Winter Sunset (+midi)

On a cold, crisp winter night in 1988, John Leeming of the Cinema Organ Society and organist Nigel Ogden visited the church of St John Vianney in Clayhall to the north east of London. The recording that followed is a master class in theatre organ playing. A perfect match of organ, organist and music and a scholerly demonstration of how to use limited tonal resources and an acoustic to the full.

This 3/6 + melotone Compton organ is not your typical 3/6 with a disposition of Tibia, Diapason, String, Flute, Krummet and Tromba - and of course the infamous electrostatic Melotone.

Winter Sunset, written by Nigel, is the title track of the album and sets the scene perfectly for this most atmospheric of recordings.

Here is my transcription from that recording. The one thing that I have learned here is that it is hard work to make a 41 rank Wurlitzer sound as good as that little six rank Compton in the hands of Mr Ogden.