Worcester Spectacular Christopher Allsop

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750):
• 1 Toccata & Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565 08:31
• Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958):
• 2 3 Preludes on Welsh Hymn Tunes: No. 2, Rhosymedre 04:21
• Pietro Alessandro Yon (1886 - 1943):
• 3 Humoresque "L'organo primitivo" 02:27
• Théodore Dubois (1837 - 1924):
• 4 12 Pièces nouvelles: No. 8, Fiat lux 04:52
• Easthope Martin (1882 - 1925):
• 5 Evensong 03:55
• Derek Bourgeois (1941 - 2017):
• 6 Serenade, Op. 22 02:56
• Percy Whitlock (1903 - 1946):
• 7 5 Short Pieces: No. 2, Folk Tune 03:46
• Sigfrid Karg Elert (1877 - 1933):
• 8 66 Choral-Improvisationen, Op. 65, Book 6: No. 59, Nun danket alle Gott "Marche Triomphale" 04:12
• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750):
• 9 Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier, BWV 731 02:45
• Jean Sibelius (1865 - 1957):
• 10 Finlandia, Op. 26 (Arr. H.A. Fricker for Organ) 09:18
• Samuel Wesley (1766 - 1837):
• 11 12 Short Pieces: No. 8, Air - No. 9, Gavotte 03:43
• Henri Mulet (1878 - 1967):
• 12 Carillon-Sortie 05:29
• Edward Elgar (1857 - 1934):
• 13 Chanson de matin, Op. 15 No. 2 (Arr. A.H. Brewer) 03:18
• Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wély (1817 - 1869):
• 14 Sortie in E-Flat Major 04:24
• Percy Fletcher (1879 - 1932):
• 15 Fountain Reverie 05:40
• Charles-Marie Widor (1844 - 1937):
• 16 Organ Symphony No. 5 in F Minor, Op. 42 No. 1: V. Toccata. Allegro 06:09
• Total Runtime 01:15:46

Info for Worcester Spectacular

To celebrate the new organ by Kenneth Tickell in Worcester Cathedral, Priory presents a lollipops CD to demonstrate its versatility. Christopher Allsop, then Assistant Director of Music at the cathedral ( and now of the Choir School) puts the organ through its paces. To obtain the best seat in the house Priory put its microphones high to the east of the two cases to obtain what we consider the best place from which to hear this instrument. This organ will be enlarged in the coming years.

Christopher Allsop, organ of Worcester Cathedral

Christopher Allsop
is Worcester Festival Choral Society's Conductor and Music Director, and Assistant Director of Music at the King's School, Worcester. He was formerly the Assistant Director of Music of Worcester Cathedral, and Assistant Conductor of Worcester Festival Choral Society.

Christopher was born and educated in London and held Organ Scholarships at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle and Trinity College, Cambridge, studying the organ with Philip Berg, Richard Dunster-Sigtermans, Iain Simcock and David Sanger. After teaching for the University Music Faculty and being Assistant Organist at Great St. Mary’s, Cambridge, Christopher moved to Birmingham in 1997 as Assistant Organist of the Cathedral and Organist of the Blue Coat School, Edgbaston. He founded and directed the New Birmingham Scholars chamber choir, taught at Birmingham Conservatoire, and regularly played for choirs including Ex Cathedra and Birmingham Bach Choir.

In 2004 Christopher took up the post of Assistant Organist at Worcester Cathedral and Music Teacher at The King’s School, then becoming the full-time Assistant Director of Music at the Cathedral in 2012. In that role he directed and worked with the girl and boy choristers, accompanied the Cathedral Choir and was Festival Organist for the Worcester Three Choirs Festivals. He was also Assistant Conductor and Repetiteur for Worcester Festival Choral Society, during which time he conducted several of its major concerts in Worcester Cathedral, most recently Haydn’s The Creation in March 2018.

Christopher returned to King’s School, Worcester in 2018 as Assistant Director of Music, where he teaches curricular music, organ and piano and directs three choirs. Alongside this Christopher became Conductor of Worcester Festival Choral Society in September 2018.

Christopher is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and a trustee of the Elgar School of Music. He often works as a conductor and continuo player, including with Armonico Consort and Sing UK. His debut solo CD, released in 2014 as part of Regent Records' English Cathedrals Series, attracted enthusiastic reviews, and his most recent recording, Worcester Spectacular!, has just been released on the Priory label.

This album contains no booklet.