David briggs organist biography books in chronological

I first met David Briggs many years ago at a weekend course on improvisation at Salisbury Cathedral.

David John Briggs (born 1 November ) is an English organist and composer.

The opening session involved us having to improvise on a piano on the National Anthem in a style different from the student before us, and without a break to gather our thoughts. David called us out in a random order just to increase the challenge! Along the way he has led the way in transcribing the improvisations of Pierre Cochereau and more recently transcribing symphonies and other orchestral works for the organ.

We should also remember that he was appointed Principal Viola in the National Youth Orchestra in Thanks for reading Manuals and pedals - an organist's odyssey! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. David is also a very inspiring composer of both organ and choral music, as well as a concerto for the organ. Of the many recordings I have by David my two favourites are a recital CD of the organ of Blackburn Cathedral sounding credibly and incredibly French, and a recording of his Mess pour Notre-Dame on the organ of Gloucester Cathedral with the choir of Trinity College, Cambridge.

There are some video version of the Mess on YouTube but none match the combination of the Gloucester organ and the singing of Trinity College Choir. There is a short chapter on the secrets of success at these examinations that the Royal College of Organists would do well to reproduce on its web site!

As performer, teacher and composer, David embodies that rare and extraordinary balance between head and heart.

In addition, every organist should read the chapter on the art of liturgical accompaniment. Whilst at Solihull School in the early s he became rather skilled at working out how to skive the twice-weekly rugby afternoons by hiding inside the pipework of the chapel organ. But beyond the anecdotes you get an important insight into the way in which his skills were recognized and enhanced by inspirational teachers, notably Colin Edmunson, Richard Popplewell, Jean Langlais and Roy Massey.

John the Divine, Harlem.