Saint-Saëns Danse macabre (arr. Edwin Lemare)
Many of the programmes I put together explore the organ as storyteller; in fact, storytelling is what I think the organ does best. So, a piece like Saint-Saëns's Danse macabre, which has a strong narrative, shows off the instrument really well. In Edwin Lemare’s transcription, the organ is fully embodying the role of the narrator – hopping into all sorts of different characters. You hear bells, you hear softer sounds. But you also hear huge climaxes where it feels as though the organ is shaking the whole building.
Olivia Belli Limina Luminis
Olivia Belli wrote this piece for me to perform at the BBC Proms a few years ago, and it’s since become my favourite to play in concert. It portrays an astronaut’s journey into space – you feel the turbulence, the rising tension, the thrilling surge of boosters and a soaring crescendo as the rocket ascends. Then, a sudden stillness and a fragile melody capturing the wonder of seeing Earth from above. When I performed it in Norway, an astronaut told me it perfectly reflected the feelings of spaceflight. It’s such a vivid piece of music.
More works to make you fall in love with the pipe organ...
Hans Zimmer Interstellar Suite
When it comes to bringing the instrument into popular consciousness, Hans Zimmer's Interstellar soundtrack has done more for the organ than almost anything else. It showcases the bold, bombastic side of the organ that we all love. But at its heart, I think Interstellar treats the organ as something deeply sensitive – an instrument of colour, humanity and breath, a symbol of human connection. And although this piece takes an unconventional approach to writing for the organ, it works beautifully – after all, the whole world fell in love with the instrument through this soundtrack.
JS Bach Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV532
I was going to pick Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor but then I thought, ‘Actually, everyone knows that already.’ So instead I went with this joyful and crazy piece. It’s a brilliant showcase for the organ and for organists, featuring the most incredible footwork all the way through, not least the D major scale in the pedals that keeps returning. I would recommend that you watch it being played, instead of just listening to it, as it is just spectacular.
More works to make you fall in love with the pipe organ...
Jongen Symphonie concertante
This piece, for organ and orchestra, is my current obsession. I was first introduced to it about a year ago by a recording engineer, who said, ‘You’ve got to listen to this. It feels like your personality summed up in a piece of music.’ It’s certainly a crazy work – a little like a firework and very filmic in its orchestration, starting with this rapid figuration in the organ, which leads into brass fanfares. It’s also romantic and extrovert, with passages reminiscent of harp figurations. As a former harpist myself, I find that it really fits my hands.
Fauré Sicilienne (arr. for organ)
People tend to think of the organ as a bombastic instrument. As a result, they sometimes underestimate its beauty. Fauré's piece really draws attention to the organ’s softer side. If you listen to the recording by a brilliant organist like Olivier Latry, you will marvel at how the playing can be so soft and yet have so much warmth and breadth, with these amazing French flute stops that produce such a wide sound. There is something incredible about hearing a powerful and loud instrument holding back.
More works to make you fall in love with the pipe organ...
Gigout Toccata
This was the piece that made me want to become an organist. I remember hearing a slightly older girl performing it on an organ course when I was a teenager, and everyone’s jaw dropping. I felt so inspired that I decided to download the music that same evening. It’s so much fun to play: very extrovert; a little bit gothic horror, with this huge build up to an amazing melody that perfectly captures the energy of the organ. You feel the pressure increase as you keep adding stops and the piece keeps on getting louder. The result is so satisfying.
Who is Anna Lapwood?
Anna Lapwood is a British organist and conductor who has brought classical music to millions through social media, often under the hashtag #PlayLikeAGirl. She originally studied the organ alongside piano, violin, viola, composition and harp before going on to receive an organ scholarship at Magdalen College, Oxford. At 21, she was appointed director of music at Pembroke College, Cambridge. This year she was named the inaugural official organist of the Royal Albert Hall. On 15 January, she performs Jongen’s Symphonie concertante with the Hallé at Bridgewater Hall.
