Apologies for the long silence between blogs but it has been one of the busiest three months ever. Much more later on my February/March visit to Asia but I returned only just in time for the launch of the 2013 St Albans International Organ Competitions on 22 March - hoarse and jet-lagged!  It was a great occasion in the Old Town Hall attended by over sixty invited guests. Welcomed by our Chairman and our hugely supportive Patron, Lady Verulam, the competitions were launched by Susan Landale, (winner of the first St Albans competition in 1963). She spoke of the impact her winning had on her career as a performer and teacher and the significance of the St Albans competitions today.She closed with a very warm, heartfelt tribute to Peter Hurford who was in the audience.  Full details can be found on the IOF home page together with a link directly to the competitions programme. 

Thanks to our Media Partner, Choir & Organ magazine and their Korean colleagues, especially Somang Ahn (Editor-in-Chief of Choir & Organ Korea) several articles have recently appeared in the Korean press about the IOF - so a warm welcome to our Korean readers who can find these on our 'News' page. Also, to Professor Tong-Soon Kwak our ambassador in Asia who has done and continues to do so much for us in promoting the IOF.

Last week, our first 'inter-festival' weekend of concerts was announced - again full details and booking information can be found on the website. Don't miss out, come along and support us in this new initiative and enjoy some fabulous performers and music.

http://www.organfestival.com/documents/July2012-booking-form.pdf

Friday 13 July at 7.30pm St Saviours Church : the Gould Piano Trio (Schubert, Beethoven, Saint-Saens)

Saturday 14 July from 10.30am St Saviours Church : David Ponsford - illustrated lecture and masterclass Inspiring the Baroque from Louis Couperin to J S Bach

Sunday 15 July at 3pm St Michael's Church : Augusta Hebbert (soprano), Pawel Siwczak (harpsichord & organ), Viktor Toepelmann (viola de gamba) in a programme of Couperin, Handel and Purcell

Sunday 15 July St Saviour's Church :  Melvyn Tan              

Internationally acclaimed pianist Melvyn Tan's programme will include one of a series of ‘premiere’ performances of Variations for Judith ­  - a set of short reflections by leading composers  including Jonathan Dove, Peter Maxwell Davies, Tarik O’Regan, Diana Burrell, Judith Weir, Michael Berkeley, Richard Rodney Bennett.

Time has rather rushed by since my last posting during which the jury for 2013 competitions has been confirmed, the competition programmes finalised and the commissioned work contracted. It's now over to our Competitions Secretary, Colin Hamling, to cast his eagle eye over the timings and regulations and then it will be off to the printers in time for the 2013 Competitions press conference on 22 March. We're all delighted that the 50th anniversary competitions will be launched by Susan Landale winner of the first St Albans interpretation competition in 1963: so keep your eye out for the full programme which will be available on the IOF website that afternoon. 
 
However, before then we have the International Organ Festival Society's AGM on Saturday 18th February which will immediately follow Jane-Parker Smith's 5.30pm recital in the Cathedral. This annual event for IOF members is eagerly awaited as plans for the forthcoming year are announced, including the 2013 jury and future recitalists in the annual Saturday Concert Series. To mark the 50th anniversary, some particularly special plans will also be revealed.

 
Breaking from tradition this year, there is no after-dinner guest speaker. Instead, in preparation for a planned exhibition in 2013, our archivist has unearthed from the depths of the IOF archive, a series of thirty photographs for a quiz to test the memory of our members, some of whom were there at the very beginning.   It is an astonishing history: you can see for yourself by going into the Archive via the IOF Home page.  Other photographs, still to be identified, are being shown in batches on the website - do have a look to see if you recognize anyone.

 
Membership of the IOF is open to everyone and you don't have to be an organist!  Indeed, very many of our nearly 500 members are non-organists who simply support the festival, others are involved in the Operations side of the organisation (well over a hundred of them), and we are making a very special effort to recruit more student members and plan to create opportunities for them in the coming years. Do consider joining the IOFS and support our future.  You can join online and enjoy many benefits which currently include a one month priority booking period for all Festival events, use of the IOF organ, members-only events and free online subscription to the IOF's media partner's publication, Choir & Organ magazine.
 
At the end of this month, I will be travelling to China, Japan and South Korea and will have the opportunity to meet IOF members, former and prospective competitors and festival friends. Greatly looking forward to it!

If you’ve been following the IOF Facebook you will have read the rave comments of Thierry Escaich’s recital in St Albans Cathedral on Saturday night.

A very large audience turned out to hear some of the most engaging and dynamic playing by this outstanding musician. His closing improvisation of a “Tryptique on two themes”  was just breathtaking in its originality and daring: totally mesmerising. The themes were by the distinguished British composer Richard Arnell (1917-2009) and had been commissioned by Peter Hurford for the 1971 Improvisation Competition at St Albans.  It did not go unnoticed that Peter and Pat Hurford were in the audience last night, forty years on looking very well indeed.  Whilst browsing the IOF archive last Friday, I came across a file of correspondence from 1964 and to my astonishment found letters and original themes from Marcel Dupré (he also supplied an analysis), Leo Sowerby (scribbled in an airmail letter), and most intriguingly Catherine Crozier –the distinguished American organist -mentioning that Aaron Copland would be composing one..... sadly, I couldn’t find it but will continue looking and keep you posted.  A busy week ahead in the IOF office finalising the 2013 jury and competitions and preparing for the AGM on 18^th February and Jane Parker-Smith’s recital.  Diary note: 2013 Competitions Press Conference March 22: full details on website later that afternoon.

Keeping you all in touch and up-to-date with all the various activities of the IOF is important to us. Through regular blog postings,  you will be the first to know of all that is happening here at the IOF  including the upcoming 2013 Competition launch this March, the monthly concerts as part of our International  Saturday Concert Series, Members’ events and of course, the Festival. Diary the 50^th anniversary festival and competitions now: 11-20 July 2013.   Tomorrow, 21 January at 5.30pm in the Cathedral, the renowned French organist/composer Thierry Escaich, will play works by JS Bach, Brahms and Escaich. Not to be missed!