Source - news release from St Albans Council on 11 Jul 2013
Musicians attending the 50th St Albans International Organ Festival (IOF) were welcomed to St Albans District at a civic reception hosted by the Mayor on 10 July.
The Mayor of St Albans City and District to the District, Cllr Annie Brewster, greeted 20 competitors taking part in the Interpretation and Improvisation organ competitions. These top musicians came from Croatia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, South Korea, UK and the USA.
Cllr Annie Brewster, Mayor of St Albans City and District, said: “The International Organ Festival is an extremely important event in our City’s calendar and I am delighted that we are celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The festival is going from strength to strength, attracting leading musicians and performers from around the world. I am thrilled to have this opportunity to welcome the festival’s competitors, organisers, hosts and supporters. I am very pleased that the performances can be enjoyed in different venues around the city, in the Cathedral, a restaurant (Lussmanns) and local churches. I encourage everyone to make the most of this wonderful opportunity to enjoy world-class music in our city.”
Attending the civic reception at the old Town Hall were IOF Patron, HM Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, The Countess of Verulam, and members of the festival committee. They were joined by District Councillors, the Honorary Aldermen, festival sponsors and the competitors’ hosts.
David Titterington, the IOF’s Artistic Director, said: “We are very grateful to the Mayor for making the festival so welcome to the City. The St Albans International Organ Festival was founded by Peter Hurford 50 years ago in 1963. Since then, we have worked to promote the organ as both a solo instrument and an instrument capable of performing in different musical contexts. This year is the centenary of Benjamin Britten’s birth and one of the festival’s highlights is the performance of his epic War Requiem in St Albans Cathedral. The festival continues to grow, and this year the National Youth Jazz Orchestra comes to us for the first time. As the Mayor so kindly says, we believe that the festival is one of the jewels in St Albans’ crown.”
