I've just returned from an organ recital on the Great Organ at St. Paul's Cathedral performed by Stephen Disley, organist from Southwark Cathedral. My favorite piece was Salix & Tocatta (Plymouth Suite) by Percy Whitlock. It highlighted the trumpet stops of the organ, and when he really lit it up you could hear trumpets coming from all over the nave, including the trumpet en chamade reed in the back. That reed has to blast its way four football fields before the sound reaches the crossing where I was sitting.
The organ was totally restored and upgraded in 2008; the cost, 2 million GBP! We'll be going back there as a class later, but I went alone today. I'll post more next time I visit on how St. Paul's is such an important place to dissect the Church state relationship in the UK.
Other pieces I heard, which are totally worth downloading on itunes include: Prelude (Symphonie No. 1) by Louis Vierne and Praeludium et Fuga g-Moll (BuxWV148) by Dietrich Buxtehude.
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