Robert Pecksmith - Organist and Pianist
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New CD

17/12/2020

 
Robert has contributed two tracks to the new charity compilation CD Jubilation, which was released by the Berlin-based label JUBAL earlier this month: Percy Whitlock's Fanfare and Johann Sebastian Bach's Prelude in C minor (BWV 546).

In addition to these two original works for organ, the new album features orchestral arrangements of a number of well-known organ pieces such as Stanisław​ Skrowaczewski's spectacular orchestration of Bach's Prelude and Fugue in D minor (BWV 565) as well as Ottorino Respighi's symphonic version of Bach's Passacaglia (BWV 582).

Please see Robert's discography for further details. The CD is available exclusively through JUBAL's website.
Jubilation (CD Cover)

New Appointment

11/10/2020

 
Robert has been appointed Assistant Organist of Wakefield Cathedral. He will play the organ for services, accompany and conduct the cathedral choir as well as assisting James Bowstead (Acting Director of Music).

2018 Tour Recordings

7/1/2020

 
The first nine live recordings from Robert's summer tour are now available on YouTube:

Maria-Magdalenen-Kirche, Templin, Brandenburg
Organ: Alexander Schuke (1994)
  • Kenneth Leighton (1929-1988): Martyrs: Dialogues on a Scottish Psalm-tune, op. 73 (with Bertie Baigent)

Fürstenwalde Cathedral (Dom St. Marien), Brandenburg
Organ: Alexander Schuke (1966/2005)
  • Arvo Pärt (born 1935): Annum per annum

St.-Gertraud-Kirche, Frankfurt (Oder), Brandenburg
Organ: Wilhelm Sauer (1878)
  • Bertie Baigent (born 1995): A quiet pavan, with canons
  • Johannes Brahms (1833-1897): O Gott, du frommer Gott, op. 122/7

St.-Marien-Kirche, Pirna, Saxony
Organ: Friedrich Nikolaus Jahn/Hermann Eule (1842/1979)
  • Donnacha Dennehy (born 1970): Work for Organ

Christuskirche, Dresden-Strehlen, Saxony
Organ: Jehmlich (1904)
  • Edward Elgar (1857-1934): Sospiri, op. 70 (arr. Arthur Wills)
  • Herbert Howells (1892-1983): Saraband in modo elegiaco (from Six Pieces for Organ)
  • Max Reger (1873-1916): Benedictus, op. 59/9
  • Edmund Rubbra (1901-1986): Prelude and Fugue on a Theme of Cyril Scott, op. 69

Another track is currently being edited and will be added to the channel over the course of the next few months.

The Complete Sacred Choral Music of Alice Mary Smith

6/8/2019

 
In June Robert played the 1913 Walker organ at St Saviour’s Church, Richmond Hill, Leeds, for the Eoferwic Consort's new recording of the complete sacred choral works of Alice Mary Smith (1839-1884), one of the most prolific female composers from the Victorian period.

The recording is based on newly published scholarly edition of Alice Mary Smith's choral music by Leonard Sanderman. The project was funded the AHRC, through the White Rose College of Arts and Humanities. For further information as well as PDF files of the scores, please see Leonard Sanderman's website. 

Robert accompanied the following three tracks:

  • Out of the Deep
  • O praise the Lord
  • By the waters of Babylon

The complete album is also available for streaming on SoundCloud.

Summer Tour 2018

17/7/2018

 
After four successful tours of Germany Robert will be returning to the Berlin/Brandenburg area and Saxony next week to perform another series of solo recitals organised by Stefan Schwarz. Venues include two cathedrals (Fürstenwalde and Meißen) as well as parish churches in Templin, Frankfurt (Oder), Pirna and Dresden. Please Robert’s concert diary for further details and full programmes.

For his organ duo recital in Templin Robert will be joined by fellow organist Bertie Baigent, who has recently been appointed assistant conductor of the Colorado Symphony. Bertie has also composed a new solo piece for Robert: A quiet pavan, with canon. Robert will be playing this piece in all five evening recitals on this tour.

In addition to this world premiere, Robert’s programmes will feature music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, Charles Villiers Stanford, Edmund Rubbra, Herbert Howells, Olivier Messiaen, Arvo Pärt, Donnacha Dennehy, Zsolt Gárdonyi as well as Patrick and Richard Gowers.

Friday 27th July 2018, 7:30pm, Maria-Magdalenen-Kirche, Templin
Organ Duo Recital with Bertie Baigent (London)
Facebook Event

Sunday 29th July 2018, 5pm, Fürstenwalde Cathedral
Organ Recital (12. Internationale Fürstenwalder Sommermusiken)

Tuesday 31st July 2018, 8pm, St.-Gertraud-Kirche, Frankfurt (Oder)
Organ Recital (30. Internationaler Orgelzyklus)
Facebook Event

Thursday 2nd August 2018, 7:30pm, St.-Marien-Kirche, Pirna
Organ Recital (Pirnaer Abendmusiken)

Saturday 4th August 2018, 12 noon, Meißen Cathedral
Lunchtime Organ Recital


Saturday 4th August 2018, 7:30pm, Christuskirche, Dresden (Germany)
Organ Recital
Facebook Event
Bertie Baigent and Robert Pecksmith

2017 Tour Recordings

11/1/2018

 
Live recordings from Robert's fourth recital tour to Germany are now available on YouTube:
​
St.-Jacobi-Kirche, Sangerhausen, Saxony-Anhalt
Organ: Zacharias Hildebrandt (1728)
  • Guy Bovet (born 1942): Salamanca
  • Samuel Wesley (1766-1837): Variations on Rule Britannia, KO 620

St.-Georgen-Kirche, Glauchau, Saxony
Organ: Gottfried Silbermann (1730)
  • William Byrd (1543-1623): The Queenes Alman
  • Maurice Greene (1696-1755): Voluntary in D minor

Baroque Recital Tour

27/9/2017

 
This year Robert's annual tour to Germany will see him play two well-known central German Baroque organs: the 1728 Hildebrandt organ of the Jacobikirche in Sangerhausen (Saxony Anhalt) and the 1730 Silbermann organ of the Georgenkirche in Glauchau (Saxony):

Friday 10th November 2017, 7pm, St.-Jacobi-Kirche, Sangerhausen
Recital on the 1728 Hildebrandt Organ
Free admission

Sunday 12th November 2017, 5pm, St.-Georgen-Kirche, Glauchau
Recital on the 1730 Silbermann Organ
Tickets: €5

Robert will be playing works by Johann Sebastian Bach, a selection of early English organ music by William Byrd, Orlando Gibbons and Maurice Greene as well as some early Romantic and modern works by Felix Mendelssohn, Samuel Wesley, Bertie Baigent and Guy Bovet.

Please see Robert's concert diary for further details.
Robert Smith playing the Silbermann organ in Glauchau (Germany)

Recital in Switzerland

20/3/2017

 
Poster Linsebühlkirche 2017
On Saturday Robert will be contributing two pieces to a special recital in celebration of the 120th anniversary of the Friedrich Goll organ at the Linsebühlkirche in St. Gallen (Switzerland). The concert will also feature organists Imelda Natter, Claude Diallo and Franz Pfab.

Robert will be playing Max Reger's Variations and Fugue on 'Heil dir im Siegerkranz'/'God Save the King' as well as Hamburger Totentanz (from Trois Préludes Hambourgeois) by Swiss composer Guy Bovet.

See Robert's concert diary for full details of the event. The Facebook event page for the concert can be found here. 

Tour Recordings

20/9/2016

 
A selection of live recordings from Robert's summer tour has now been uploaded to YouTube:

  • Frank Martin: Agnus Dei - St.-Nicolai-Kirche, Döbeln (3 August 2016)
  • Percy Whitlock: Fanfare (from Four Extemporisations) - Christuskirche, Dresden-Strehlen (8 August 2016)
  • Bertie Baigent: proud rock/bright sky - Christuskirche, Dresden-Strehlen (8 August 2016
  • Olivier Messiaen: Apparition de l'église éternelle - Predigerkirche, Erfurt (9 August 2016)
  • Ralph Vaughan WIlliams: Rhosymedre - St.-Johannis-Kirche, Dessau (11 August 2016)
  • Guy Bovet: Hamburger Totentanz (from Trois Préludes Hambourgeois) - Meißen Cathedral (13 August 2016)
  • Simon Preston: Alleluyas - Meißen Cathedral (13 August 2016)
  • Herbert Howells: Preludio 'Sine nomine' - Herderkirche, Weimar (14 August 2016)
  • Herbert Howells: Paean - Herderkirche, Weimar (14 August 2016)
  • Max Reger: Variations and Fugue on Heil dir im Siegerkranz/God Save the King - Herderkirche, Weimar (14 August 2016)
  • Noel Rawsthorne: Hornpipe Humoresque - St.-Georgen-Kirche, Schwarzenberg (15 August 2016)

Reviews: Recitals in Döbeln and Schwarzenberg

18/8/2016

 
The Döbelner Allgemeine Zeitung recently published Hagen Kunze's review of Robert's concert at the St.-Nicolai-Kirche in Döbeln, the first recital of his 2016 summer tour. Click here to read the review.

A review of Robert's organ recital at the St.-Georgen-Kirche in Schwarzenberg (Germany) and a selection of photos can be found on the church website.
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© 2012-2022 Robert Pecksmith and Stefan Schwarz
  • Home
  • Biography
  • News
  • Calendar
    • 2016-2022
    • 2012-2015
  • CDs
  • Videos
    • Robert as soloist
    • Robert as accompanist
  • Repertoire
  • Photos
  • Links
  • Contact