The year 1976 brought the 25th Anniversary of the opening of the Royal Festival Hall, and to celebrate this the BBC commissioned a 20-minute work from Peter Racine Fricker for a concert of English
music.  Fricker chose to write a short single movement symphony, and as an FRCO, he decided to include an organ part.  Gillian Weir was invited to be the soloist, and in this article from the RCO Journal of 2017 she describes the event.  Weir had previously given the premiere (also at the RFH) of Fricker's Toccata: Gladius Domini, and of his Intrada at the Cardiff Festival in 1972, as well as many other performances of his
idiomatic and energetic pieces.

Gillian Weir also discusses the performance of a later concerto by Fricker, Laudi Concertati, which was dedicated to her, and which she broadcast live with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.  She comments on the performance of organ concertos in our concert halls in general, and suggests a considerable available repertoire on which conductors and concert promoters could draw.

This content is available free of charge to College members. To find out more about joining RCO, please click here.

Non-members with an iRCO guest account can view this content with a one-off payment of £2.49. Please enter your details below to begin the secure payment process.