale was Conductor of the Nottingham Bach Choir (of which he has recently been made President) for twenty-nine years and has been a diploma examiner and Trustee of the Royal College of Organists, President of The Organ Club, of the Cathedral Organists’ Association and of the Nottingham & District Society of Organists, as well as Chairman of the Diocesan Organ Advisers’ Conference and of the RSCM East Midlands. Paul has long been diocesan organ adviser for both Southwell and Lincoln, and is known as one of the United Kingdom’s leading organ consultants (new 4-manual organs for Gloucester Cathedral and Great St Bartholomew’s Priory, Smithfield being two of many current projects); he still gives lectures and has columns in Organists’ Review and Choir & Organ. A review of a recent organ concert at St Peter’s, here in Nottingham, included “His mastery of colour is an inspiration, and his orchestration of the Hindemith was just wonderful – never have I been so aware of the partnership between composer and performer!”. Paul is delighted to be back playing the great Binns at the Albert Hall, having served as one of its Trustees for a number of years.