March 2006 Concert

Sunday 26th March 2006, 3:00pm

Nigel Ogden

of The Organist Entertains, BBC Radio 2
& Manchester Town Hall

At the beginning of the month Nigel Ogden celebrated 26 years as the presenter of BBC Radio 2’s longest-running specialist music programme, The Organist Entertains. As well as being a well-known `voice’, Nigel’s particular style of music-making at the organ has made him one of the country’s most popular performers and the all-round versatility which he has developed over the years has ensured that his varied concert programme of popular and light-classical music are guaranteed to satisfy all but the most extreme musical taste! Whether he is at the console of a Mighty Wurlitzer or a cathedral organ, in church, chapel or concert hall, on pipes or electronics, you can be sure the instrument will sing and dance to his magic touch. Nigel’s recording output is considerable with over 70 solo or combination L.P.’s (remember those?), cassettes and C.D.’s to his credit. He has also made several T.V. appearances and has been a guest on BBC 1’s Songs Of Praise.

From time to time, Nigel finds time to put pen to manuscript paper and has had several pieces for organ – published by the well-known London firm of Stainer & Bell: He has also provided original compositions for organ examination set-pieces. His weekly radio broadcasts have resulted in Nigel having appeared `on the air’ on some 1500 occasions and he is the only organist ever to have broadcast a Wurlitzer (the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool organ) on Radio 3, playing solo items from the `classical’ repertoire. Nigel has also provided background music for numerous radio and T.V. plays and documentaries, including Dennis Potter’s Lipstick On Your Collar which featured `cinema organist’ Roy Huddd! Over the years, Nigel has acted as accompanist for many choral events and he is a member of the American Theatre Organ Society’s Hall Of Fame, one of the very few British organists ever to be awarded this honour.

Programme

I

1. MARCHING THROUGH THE CLASSICS ~ ARR. OGDEN
2. TCHAIKOWSKY IN THE BALLROOM ~ ARR. BOWDEN
3. A LITTLE LIGHT MUSIC ~ ARR. OGDEN
4. LE COUCOU / THE MARCH HARE ~ DAQUIN/GREEN
5. SPRING AROUND THE CORNER ~ STRAUSS / TORCH / McCLURE
6. THEMES FROM THE BALLET EGYPTIEN ~ ARR. HELYER

II

1. MARCH – QUEEN ELIZABETH ~ COATES
2. OVERTURE – THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO ~ MOZART
3. MOZART CHANGES ~ GARDONYI
4. EDWARDIA ~ THALBEN-BALL
5. INTERMEZZO and EASTER HYMN ~ MASCAGNI
6. MEMORIES OF SONG ~ ARR. OGDEN