2016 – 2017 series of lunchtime organ concerts begins on Monday 26 September, at 1pm.
The programme at Huddersfield Town Hall includes music from seven countries and spans four centuries. 
Well known composers Bach and Mozart feature, as does local composer Robert Cockroft whose Melody for Marion is being given its Huddersfield premier.
Kirklees Borough Organist Gordon Stewart will be the man performing and what makes Gordon’s concerts special for the regular audience is his introductions to the pieces – and tales of life as a travelling musician!
Gordon has just returned from a concert tour in South Africa where he played in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.
In Cape Town and Pretoria he gave master classes with university students.
Talking about the tour Gordon said: “I have played in South Africa many times, and I conducted BBC Song of Praise from Johannesburg some years ago. The organs are really interesting – several of them came from England – and the audiences are always large and enthusiastic. The organ at St Mary’s in Johannesburg is the one I enjoy playing most; it was built in Liverpool and is the biggest cathedral organ in the southern hemisphere”. 
But Gordon has always said his favourite concert organ in the UK is the Father Willis organ in Huddersfield Town Hall. “It is perfectly suited to the size and acoustic of the hall, and is large enough to have a huge range of sounds and dynamics. Changes made in 1980 have made it one of the most versatile instruments in country,” he says.
To make the concerts even more special, audiences can come early and enjoy a bite to eat and some pre-concert chat with other audience members.
Competitively priced lunches, with a choice of sandwiches, soup, cakes and hot beverages, are served in the Old Court Room from 11.30am.
Many regular concert-goers comment on how wonderfully friendly and sociable these daytime concerts are – the perfect way to while away an afternoon!
These concerts are very well priced at only £5.
Tickets can be booked by calling the ticket hotline on 01484 225755 or visiting the website
www.kirkleestownhalls.co.uk
Lunchtime concerts return for new season
About the author
