INTERNATIONAL MOZART ORGAN SERIES 2006

Welcome to the website of the Rieger

in the Christchurch Town Hall,
New Zealand

Colin Walsh is at the front of his generation of organists in England. He has played many recitals in this country in cathedrals, abbeys, college chapels and two at the Royal Festival Hall.

Further afield, he has played in France, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, The Czech Republic, Slovakia, New Zealand and the USA. During the summer of 2005 he was involved in the third performance of John Tavener's The Veil of the Temple as part of the Holland Festival in the Oude Kirk, Amsterdam and plays the organ for the Universal Label on a new CD entitled The Choirboys. Future engagements include a tour of New Zealand in the summer of 2006 as European artist of the Organists' Congress and a tour of California in the summer of 2007. In September 2006 he will give a recital on the famous Cavaillé-coll organ of St Ouen in Rouen.

His many recordings on the Priory label include two early recitals of modern French music from Salisbury, Vierne and Durufle from St Albans and Vierne (Symphonies 2 and 3; 24 pièces en style libre) from Lincoln. The restoration of the Lincoln organ in 1998 was accompanied by a CD of more popular music on the Cantoris label and a recording of French music on the Guild label has just been released. On the same label, a recording of the fifth and sixth symphonies of Widor will be released in the spring of 2006. He has recorded many times for the BBC. His teachers have included Simon Preston, Nicholas Danby and Jean Langlais.

His three year studies in France with Jean Langlais at St Clotilde inspired him to specialise in French symphonic and modern music, in particular the works of Franck, Vierne and Langlais. This has brought him wide acclaim throughout the world. In 1988 he played Messiaen in front of the composer himself.

• "An excellent, spontaneous performance, showing great panache and authority" (Hifi News)
• "In every respect this is a real gem of a disc" (Gramophone)
• "He possesses a technique which all but takes one's breath away" (Gramophone)
• "Reveals subtle charms as well as moments of pure magic" (Gramophone)
• "We were struck by the sense of poetry from this English interpreter" (Rouen Press)
• "Outshining stiff competition on the Vierne front is Colin Walsh's magnificent account of the second and third symphonies" (Gramophone)
• "Another set of outstanding interpretations, beautifully polished and communicated to the listener with a sense of wholeness and continuity. This is an art that many organsts can emulate" (HiFi News)
• "Colin Walsh performed a truly magnificent organ concert here at Uppsala Cathedral this afternoon. The audience (about 200 people) gave him a standing ovation after the final piece. We would be delighted to see Colin here in the future!" (Andrew Canning)

His work as organist has always been connected with long established choral foundations: at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle and Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford; at Salisbury Cathedral as Assistant Organist and at St Albans and Lincoln Cathedral as Organist and Master of the Choristers. Since January 2003 he has been Organist Laureate of Lincoln Cathedral where he presides over the fine Father Willis organ and plays regularly for the Cathedral's services.

He is a Council member and Examiner of the Royal College of Organists, has close connections with the Royal Northern College of Music and is an External Examiner at the Royal Academy of Music.