The Guildhall School of Music presents a performance that is truly site-specific, with 5 unique pieces well deserving of their grand and illustrious setting, and yet like nothing the space has seen before.
The organ project is a singular blend of old and new, shedding new light on old mechanics and bringing the future of music to the forefront of performance.
Situated at the heart of Islington’s Union Chapel is a unique piece of history. An organ like no other. Water powered, gleaming as bright as the moon; this is the work of Master builder Henry Willis, and was crafted in 1877 specifically for the chapel’s dimensions. Over the years, the space has played host to a miasma of musical greatness, and tonight is no exception, for tonight, and as part of a long running festival, the chapel and organ have been given to the Guildhall School of Music’s EPM students (Electronic and Produced Music). As you can expect, the performances here are far from the Sunday church choral jives that we expect when we hear ‘organ’.
Claire. M. Singer, the Union Chapel’s musical director, introduces the night. The organ is hidden from obvious view thanks to a 19th century Reverend who wanted his worshippers to hear and not see the instrument. Although the organ sits a little away from the main stage but sounds as though the very space was crafted to house it. Singer starts by welcoming us and then presents three questions; how do we breathe new life into antiquity? How can music change a space? How can we look forward whilst keeping in sight of the past? Singer gives the run-down of the night, pieces by EPM students that seek to transform traditional organ music will be played in sequence.
The pieces are various in their musical styles, and range from ethereal, drone-like harmonies to joyful arpeggios, with some jazz-like dissonance thrown in for good measure. The real star of the performance is the 150-year-old organ, a real piece of history played expertly by its organist. The instrument fills the space with such magnitude and warmth, that we are whisked sonically away to other realms. There is a distinct modernism to the output, with a heavy use of the organ’s sustaining pedal for low, amplified drones, which come straight out of a dystopian fantasy.
As for the other technical elements, there is good lighting design which captures the unique angles of the chapel and serves to reflect visually the tonal shifts of the music at play.
Overall, the pieces reflect the scope and versatility of what can be achieved with an antique piece of equipment, with music that takes a fresh look at the organ, through radical reinterpretation and expert delivery.
Although this performance was a one-off, The Guildhall School has a variety of events and performances throughout the year by their students and alumni, in music, theatre and dance.