Repertoire revivals – Charles Avison

Continuing my Newcastle theme this week, may I recommend to you the music of Charles Avison? One of the pleasures of attending organ recitals is that of shamelessly appropriating other people’s repertoire. Hilary Norris recently included a concerto by Avison in her recital at St Mary’s Northchurch, and I immediately went online and ordered the music. Avison’s charming organ concertos make ideal programme fillers – although in several movements, these are quite short (cough and you’ll miss some of them). The notes themselves are not particularly demanding, though the fine balance between technical precision and effortless grace required by all English eighteenth century music is not at all easy to achieve.

Avison was one of the many Georgian English composers about whom we know little, and whose music is only just getting recognition for its elegance and easy appeal. Born in Newcastle, he travelled to London as a young man (some say Italy) to study with Geminiani, but returned to Newcastle to accept the post of church organist first at St John’s Church, and then St Nicholas’. There appears to have been a flourishing music scene in eighteenth century Newcastle (as there is now, of course!) which kept him there, as he never left never left his home town again, despite offers of more prestigious posts elsewhere in the north of England.

The Six Concertos for Organ solo are Avison’s own arrangement of versions for string ensemble. They are published in 2 volumes by Barenreiter – Book 2 appears to be out of print, sadly – I need to find out if they will print to order.

Update June 2022: both now appear out of print, but you might be able to find them on secondhand music listings.