Having 11 developing organists performing at the upcoming Dunedin Organ Festival is a "good sign", New Zealand Organ Association president Walter Haldane says.
It has been 19 years since the association’s organ festival was held in Dunedin and three days of organ entertainment is planned for the city.
"There is nothing like experiencing live the sound of a well-played organ to demonstrate why people get hooked on the music of the world’s oldest keyboard instrument, which has a history that includes entertaining the crowds at circuses in ancient Rome, long before the organ became associated with the church."
One of the focuses of the festivals is to promote the organ and involve students in the programme.
Given it is a niche activity which has faced challenges from changing worship styles and earthquake damage to organs and their buildings over recent decades, organ student numbers are encouraging, he says.
"One of the problems in recruiting new organists is that less people are exposed to organ music through church attendance. This is why events such as the organ festival are so important, especially public concerts such as the one to be held in the Dunedin Town Hall," Haldane says.
Sea-am Thompson
Its ability to produce a vast range of sounds along with its grandeur means the organ looks and is incredibly fun to play, Sea-am Thompson says.
The Dunedin born and raised musician — who has been playing violin since he was 4 years old and piano from 5 — is an organ scholar at the Christchurch Transitional Cathedral and will perform at the festival firstly a French contemporary piece at Port Chalmers and then a piece by Messiaen at St Paul’s Cathedral with Dunedin City Choir.
"The work has two themes, one of which is played by the pedal but at a very high unnatural pitch, which represents Christ’s blood."
Thompson’s exposure to the organ came as a singer, having received a choral scholarship to Christchurch Cathedral Grammar School, where he sang treble for the cathedral choir.
"I was always exposed to organ accompaniments and solo works for all of the services and its unique and captivating sound from the initial age of 8."
Even though he now attends Saint Andrew’s College on a violin scholarship, alongside continuing to sing in the choir as counter-tenor, he has also pursued the organ for the past five years.
"It has offered me so many opportunities with my organ playing which has been incredible in my development as a musician. There are so many aspects to organ playing which you cannot find in any other instruments, which makes it so unique and essential in understanding a completely different branch of music."
As organ scholar he has performed many different services at the cathedral such as evensong and has also performed on organs at the Christchurch and Auckland Town Halls and on the Willis organ at the Oxford Town Hall.
"Some pieces are magical to play and the cathedral atmosphere and environment enhances this so much more. Accompany choral music like Howells’ Like as the Hart just brings music to a whole new level when you play it with top-class fellow musicians singing right next to you."
Thompson, who passed his Trinity College London ATCL exams for violin in 2022 and grade 8 piano in 2020 is now working towards sitting his organ LTCL later this year. He hopes to one day study music at Oxford or Cambridge Universities.
"I feel that music and playing the organ is going to be my career choice as music is something I truly value."
Micah Xiang
After starting to learn the piano at primary school, Micah Xiang felt a bit burnt-out by the time he hit his teens. So when his mother suggested he apply for an organ scholarship, he did.
"I was keen to try it out and the rest was history," Xiang, of Christchurch, says.
"There’s also the sheer scale and presence of the instrument, which is really special."
Xiang, who was heavily involved throughout secondary school in percussion, choir and chamber music, was attracted by the organ’s challenges around co-ordination, voicing and playing with colours.
"Every instrument is different, not only in its pipes but also the environment it exists within. It’s a lot of fun to explore the timbres between different eras and styles of instruments, different acoustics and how they can affect the interpretation of a piece."
Xiang completed his Associate of the Royal Schools of Music Diploma in 2017 and came to Dunedin to study medicine at the University of Otago the next year but missed playing music.
So when he had more time, he began a bachelor of arts degree in music alongside his medical studies and studied with Dunedin City Organist David Burchell, graduating in 2022.
"Organ playing provides a good respite from study; I’ve definitely not played as much as I’d like through medical school which is a shame. I’m hoping to squeeze more organ time in once I’ve graduated — I’m not sure how realistic that is, though."
One of his most enjoyable playing experiences was playing with Dunedin City Choir for Handel’s Messiah last year.
"It was great to be part of such an iconic work and to play with some of Ōtepoti’s wonderful musicians."
The one he is most proud of though, is his final university recital.
"Definitely the most fun I’ve ever had during an assessment, and a great way to finish off a few years of study."
Xiang is looking forward to performing at the organ festival, in which he will play Franck’s Prelude, Fugue and Variation at Iona Church.
"This is an understated staple in organ repertoire and will showcase the lovely oboe stop in the instrument."
He is also "delighted" to get to play the Dunedin Town Hall’s Norma, performing Litanies by French composer Jehan Alain.
In the future he would like to contribute towards making the organ and its music more accessible.
"There’s an immense mass of repertoire I haven’t even begun to explore; that’s something I’m definitely looking forward to. Finally, I’d love to continue playing with other musicians — orchestras, choirs and soloists alike. The down side of the organ is that it can be a lonely instrument."
Max Toth
Hearing Widor’s Toccata on the organ, a young Max Toth thought "Oh I want to be able to do that".
Before that, the Christchurch musician was "dead set" on becoming a concert pianist. He started learning to play at 7, after watching the school pianist playing for choir practice.
"When I started high school and sang in the choir my attention started shifting to the organ."
It was after finishing his Trinity College London ATCL piano exams that he decided he wanted to take the organ much more seriously, "much to my family’s dismay".
Toth wanted to work on piano and organ to the same professional level but his piano teacher told him that he would not be able to do both and one would have to go.
"She was right. Also by that time I couldn’t see myself making a profession as a pianist but I could as an organist."
He took lessons in Christchurch before he moved to Wellington to study towards a bachelor of music in music performance at the New Zealand School of Music. He is now well into his fourth year there and is completing honours under the supervision of Douglas Mews.
Alongside his studies he is also the organ scholar at St Paul’s Cathedral in Wellington.
"I love it very much. I envision myself always playing the organ."
While he finds all his concerts memorable, one that stands out is playing with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra at the Auckland Town Hall for Korngold’s opera Die Tote Stadt.
"I’d never seen an orchestra this large, for example there were 11 violas, two harps, piano, harmonium, organ and wind machine.
"There’s a brilliant moment in act two where the orchestra builds and builds to a huge climax at which point I come in with an earth-shattering full organ and it’s such an amazing experience feeling that rumble and being able to take on and match an orchestra going full blast."
At the festival he will be playing Dubois’ In Paradisum at St Paul’s Cathedral and Naji Hakim’s Fandango from Three Basque Dances at the Town Hall on Norma.
Hakim is Toth’s biggest inspiration at the moment.
"I love his compositions and I think he creates an electric energy when he plays which I would love to be able to convey within my own playing."
TO SEE
Dunedin Organ Festival "Rising Stars": June 28, St Paul’s Cathedral "Visions of Heaven" 5.30pm, City Choir Dunedin accompanied at the organ by Jeremy Woodside; June 29, Iona Church, Port Chalmers, "Pipes at the Port", 2pm, the historic organ played by David Burchell, Jeremy Woodside and some "Rising Stars"; June 30, Dunedin Town Hall, "Festival Finale", 2pm, Town Hall Organ played by Dunedin City organist David Burchell and Max Toth and Micah Xiang.
