Nicola Lisle talks to Lorenzo Ghielmi about his forthcoming recital in Oxford, which honours the memory of a former graduate

Italian organist Lorenzo Ghielmi last came to Oxford to join the team of coaches at the Oundle International Festival, a leading training ground for promising young organists.

Now he is returning to play in memory of another organist, Andrew Chamblin, a theoretical physicist and Christ Church graduate whose sudden death in February 2006, at the age of 36, left his many friends and colleagues devastated.

The Andrew Chamblin Memorial Concert series is now in its ninth year, and the hour-long recitals take place at Andrew’s former college.

As with previous recitalists, Lorenzo will be playing a selection of music that reflects Andrew’s tastes – but there’s a few ingredients of his own, too.

“I’m playing mainly Italian music, and then Bach to finish,” he said.

“As an organist, my most important composer is Bach, but also I have written a book on an organ composer we don’t hear so much of, Nicolaus Bruhns. He is beloved by the organist because he wrote some very fine pieces; and the Praeludium in E Minor that I’m playing is fairly famous.

“Then I’m playing Scarlatti, Pasquini and Ziplo, three famous Italian baroque composers.

“The Bach pieces include the Aria variata alla maniera italiana, which is normally played on the harpsichord but you can play it on the organ, which is very nice as you can show the stops of the organ.

“Then at the very end I’ll play the famous Toccata, Adagio and Fuga in C. They say Bach was imitating Vivaldi’s three-part concertos.

“The very nice slow movement in the middle imitates the violins.

“In between I’ll insert three chorales from the Leipzig Autograph, which I think in English is called the Eighteen Chorales. It’s a collection that Bach put together at the end of his life.”

Born in Milan in 1959, Lorenzo started playing the piano at a young age, but was inspired to switch to the organ at the age of 14 after hearing the instrument played locally.

A couple of years later he also took up the harpsichord, and developed an interest in early music. He is now renowned as a performer, teacher and competition adjudicator throughout Europe, Japan and the USA, and has several recordings and books to his name.

Highlights of his career include helping with the installation of a new Mascioni organ at Tokyo Cathedral, setting up his own group, La Divina Armonia, and performing with his younger brother, Vittorio, a viola da gamba player.

Joanna Ashbourn, who was largely responsible for setting up the Andrew Chamblin Memorial Fund, is delighted that the concert series is still flourishing nearly ten years on, and is looking forward to welcoming Lorenzo to Christ Church.

“Since Italian Baroque organ music was a particular interest of Andrew’s, in addition to his great love of Bach, it will be a very moving occasion in his memory,” she said.

“The Memorial Concert series is going strong and has become a well-established event in the annual calendar at Christ Church, with the participation of the public and local community increasing each year.”

Lorenzo Ghielmi, Organ
Andrew Chamblin Memorial Concert series
Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
Thursday, June 11
Admission free. Details at chch.ox.ac.uk/