Rochdale Parish Church - £100,000 Organ Appeal

Date published: 04/05/2007

One of the world's leading church and concert organists will launch Rochdale Parish Church's £100,000 Organ Appeal. David Briggs will fly in from New York to present a concert in the church on Friday 8 June, between commitments across the world.

David Briggs, one of the foremost concert organists of his generation, enjoys a busy touring schedule that takes him all over the world. He has built a reputation as an exciting performer and communicator, with particular emphases on orchestral transcriptions and the art of improvisation. His diary this year includes performances through the US and Europe, in cathedrals and concert halls.

At St Chad's he will present his internationally acclaimed organ improvisation to the dramatic 1925 Hollywood silent movie version of The Phantom of the Opera, starring Lon Chaney. The film will be shown on three screens set up across the church, with David Briggs at the organ console improvising dramatic background music to go with the action.

The David Briggs evening is to launch the Parish Church's appeal to raise £100,000 for a total rebuild of the 1885 organ. Described as 'a Rolls Royce of an instrument,' wear-and-tear over the years means complete renovation is now needed to bring it into the 21st century.

Director of Music at Rochdale Parish Church, Philip Lowe, said: "We are thrilled that the St Chad's Organ Appeal will be launched by a concert by David Briggs.

"We hope this event will encourage interest from the wider community of Rochdale, to show their pride in part of the town's heritage and history, and to join in our campaign to raise the funds needed to restore this magnificent musical and educational treasure.

"During the era of silent film, improvisation was an essential skill among cinema organists, to mirror with music the onscreen action. Recently there has been a renaissance in English improvisation through artists like David Briggs, famed for improvisation in any number of set forms, as well as for silent films such as King of Kings and Phantom of the Opera.

"Improvisation has always played an important role in music, with many celebrated composers including Bach, Mozart, Rachmaninov, Stravinsky and Messiaen being renowned for their prowess However, into the modern age, perhaps with the increased accuracy of musical notation and the decline of the impromptu concerto cadenza, instrumental improvisation faded in importance, over-shadowed by an emphasis on interpretive mastery.

"Two areas where it has retained its central position are Jazz and the Organ. Organ improvisation in the 19th and 20th centuries witnessed some towering figures, including the composers Franck, Widor, Vierne, Dupre, Durufle and Cochereau."