YOUR LETTERS
FOREWORD
Totland
organ to
get the
Midas
Touch
THE biggest, the loudest, the
most stirring, and the most
moving sounds can come from a
church organ, and this July one
of the Island’s most cherished
instruments is to be put through
its paces in a festival celebrating
50 years of organ recitals in the
West Wight.
So highly regarded is the
organ at Christ Church,
Totland, that since 1959 it has
regularly attracted organists
of international standing.
It is an original Norman &
Beard instrument, installed in
1911, and restored in 1994 by
Michael Farley, organ builder
of Budleigh Salterton. The first
guest organist to play the newly
renovated organ was Professor
Dr Ian Tracey of Liverpool
Cathedral – so how appropriate
that he should take part in the
Jubilee celebrations.
On 1st July Ian Tracey
will perform a contrasting
programme of spanning Bach
to Percy Whitlock and Elgar,
taking in Mendelssohn and
Schumann on the way.
Dr Tracey, a frequent performer
at Christ Church, had the
distinction of being the youngest
cathedral organist in Britain
when he was first appointed
to his post at the Anglican
cathedral in Liverpool. After
27 years, he was rewarded the
title of Organist Titulaire, which
allows him more freedom to
tour, write and play.
By complete contrast, July
27th sees the Midas Touch Duo
Last Night of the
Osborne Proms
coming to Totland. Organists
Roger Sayer,