James McVinnie: Bach, Buxtehude & Pachelbel
James McVinnie begins his Southbank Centre Residency with a concert celebrating the 70th birthday of the Royal Festival Hall organ, including music by JS Bach.
The organ is often called ‘the king of instruments’, and Bach was born into, and indelibly influenced by, a long-established tradition of organ composition in 17th-century Germany.
This performance offers a journey into these fascinating musical riches, with works by Sweelinck, Böhm, Pachelbel and Buxtehude, culminating in Bach’s great Prelude & Fugue in E minor.
James McVinnie starts his Artist Residency with this lunchtime programme that he put together with the special sound qualities and design of the Royal Festival Hall organ in mind.
Designed and inaugurated almost exactly 70 years ago in March 1954 by Ralph Downes, the Royal Festival Hall organ caused a sensation in the musical community of the day with its striking tonal design and return to classical pipe organ building principles – ones which allow this music to shine.
Performers
James McVinnie organ
Repertoire
Anonymous: Intrada
Gerviase: Branle de Champagne
Anonymous: Galliarda
Anonymous: My Lady Carey's dompe
Sermisy: Tant que vivray
Sweelinck: Puer nobis nascitur, SwWV.315
Böhm: Vater unser im Himmelreich
Buxtehude: Praeludium in F sharp minor, BuxWV.146
Bach: Aria in F, BWV.587
Bach: Prelude and Fugue in E minor, BWV.548
M Praetorius: Courante a 4 from Terpsichore, T.173
Sweelinck: Fantasia in echo style (Aeolian), SwWV.275
Pachelbel: Chaconne in F minor, P.43
Need to know
Royal Festival Hall at 3.15pm: post-concert conversation with James McVinnie. Free (unreserved)
For your visit
This event is held at the Royal Festival Hall Southbank Centre
The Royal Festival Hall is open six days a week.
Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
Monday, closed.
Plan your visit
The Royal Festival Hall is home to our largest auditorium as well as The Clore Ballroom, National Poetry Library, Members’ Lounge, Festival Bar & Kitchen, Ballroom Cafe and Skylon restaurant.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
On Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen which opens out onto our Riverside Terrace. You can grab a coffee and a slice of freshly made cake from our Ballroom Cafe. Or alternatively enjoy destination dining in the restaurant at Skylon.
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.