Bridlington Priory Organ Recitals 2009

25th July 2009, Martin Setchell

CDs and DVDs recorded by Martin Setchell on the Rieger organ in Christchurch Town Hall New Zealand, and the Nicholson organ of Ludlow Parish Church, Shropshire will be on sale after the concert and Martin will be happy to sign your copy for you.

From China to Canada, Scotland to Australia, England to Singapore, and New Zealand to Germany, Martin Setchell - “a virtuoso of awesome capabilities (Classical Music Web)” - has delighted audiences the world over with his spirited playing, lively personality and entertaining repertoire.

For the last decade Martin has been attracting a large following of music lovers who want more than just another organ recital with “playing of the highest rank ... all that one could desire” (UK Organists' Review). Some organists play mainly for other organists; Martin programmes and plays for a wider audience. His engaging organ concerts appeal to all ages and are usually spiced with characteristic touches of English humour. Who says that organ music can't be fun? Far from ignoring his audience from the isolation of the loft, he takes them with him to the console.

Born in the North of England town of Blackpool, Martin holds Honours degrees in both French and Music from the University of Exeter, and he was awarded both the Limpus and Shinn prizes when he received his Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists in London. Subsequently he undertook advanced studies in Classical organ technique with Pierre Cochereau (then titular organist of Notre Dame in Paris), Marie-Claire Alain, Piet Kee, and Peter Hurford.

Martin emigrated to New Zealand in 1974 on his appointment to the University of Canterbury School of Music where he is Associate Professor of Music, University Organist and tutor in organ. He combines his university teaching and research career with a busy schedule of recitals and concerts as soloist, accompanist and continuo player on organ and harpsichord. In 1997 he was appointed curator of the newly installed Rieger pipe organ in the Christchurch Town Hall. Since then, he has devoted himself to promoting the organ as a concert instrument in its own right.

His solo concert tours outside New Zealand have taken him to Australia, America, Europe and the Far East. Some concert highlights include the Spreckels organ in Balboa Park, San Diego, the famous Hill organ in Sydney Town Hall, Australia, Oliwa Cathedral in Poland as part of the Gdansk International Organ Festival, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Guangdong Xinghai Concert Hall in Guangzhou, China, the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore, Musashino Civic Cultural Hall, Tokyo, Japan, St Paul ’s Cathedral, London, and St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh. In 2008 he made his first tour of Japan, and in 2009 his concert tour takes him to England, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Singapore during a sabbatical leave. Martin's CDs are often heard on the BBC's The Organist Entertains, Minnesota's Pipe Dreams, and Radio New Zealand.

As a composer, Martin Setchell concentrates on writing tuneful and accessible organ and choral music, which is published by Kevin Mayhew Music, and Fagus Music in the UK, and is heard internationally. He is best known through his recent volumes of transcriptions of music by Fauré, Bizet and the Sousa marches. Oxford University Press has recently published a volume of his organ arrangements of works by Saint-Saëns.

Martin's other activities include conducting (especially choral works and chamber operas), examining for Trinity Guildhall, London, and after-dinner speaking. He lives in Christchurch with his wife Jenny, and two Burmese cats.

He was recently honoured by the City of Christchurch, receiving a Civic Award for services to music in the community and the Town Hall organ in particular.