Organ Recital (ONLINE ONLY)
The 2025 Truro Cathedral Organ Recital Series welcomes first-rate organists to play Truro’s acclaimed Father Willis Organ.
This week, we will have a pre-recorded organ recital, from Peter King, for you to watch online via this event page or our YouTube channel from 13:10. Do keep an eye on this page for more information and the live-stream.
This is an ONLINE ONLY event.
Programme
Franz Liszt – Excelsior!
– Ave Maria; The Bells of Rome
– Funerailles, transcribed, Kynaston (from Harmonies Poétiques et Religieuses)
Camille Saint-Saëns – Danse Macabre
transcribed, Edwin Lemare
Robert Schumann – Fugue on BACH Op 60, iv
Bio
Organist Emeritus of Bath Abbey, Peter was Director of Music at the Abbey from 1986-2016. Under his direction the Abbey Choir visited France, Germany and Holland, and released eight CDs. In 1997 Peter started a Girls’ Choir at Bath Abbey; it quickly established itself as one of the finest in the country. Together with Nicolas Kynaston, Peter was responsible for the design and installation of the Abbey’s Klais Organ. His DVD and twelve CDs on the new instrument have been highly acclaimed by the critics. A CD of works for Organ & Orchestra with BBC National Orchestra of Wales, including the Poulenc Concerto and the Respighi Suite has been particularly singled out for praise, being the recommended recording of the Poulenc Concerto in “Building a Library” on BBC Radio 3’s CD Review (Dec 2015); also “Editor’s Choice” in both BBC Music Magazine and Gramophone which describes the CD as “a disc of real distinction… leaves the competition standing… even reluctant converts are likely to be overwhelmed by this thrilling disc. The sound of the Bath Abbey Klais organ matches the life-affirming playing of Peter King. The whole recording is filled with a love of making music.”
Peter was Assistant Chorus Director to the CBSO during all of Sir Simon Rattle’s reign as Musical Director. He plays on Sir Simon Rattle’s EMI recordings of Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony and Symphony of a Thousand. Concert engagements have involved work all over Europe; highlights have included recitals at Cologne Cathedral, Hamburg Michaeliskirche, Dresden Hofkirche and Essen Philharmonie (Germany), ’s-Hertogenbosch Cathedral, Haarlem S Bavo, Alkmaar Grotekerk and Breda Grotekerk, (The Netherlands), Ghent Cathedral (Belgium), the Grand Organ Festival at Westminster Cathedral, King’s College, Cambridge, St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, an opening recital on the new organ in Palacio Euskalduna, Bilbao, and Birmingham, where he played at the opening of the new organ in Symphony Hall. Other engagements have included concerts in Washington National Cathedral and in St Thomas, 5 th Avenue, New York, solo appearances with the CBSO (Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony) and The Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields (Poulenc’s Organ Concerto). His recitals at the Bath Mozartfest have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3. 2024 sees concerts in Blackburn, Durham, Lincoln & Norwich Cathedrals and a Große Orgel Nacht in the Monastery of St Florian (Austria) as part of the Bruckner bicentenary celebrations.
Peter King is a past President of the Incorporated Association of Organists and of the Exeter District Organists’ Association. He serves on the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England as organs advisor. During the academic year 2024/25 he will be Assisting Organist at Merton College Oxford. Peter holds the honorary degree of Doctor of Music from the University of Bath. In his spare time he is a volunteer tour guide at Exeter Cathedral with a special interest in the work of Thomas of Witney (fl. 1292-1342).
Watch Online
The series runs from March to October and each recital lasts around 45 minutes. There is no charge to attend or listen to these concerts, and the cathedral only asks that if you are able, you consider making a donation - the income generated by the generosity of both the audience and artists (who play for free) directly supports music at the cathedral and the ability to continue to offer such community events.
Truro Cathedral is a registered charity number 1207821 and relies on public donations to meet costs. Truro Cathedral welcomes regular or single donations from its supporters.
To give regularly by Direct Debit, please use the Parish Giving Scheme
Single donations can be made through the cathedral website
Popular donations are £5/person