Ex-Windsor Castle organist to showcase splendour of restored West Berks church organ
There’s a rather special recital at St Matthew’s Church, Midgham, on Friday (6.30pm), by renowned organist Roger Judd.
The programme will include works by Vivaldi (transcribed JS Bach), Rheinberger and Göttsche.
Roger Judd’s musical journey has taken him from chorister at Winchester Cathedral, through an organ scholarship at Pembroke College, Cambridge, to the organ lofts at Ely Cathedral, St Michael’s College Tenbury Wells, and latterly St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, from which he retired in 2008 after 23 years. In recognition of that work, Roger was honoured by the Queen with Membership of the Royal Victorian Order.
In 2015, St Michael’s honoured him with the title of Organist Emeritus, of which he is very proud.
He is now living near Hereford and plays at St Laurence Ludlow as sub organist, and has been acting organist and choirmaster at St Michael’s, Tenbury since 2020. He is involved with the Diocese of Hereford Organists’ Training Scheme that helps aspiring organists raise their game; for six years he was chairman of the Herefordshire Organists’ Society. He has recently taken on the role of organ adviser to the Diocese of Hereford. Over the years he has played concerts in France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the US and Canada and all around the UK. He is delighted to be returning to Midgham, where he used to practise many years ago.
The organ was installed in St Matthew’s shortly after the church was built. It was donated by the church’s first vicar, the Rev John Launcelot Errington in 1872 and was by then secondhand.
It is believed to date from no later than the 1820s and possibly earlier, but its builder is unknown. It may have started life as a house organ, probably with two manuals (keyboards), one of which, the Swell, would have had only half the notes (or ‘compass’) that it has now.
The Swell was subsequently extended by one octave, and then by another, and pedals were added.
The contractor for its installation at Midgham was William Hill & Son, a highly regarded organ builder of the period. The work is detailed in Hill’s order book, so we know much more about the organ from then onwards.
It was originally installed in the north aisle in what is now the Lady Chapel, behind the choir. It was moved in around the 1960s to its present position in the south aisle. By 2000 it was in serious need of repair and in 2009 work to restore the Great Organ was undertaken by Peter Collins Ltd. Unfortunately a lack of funds prevented a complete restoration. However, in 2015 the PCC took the decision that sufficient funds could be found to enable a complete restoration to be carried out.
Through the generosity of many people and with the help of the trusts the funds were raised and the work was carried out by JW Walker and Sons, initially in their workshop in Devizes and then on site in the church.
At the time the organ was removed by Walkers there was no screen in the south aisle. Instead the organ was screened by a plain blue curtain.
The present screen was made and erected this year by local joiners who are members of one family, Richard, Tony and Paul Pike.
The PCC is “enormously grateful to JW Walker and Sons and to the Pike family for the result of their work which you can see and hear on the evening.”
Refreshments will be served in the church after the recital. A retiring collection will be taken in aid of the organ fund.
Programme
Three Tone Pieces, No. 1 (Moderato), Neils Gade 1817–90
Andante religioso & Allegretto (Sonata IV), Felix Mendelssohn 1809–47
Fantasia in foure parts Orlando Gibbons 1583–1625
Aria and Variations Michael Festing 1705-72
Epistle Sonata in C K.336, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756–91
Variations on Lobe den Herrn Roger Judd b.1944
Larghetto in F sharp minor, Samuel Sebastian Wesley 1810–76
Prelude & Fugue in G BWV 541, Johann Sebastian Bach 1685–1750
