<![CDATA[Robert Pecksmith - Organist and Conductor - News]]>Wed, 11 Jun 2025 03:29:07 +0100Weebly<![CDATA[New Appointment]]>Tue, 15 Nov 2022 21:52:23 GMThttps://www.robertpecksmith.co.uk/news/new-appointment1060937Robert has been appointed to the position of Assistant Master of the Music at Buckfast Abbey. His responsibilities will include accompanying the monks in their Daily Office and Conventual Mass, as well as training the child choristers of the Abbey. 

Commenting on the appointment, Matthew Searles (Master of the Music) said, “I am thrilled that Robert is joining our team, along with Abbey Organist, David Davies. He brings a clear passion for the liturgy of the Church, and an enthusiasm for our distinctive Catholic musical tradition. We look forward to welcoming Robert and his family to Buckfast in time for Advent.”
Buckfast Abbey (Photo Stefan Schwarz)
]]><![CDATA[New CD]]>Thu, 17 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.robertpecksmith.co.uk/news/new-cd-jubilationRobert 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)
]]><![CDATA[New Appointment]]>Sat, 10 Oct 2020 23:00:00 GMThttps://www.robertpecksmith.co.uk/news/new-appointmentRobert 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).]]><![CDATA[2018 Tour Recordings]]>Tue, 07 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.robertpecksmith.co.uk/news/2018-tour-recordingsThe first nine live recordings from Robert's summer tour are now available on YouTube:

Maria-Magdalenen-Kirche, Templin, Brandenburg
Organ: Alexander Schuke (1994)
Fürstenwalde Cathedral (Dom St. Marien), Brandenburg
Organ: Alexander Schuke (1966/2005)
St.-Gertraud-Kirche, Frankfurt (Oder), Brandenburg
Organ: Wilhelm Sauer (1878)
St.-Marien-Kirche, Pirna, Saxony
Organ: Friedrich Nikolaus Jahn/Hermann Eule (1842/1979)
Christuskirche, Dresden-Strehlen, Saxony
Organ: Jehmlich (1904)
Another track is currently being edited and will be added to the channel over the course of the next few months.
]]><![CDATA[The Complete Sacred Choral Music of Alice Mary Smith]]>Mon, 05 Aug 2019 23:00:00 GMThttps://www.robertpecksmith.co.uk/news/the-complete-sacred-choral-music-of-alice-mary-smithIn 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:


The complete album is also available for streaming on SoundCloud.
]]><![CDATA[Summer Tour 2018]]>Tue, 17 Jul 2018 20:49:37 GMThttps://www.robertpecksmith.co.uk/news/summer-tour-2018After 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
]]><![CDATA[2017 Tour Recordings]]>Thu, 11 Jan 2018 09:04:42 GMThttps://www.robertpecksmith.co.uk/news/2017-tour-recordingsLive recordings from Robert's fourth recital tour to Germany are now available on YouTube:
​
St.-Jacobi-Kirche, Sangerhausen, Saxony-Anhalt
Organ: Zacharias Hildebrandt (1728)
St.-Georgen-Kirche, Glauchau, Saxony
Organ: Gottfried Silbermann (1730)
]]><![CDATA[Baroque Recital Tour]]>Tue, 26 Sep 2017 23:00:00 GMThttps://www.robertpecksmith.co.uk/news/baroque-recital-tourThis 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)
]]><![CDATA[Recital in Switzerland]]>Mon, 20 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.robertpecksmith.co.uk/news/recital-in-switzerlandPoster 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. 
]]><![CDATA[Tour Recordings]]>Tue, 20 Sep 2016 11:28:40 GMThttps://www.robertpecksmith.co.uk/news/tour-recordingsA selection of live recordings from Robert's summer tour has now been uploaded to YouTube:
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