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5. "The follow-up CD to Martin Setchell’s highly successful Bonbons for Organ is every bit as good as its predecessor. It does have its own character, though, being slightly less whimsical than the first but with that same balance of seriousness and lightheartedness all served up with superb technical aplomb. Bonbons 2 contains excellent transcriptions such as Sibelius’ Finlandia, Saint Saens’ The Elephant and Khachaturian’s Sabre Dance as well as organ "originals" such as Grison’s Toccata in F, Langlais’ delightful cameo Cats, Setchell’s own composition Trumpet Gigue and Callaerts’ Toccata in E minor. Paul Spicer’s tour de force variations on God Defend New Zealand are well crafted and display the many colours of the instrument to good advantage, something Setchell does naturally as a performer.

The conversational programme notes and Al Nisbet’s cartoons make the whole a most attractive package indeed. The recording of the organ is first class, too. Setchell’s recent Pictures at an Exhibition performance was one of the best musical experiences I have had and I hope it is repeated, either live or in recorded form. For those fortunate enough to be at the concert several of the works featured in the first half appear on this disc. Callaerts’ Toccata in E minor is both arresting and florid while Grison’s Toccata in F pays homage to Bach’s famous d minor fugue in splendid style. Yon’s Humoresque and Lefebure-Wely’s Sortie do what many concert programmes should do, and that’s send the audience out with a smile on their face. This disc certainly does that and I heartily recommend it. "

Bonbons for Organ 2 -

Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd, The Press, Christchurch, August 13, 2003

Bonbons for Organ 2.

Reviewed by Ian Dando, NZ Listener August 9, 2003

3. "...Mr. Setchell is a virtuoso of awesome capabilities and knows how to make use of every feature of this huge instrument with its 32 foot kontraposaune, and make it all sound so easy, which it most certainly is not. The variety of pieces displays the organ to very good advantage, and, since the recording is demonstration quality, enthusiasts of organ sound would find this a valid documentation of this beautiful and unique instrument."

[complete review here...]

1. "Like the first CD, this collection is primarily meant to be fun, although it does include some meatier fare with JS Bach's concerto no 1 in g major. Missing from the second anthology is the element of parody; the first CD included two Bach parodies which particularly delighted the punters.
However there are two more pieces of animal caricature - Setchell's own arrangement of the Elephant from Saint-Saens' Carnival of the Animals, and a scherzo called Cats from Jean Langlais' American Suite.

In his programme notes, Setchell explains that he's included this in memory of " that hot-headed, egocentric, arrogant and totally adorable cat, ET".
As someone whose own family includes a feisty, ego-centric and wonderfully affectionate Burmese cat, I found this hard to resist.

Among the more well-known bonbons on the CD are Jules Grison Toccata (sic), Sousa's Liberty Bell March, which Monty Python aficionados will immediately recognise as the rather daft theme tune of that classic show; H. Fricker's familiar arrangement of Finlandia, and LeFébure-wély's sortie in Bb major - one of those bizarre organ novelties that somehow manages to be endearing and dreadful all at once.

But to open his recital, Setchell has chosen something quite surprising.
Following his own arrangement of God Defend New Zealand, we have a five movement, 16-minute set of variations on that very tune by Englishman Paul Spicer. My first reaction upon seeing this in the tracklisting was to wonder what on earth could possess someone to write a set of variations on such unpromising material.
But I have to admit, Spicer's made a fine job of it. He opens with a mock French overture, outrageously decorated with trills, but the theme, when it eventually appears, is presented in a fairly straightforward manner, but with slightly more sophisticated harmonisation than we're used to.
The most substantial of the variations is the meditation, a five-minute slow movement, which as Setchell points out, bears the unmistakeable influence of Spicer's teacher Herbert Howells. The finale opens with a fanfare, leading to a rowdy and suitably irreverent toccata. I've never enjoyed our national anthem so much.

Quite apart from Setchell's apparently effortless virtuosity, the star of this CD is of course the wonderful Rieger organ. Atoll has done an excellent job of recording the instrument, and quite apart from the New Zealanders who will want to invest in this CD, I'm sure it's guaranteed sales among the considerable community of organ devotees around the world."