The Organ of Rochdale Town Hall: Organ Transcriptions Vol II

Built in an extravagant Gothic style, Rochdale Town Hall is one of the most impressive examples of the civic pride of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Positioned within is J.J. Binns' fine organ, proudly displayed in three beautifully crafted wooden cases. At its high point, the British town hall organ tradition represented something entirely new and extraordinary, in social, mechanical, aesthetic and commercial terms; and the transcriptions made for these colossal instruments demonstrate remarkable syntheses of ingenuity, skill and ambition on the part of both organ-builders and musical arrangers. Here, following up on his celebrated 2004 exploration of orchestral overtures at the organ of the Kelvingrove Gallery in Glasgow, Timothy Byram-Wigfield offers another recital of overture transcriptions, and an ideal combination of player, music and instrument.