Organ Recital by Martin Setchell

17.6.2017 (Sat) 5pm Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall Free admission with ticket

From China to Canada, Scotland to Australia, England to Singapore, and New Zealand to Germany, Martin Setchell has delighted audiences the world over with his spirited playing, lively personality and entertaining repertoire.

Born in the North of England town of Blackpool, Setchell holds Honours degrees in both French and Music from the University of Exeter, and was awarded both the Limpus and Shinn prizes when he received his Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists in London. Subsequently he undertook advanced studies in Classical organ technique with Pierre Cochereau (then titular organist of Notre Dame in Paris), Marie-Claire Alain, Piet Kee, and Peter Hurford.

Setchell emigrated to New Zealand in 1974 on his appointment to the University of Canterbury School of Music where he is currently Adjunct Associate Professor of Music and University Organist. He maintains a busy schedule of recitals and concerts as soloist, accompanist and continuo player on organ and harpsichord. Since 1997, when he was appointed curator of the Rieger pipe organ in the Christchurch Town Hall, he has principally devoted himself to promoting the organ as a concert instrument internationally.

His solo concert tours outside New Zealand regularly take him to Australia, America, Europe and the Far East. Some concert highlights include the Spreckels organ in Balboa Park, San Diego, the Mormon Tabernacle Organ in Salt Lake City, the famous Hill organ in Sydney Town Hall, Australia, Oliwa Cathedral in Poland as part of the Gdansk International Organ Festival, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the Oriental Arts Centre in Shanghai, China, the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore, Musashino Civic Cultural Hall in Tokyo, Japan, Birmingham Town Hall, St. Paul's Cathedral, London, and St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh, Scotland. Last year's concert tours took him to Australia (three times), Germany and Poland.

His CDs include A Taste of Shropshire, (Quantum) recorded at Ludlow Parish church in England, the highly successful Bonbons for Organ series and Pink and White, an anthology of New Zealand organ music (Atoll) and Great Australasian Organs VII featuring the Rieger organ of Christchurch Town Hall (Priory 1031, UK). His most recent recording is Cardboard Cathedral Organ Capers recorded on the Rodgers Infinity organ of the Transitional Anglican Cathedral.

As a composer, Setchell concentrates on writing tuneful and accessible organ and choral music. His Wedding March extraordinaire is recently published by Butz Verlag in Bonn. He is also known for his volumes of transcriptions for organ. Music by Fauré and Bizet and the Sousa marches are published by Kevin Mayhew Music and his arrangements of Saint-Saens, Purcell and Bach are published by OUP in their Oxford Organ Series.

Setchell's other activities include conducting (especially choral works and chamber operas), and public speaking. He lives in Christchurch with his wife Jenny, and two Burmese cats. In 2008 he was honoured by the City of Christchurch, receiving a Civic Award for services to music in the community and the Town Hall organ in particular.

Programme

Karl Jenkins (b.1944)
Celebratio

J.S. Bach (1685-1750) / arr. by M. Setchell
Sinfonia from Cantata 29 Wir danken dir, Gott, BWV 29

R. Wagner (1813-1883) / arr. by Liszt/Lemare/Setchell
Pilgrims' Chorus (from Tannhäuser)

B. Somma (1893-1960)
Toccata in A Major

H. Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) / arr. by Camil van Hulse
Aria (Cantilena) from Bachianas Basileiras No. 5

Noel Goemanne (1926-2010)
El dia de fiesta (Day of Celebration)

J. Langlais (1907-1991)
Cats (from American Suite)

Reynaldo Hahn (1875-1947) / arr. by M. Setchell
A Chloris

Marcel Lanquetuit (1894-1985)
Toccata in D Major

Free tickets are available at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Enquiries Counter (9am-9pm daily) from 26 May onwards. Each patron may get a maximum of 4 tickets on a first-come, first-served basis. Audiences aged 6 and above are welcome. Programme lasts around 40 minutes without intermission.

The presenter reserves the right to substitute artists and change programme without prior notice should unavoidable circumstances make it necessary.
The content of this programme does not represent the views of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

Enquiries: 2734 2009 / 2734 2819