The Regent Classic Organ Music Tutorial Series launched in 2016. During this first year we picked some of our own favourite organ pieces to demonstrate in a series of videos. Jonathan plays on a bespoke private client organ that has 84 speaking stops. It is a 3 manual instrument but with a floating solo division.
See the Organ Music Tutorial Series overview for links to more organ videos and information about them. There you will also be able to read more about Jonathan Kingston and the organs being played in this series.
The Knightsbridge March transcribes well for organ
For this, our second edition in our Jonathan Kingston Musical Tutorial Series, we thought we would present a piece in huge contrast to the Howells psalm prelude.
Eric Coates is perhaps best known for two much played and broadcast pieces. The rousing ‘Dambuster March’ written for the 1955 film and also, but perhaps less well realised, he wrote ‘Sleepy Lagoon’ which is the theme music for Desert Island Discs. This is now in its 74th year having been first broadcast in 1942! Oh for the royalties from these two works.
Coates, born in 1886 in Nottinghamshire, composed The Knightsbridge March in 1933. It is the final movement of his London Suite, the other movements being Covent Garden and Westminster.
Jonathan Kingston, our organist featured in the video, plays his own arrangement of this orchestral piece based on the published piano arrangement. We hope you will enjoy this jaunty tune as it transcribes well for organ.
You can down load the midi file of the performance.
If you would like to watch the video tutorial right now – here it is:
I have had a passion for church organs since the tender age of 12. I own and run Regent Classic Organs with a close attention to the detail that musicians appreciate; and a clear understanding of the benefits of digital technology and keeping to the traditional and emotional elements of organ playing.
