Battle of the Organs!

Some items and improvisations have also been specially arranged and devised for this concert, so that both organs can be played together. This includes an improvisation entitled A Christmas Carol Service interrupted by Drunkards, with apologies to various composers!

Alan Saggerson was educated (as a lawyer) at Hertford College, Oxford. His organ tutors include Ann Elise Smoot (USA concert organist) and Paul Bryan (RNCM, now Ely). After 20 years as an organist at St. James’s Parish Church in Islington in north London he moved in May 2008 to St. Mary with All Souls, Kilburn, NW6 where as well as playing the (now) 2 pipe organs he directs the voluntary choir and presides over the annual concert programmes run in conjunction with the Royal Academy of Music. He was a trustee of the Royal College of Organists St. Giles Academy organ project at St. Giles Cripplegate beside London’s Barbican and has participated in the rebuilding and refubishment of several pipe organs in and around London (including the 1880 Bishop organ and the installation of the 1966 Walker gallery organ at St. Mary’s in 2014 – a gift from Downing College Cambridge). He plays regularly in London & has toured annually in France, the Netherlands and New England in each of the last 12 years. In October 2014 he played at the Ashton Hall in Lancaster as part of the Royal College of Organists 150-for-150 international organ series, celebrating the RCO’s 150th anniversary.

Irene Clugston is a teacher, choral director and organist based in south west London where she continues her career as a freelance musician. As a choral singer she has appeared in most of London’s premier concert venues and is the founder and director of Cantamus a choir of committed enthusiasts who join forces with the choir of St. Mary’s (amongst others) for major festival events throughout the year. As an organist she specialises in music of the baroque era and has participated in many international workshops including the presentation of an acclaimed performance of part of the Couperin Messe des Paroisses with Dame Gillian Weir at the Abbey Church of St. Antoine L'Abbeye in France on the new Bernard Aubertin organ built in the French baroque style.