Gabs's Past Events
Organ Lenten Reflection at St Mary's RC Church, East Hendred, Wantage OX12 8LF
Friday 6 March 2026 at 7pm
"Forty Days and Forty Nights" - Organ Music to Reflect
On a chilly and rainy evening, a small yet appreciative gathering of parishioners and friends attended this special event. The Lenten organ meditation, Forty Days and Forty Nights: Organ Music to Reflect, was performed by Gabriele Damiani at St Mary's RC Church. The thoughtfully curated program delved into themes of penitence, reflection, and hope. The recital opened with the profound architectural resonance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 537, and concluded with the spirited energy of Christopher Tambling’s Toccata on Aus der Tiefe. Interwoven throughout were chorale-based meditations from notable composers such as Alan Bullard, Ashley Grote, and Johann Gottfried Walther. Through a rich tapestry of contrasting textures—from serene, lyrical reflections to vibrant, robust statements—the program charted a spiritual journey reflective of the Lenten season. It struck a beautiful balance between private contemplation and communal devotion, ultimately offering a sense of reassurance through the power of music.
Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 537 – J S Bach
Meditation on Southwell (Lord Jesus, think on me) – Alan Bullard
Postlude on Aberystwyth (Jesu, lover of my soul) – Ashley Grote
Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten (Verses 1–3) – Johann Gottfried Walther
Interlude on Ubi Caritas – Alan Bullard
Prelude on Rockingham (When I survey) – Christopher Tambling
Meditation on Pange Lingua – Mary Beth Bennett
Meditation on Love Unknown – Matthew H Corl
Pastorale on Gerontius (Praise to the Holiest) – David Blackwell
Toccata on Aus der Tiefe (Forty days and forty nights) – Christopher Tambling
Gabs Damiani, Organist
Lunchtime Organ Recital at Exeter College Chapel, Oxford
Tuesday 3 March 2026
This was a well-attended recital with a very appreciative audience from Oxford and nearby. At a lunchtime recital at Exeter College Chapel, organist Gabriele Damiani presented Invocation and Exultation: Guilmant and his Contemporaries, a programme exploring the colour and architectural breadth of the nineteenth-century French organ tradition. Opening with the ceremonial brilliance of Théodore Salomé’s Grand Chœur in G, the recital moved through the contrapuntal clarity of Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens, the lively charm of Léon Boëllmann’s Ronde Française, and the lyrical introspection of César Franck’s Cantabile. Works by Alexandre Guilmant formed the centre and culmination of the programme, from the poised Canzona in C and reflective Invocation to the virtuosic finale of his First Sonata, bringing the recital to an energetic and symphonically conceived conclusion. The programme traced a carefully shaped journey from grandeur to lyricism and back to brilliance, highlighting the expressive range and structural ambition of the French Romantic organ repertoire.
"Invocation and Exultation: F A Guilmant and his Contemporaries"
Grand Choeur in G Théodore Salomé (1834–1896)
Prelude á 5 parties Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens (1823–1881)
Ronde Française Léon Boëllmann (1862–1897)
Cantabile César Franck (1822–1890)
Canzona in C, Invocation in Bb op 18,
Final – Allegro assai (from Sonata no 1 in D minor)
Felix Alexandre Guilmant (1837–1911)
Organ Recital at Pusey House Chapel, Oxford
Tuesday 24 February 2026
At a reflective lunchtime recital at Pusey House, organist Gabriele Damiani offered a thoughtfully conceived programme of organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach marking the beginning of Lent under the title Penitence and Providence. Framed by the sombre intensity of the Prelude and Fugue in F minor, BWV 534, the recital traced a spiritual journey through chorale settings and contrapuntal works including Wo soll ich fliehen hin, the Canzona in D minor, Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten, and the Fantasia “Duobus Subjectis”. Damiani highlighted the expressive breadth of Bach’s writing—from introspective penitence to serene trust—while the sequence of pieces unfolded as a coherent meditation on reflection, discipline, and faith. The programme’s careful architecture and the organ’s clarity of tone combined to create a compelling musical counterpart to the opening of the Lenten season.
“Penitence and Providence”
Organ Music by J. S. Bach to mark the beginning of Lent
Prelude in F minor BWV 534 (i)
Wo soll ich fliehen hin BVW 646
Canzona in D minor BWV 588
Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten BWV 647
Fantasia Duobus Subjectis in G min BWV 917
IX Partitas on O Gott, du frommer Gott BWV 767
Fugue in F minor BWV 534 (ii)
Gabs Damiani, Organist
