Young organist John Challenger, in his debut solo recording, presents a selection of virtuoso transcriptions for organ of some of the best-loved orchestral works of Elgar, played on the organ of Salisbury Cathedral.
The orchestral originals are given a new guise as idiomatic organ solos, brought to life through the glorious tone colours of the Father Willis organ in Salisbury Cathedral – regarded as one of the finest romantic organs in the world, and ideal for the realisation of these transcriptions.
In addition to existing transcriptions by distinguished Edwardian organists contemporary with Elgar – Alfred Redhead, George C Martin, Herbert Brewer, C H Trevor and Harvey Grace - the disc includes new arrangements of Elgar works by Tom Winpenny and John Challenger himself.
John Challenger has been Assistant Director of Music at Salisbury Cathedral since September 2012. He received his musical education as a chorister at Hereford Cathedral under Dr Roy Massey and Geraint Bowen, and as an Organ Scholar at St John’s College, Cambridge, under Andrew Nethsingha. At St John’s College, he accompanied the choir for services, broadcasts and international tours, and appeared as the organist on four critically-acclaimed recordings under the Chandos label. He has studied the organ with David Briggs, Jeremy Filsell, Mark Williams and the late David Sanger, and he obtained his Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists in 2008.