St Philip’s Church was alive with the sound of choral and organ music on the evening of Sunday, 9 June 2019 when a service was held to celebrate the rededication of the organ after its complete overhaul by Trevor Crowe Ltd. The church was packed with parishioners and guests for this special occasion during which the Most Reverend Dr Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin, offered the prayer of rededication.
Choral Evensong was sung beautifully by the boys of St Patrick’s Cathedral under the direction of Stuart Nicholson, Master of Music. Following the service was a recital by David Leigh, the organist of St Patrick’s Cathedral, who showcased the range of the eighty-year-old organ with music by composers spanning the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries. Given that it was the feast of Pentecost, the first four of the five works performed were linked to the theme of the coming of the Holy Spirit. For instance, Leigh opened with J.S. Bach’s fantasia on Komm, Heiliger Geist. The final piece by Charles-Marie Widor, Allegro vivace from his Symphony No. 5 in F, succeeded in ‘exploiting the full capabilities of both player and instrument’, as promised by Leigh. This uplifting service and recital was followed by refreshments in the parish hall.
Marnie Hay