Marilyn studied organ, piano, harpsichord and singing at the Royal Manchester College of Music. As organ scholar at Girton College, Cambridge, she studied with Gillian Weir; performances included Poulenc’s Organ Concerto, and a recital in the Cambridge Festival. She was a founder member of the St Michael’s Singers of Cambridge, as singer, conductor and arranger. Having begun her teaching career in the north west of England, Marilyn then won the Harding and Durrant Prizes for FRCO. A highly experienced church musician, Marilyn is currently organist at Christ’s Chapel, Dulwich. As a choir accompanist she has worked all over the UK and Europe, including Sarajevo, The Hague, and Salisbury, Exeter and Southwark Cathedrals. She teaches for the RCO, which is how we met – her advice on the link between the body, posture and music makes a huge amount of sense and I’m now looking out an Iyengar yoga class near me. In the meantime, here are Marilyn’s answers to my five questions:
What piece of music are you studying at the moment, and why?
There is always a pile of music on the organ: some of it is for forthcoming recitals, some of it is for a forthcoming weekend in a cathedral where I have to make sure that accompanied items such as canticle settings and anthems are well learned. There is never much time on an organ I am not playing every Sunday, so it is a good idea to learn the notes, read up about the organ, including Notes for Visiting Organists, and plan the registrations in advance. So, the current accompanying pile includes Bairstow in D, Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, which is new to me. Other pieces I have played before. Regarding repertoire, voluntaries for that weekend include the Vivaldi/ Bach C major concerto, and Dupré’s Placare Christe Servulis from Le Tombeau de Titelouze. I am working my way through this very useful volume. In addition, having heard Tim Wakerell playing Scheidemann in St Paul’s at the end of the Summer School I am learning another transcription from the same book. Up-coming recitals mean that I am revising a lot of music by Bach, Buxtehude, Tomkins and also another favourite, Cortège and Litanie by Dupré.
What has been your best experience as an organist?
It’s very hard to pin one experience down, but giving a recital at St Paul’s Cathedral in 2010 is one. Visiting historic organs and important places, and having lessons there, are also important. The chief recent one was being part of a group in Bach’s church in Leipzig, being taught by Ullrich Böhme, and also by Margaret Phillips in Sion, where there are some wonderful instruments, including the oldest working one in Europe, high up in the castle. Also playing some very old organs in Brittany – part of this joy is being able to go to such lovely places, when years ago, for me, the idea of going at all seemed rather remote.
What has been your worst experience as an organist?
It’s hard to remember a worst experience, as it has probably been blanked out of one’s mind! If there was a sad memorable one, it would have been in my teens, feeling rather put off by a teacher whose response to my question about registration was ‘ that’s my secret, and I’m not telling you!’ No teacher would get away with that nowadays.
What has been the best piece of advice you were given by an organ teacher?
Best piece of advice was from Dame Gillian Weir, who said to me one day, when I was bothered about some aspect of interpretation, ‘ just do what the music says’.
What would be your own best piece of advice for student organists?
The advice I give now is very largely based on what I hear the student doing. It depends on what needs strengthening the most. For some, it is finding a way of encouraging a better understanding and delivery of rhythm and pulse; for others, it is finding a way of encouraging a ‘one-sound’ precision when playing more than two notes at once. Finding an Iyengar yoga class ( or Pilates) for others is good way of encouraging better posture, greater awareness, especially of the importance of the left hand when it is playing the bass line. To others, I will say practise very slowly, allow notes their full value. All this boils down to what Dame Gillian said to me about simply following instructions. To this I add, play music you enjoy.
Picture shows Marilyn at the console of the organ at the Horniman Museum, London
I am hugely envious of Marilyn’s current job at Christ’s Chapel of God’s Gift in Dulwich, South London. Not only is the Chapel itself a place of great beauty, but the organ dates from 1760 – a classical English instrument built by George England. Modifications over the years changed its character considerably, but in 2009 it was restored by William Drake to its original, glorious sound – including the re-installation of the Vox Humana, found as a bag of pipes stuffed inside the case. It’s a fabulous instrument to play, with a light action, and a splendid choice of Cornets, Trumpets and other reeds over the three manuals. (Pedals had been added in the 1800s, and these have been kept. ) The specification is here.
