Newly Discovered Recording of
Thiman Playing Thiman

We are delighted to announce that a previously unreleased recording of Eric Thiman playing his own music on the Walker Organ of the City Temple is now available. Thiman drew up the specification for the organ with Sir William McKie, organist of Westminster Abbey. The organ was inaugurated in 1958, when the rebuilt City Temple was opened, in the presence of the Queen Mother.

This recording was made in 1967 by David Woodford of Cathedral Recordings, for the Organ Masterworks series, but was never released. David has now kindly made the original recording available to us and it is now available on CD.

The pieces included are:

  1. Postlude on Hanover
    (from Four Chorale Improvisations 1961)
  2. A Phrygian Berceuse
    (from Four Offertories Founded on the Modes 1965)
  3. Meditation on the Irish Tune Slane
    (from Three Pieces for Organ 1935)
  4. A Dorian Pastoral
    (from Four Offertories Founded on the Modes 1965)
  5. Slow Air and Variation
    (from Three Quiet Voluntaries 1960)
  6. Finale
    (from Preludes and Voluntaries Book 3 1947)
  7. An Aeolian Pavane
    (from Four Offertories Founded on the Modes 1965)
  8. A Norseland Meditation
    (unpublished)
  9. Berceuse
    (from Preludes and Voluntaries Book  1943)
  10. Ave Maria
    (from Preludes and Voluntaries Book 3 1947)
  11. Postlude on Harwood's Thornbury
    (1966)

Track 8, A Norseland Meditation, is an unpublished work, which may well have been simply an improvisation, or a piece Thiman never got round to writing down. Bramwell Bourne has now made a transcription, details of which may be found on https://www.facebook.com/The-Organ-Music-of-Eric-Thiman-101812721686630/
along with information about Bramwell’s complete recordings of Thiman organ pieces.

The CDs are a high-quality recording, presented in a simple CD box with brief notes and the organ specification.

These are for available £10 each plus £1.50 post and packing.
Please contact Guy Turner to order a copy. guyscottturner@gmail.com

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