“The Cathedral organ is not without its organists,” writes Melissa Raj, about a recent masterclass for our Cathedral organists.

“Our jewel in the crown sparkles again!” was how our “Father Willis” pipe organ was described after its restoration in July last year. Indeed it does. It has since been played in numerous services, weddings, funerals, and special occasions, marking its importance in the musical tradition of the Cathedral. Happily, our organ is not without organists to play it.

Late last August, the Cathedral organists, of which I am one, had the privilege of attending an organ masterclass. It was organised by Mrs Esther Law-Allan, an Evensong organist, who invited NykkÖ Grégoire, an accomplished French musician, and organist to our Cathedral.

The evening began with a short recital by NykkÖ. He played a variety of organ music to show us the range of the organ – sounds we seldom hear in a typical Sunday service. After the recital, he invited us up to the organ loft for a session where we could ask him questions about the organ. We preferred instead to watch him play so that we could learn his playing technique.

‘After each piece’ After each piece, he explained the different combination of stops he used to express the dynamics of the music. Being a church organist himself, he gave us tips on how to play a hymn grandly or pensively. These tips were invaluable as many of us were trained as pianists, not organists. How we would play the piano differs greatly from how we should play the organ! Imagine our fascination as we watched NykkÖ play Bach’s famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor – his hands worked busily on the manuals(1) and stops(2) , while his feet moved swiftly across the pedalboard(3).

Despite his having played in Cathedrals and concert halls all over Europe, he was full of praise for our “Father Willis” organ, complimenting the quality of its restoration. If I may speak for the organists in attendance, our time with NykkÖ was inspiring, not least because of his joviality. He has equipped us to better play the music that leads our hymns and prayers. Music that expresses our praise and dependence on God for the salvation he has bought for us in his Son Jesus Christ. What an honour this is.

(1)  Keyboards played by the hands
(2)  Controls on an organ console that selects select a particular sound
(3)  Keyboard played by the feet