The compositions of this album are true evergreens. They are among Vaughan Williams' most played works. Remarkably, these are arrangements for organ, the instrument Vaughan Williams apparently had a love-hate relationship with. Vaughan Williams was organist and choirmaster of St Barnabas in London from 1895 to 1899, but not fond of this position. For that reason alone this CD is worthwhile, as
… Vaughan Williams' organ oeuvre is not very large. You just have to have the instrument for it to credibly translate something like the Fifth Symphony into the possibilities of the organ. So that's very well accomplished with the pliable sound of Truro Cathedral's Father Willis organ. Organist David Briggs tells how, in a dream, he asked Vaughan Williams for permission to play the Fifth Symphony on the organ. Unfortunately, he was awake again before the composer, dressed in far too roomy blue pajamas, could answer him. (HJ)more
