ORTOA Celebrity Recitals at Rochdale Town Hall.
ORTOA (Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside Organists’ Association) was established in 1908. Latterly it has been made up of organists and music aficionados to support music in the area.
The organ in the town hall is renowned internationally. The committee consists of volunteers who, with the council officials, develop concerts by leading exponents to make the most of it.
Jonathan Scott is one of the leading organists of his generation and has charge of the Bridgewater Hall instrument amongst other accolades. He is the Honorary President of ORTOA and he also arranges concerts in his own right.
Admission £10 (concessions £8) concerts last one hour. Card or cash at the door or visit www.rochdaletownhall.co.uk/events or iao.org.uk/ortoa
ORTOA 2025 – events.
Concert Saturday at 3 pm October 11th – 2025 Brereton Memorial Concert featuring Darius Battiwalla.
The Brereton Memorial Fund (breretonfund.org.uk) was founded in memory of Philip and Gwen Brereton who died in December 2000. Throughout their lives they were volunteers for ORTOA, the Royal College of Organists and the Incorporated Association of Organists, where they organised the Annual Congress.
Darius Battiwalla took up the post of Leeds City Organist in 2017, programming the very successful Town Hall recital series and giving regular solo concerts. He is currently overseeing the renewal of the Leeds Town Hall organ. Recent performances include the recitals at the Cathedrals of Coventry, Lincoln, Ripon, and St Albans, as well as appearances with Collegium Vocale Gent in Ghent and Amsterdam, and the annual recital for the Royal College of Organists conferment of diplomas. In 2024 he was part of the premiere of a new work for four organs by James Wood commemorating the Great Storm of 1674, to be performed simultaneously by organists across Europe. He has recently released a CD, recorded by audiophile label Base2 Music, including the Whitlock Sonata and works by Fela Sowande and Percy Grainger. He has appeared as soloist with the Halle and London Philharmonic Orchestras, and is a regular orchestral organist and pianist for the BBC Philharmonic and Halle orchestras. As a pianist, he gives regular chamber concerts with members of the Manchester orchestras, and on the harpsichord he has played continuo with many UK orchestras and performed and broadcast harpsichord concertos: most recently soloist in Frank Martin’s Harpsichord Concerto for the Northern Ballet Theatre.
Darius teaches improvisation at the Royal Academy of Music and is teaching on this year’s Royal College of Organists summer course.
He promises a tantalising Programme:
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- Guilmant: Sonata 1 in D minor
- Bach: Pastorale
- Fela Sowande: Kyrie
- Mendelssohn: “Prelude & Fugue” in E minor
- Hollins: 3 pieces: Intermezzo; A Song of Sunshine; A Trumpet Minuet
- Chaminade: Pierrette (Air de ballet)
- Bizet: Farandole from l’Arlesienne
With thanks to Dr. Joe Dawson for permission to publish his article.
Previous ORTOA Performance Reviews.
Tuesday 16 September 2025 at 2 pm -Alex Fishburn.
Alex Fishburn who remembered with affection playing here ten years previously, as a teenager. His enthusiasm was clear in his performance and introductions, which resulted in him saluting the instrument. It was great to see the promise of youth coming to fruition in his masterful playing.
From 2003 Alex was a chorister at Durham Cathedral, studying the piano and, in his final year, organ. He continued at Chetham’s School of Music before studying at the Royal College of Music. He has held many positions including Sub-Organist of Liverpool Cathedral.
Now a freelance musician, he combines his work at Henry Willis & Sons with concerts and accompaniment work around the North-West.
Outside of music, Alex’s interests include change-ringing, history and architecture.
He suited his programme to Rochdale’s renowned instrument well – Elgar’s mighty Sonata in G (Opus 28) received poor reviews at its first airing but in the Great Hall’s splendour the JJ Binns’ ‘mighty beast’ revealed its true glory. A majestic Allegro Maestoso got everyone’s attention, followed by a more relaxed and tuneful Allegretto. The Andante Espressivo had broad sweeping melodies so typical of the later Elgar whilst the Presto was brisk and jaunty.
Robert Schumann’s Four Sketches for Pedal-Piano (Op. 58) were interesting adaptations for organ of music for the unusual pedal-piano that explored colourful registrations.
Two wonderful numbers by Alexandre Guillmant followed from his Opus 15, the attractive Interlude in F and March on a Theme by Handel, making full use of the orchestral colours of our civic instrument.
Pierre Cholley’s Rumba sur les Grands Jeux was a riotous foot-tapper and its vigorous development of the countermelody steamed close to the fairground. Great fun.
An extra treat, dedicated to an old friend, the late David Birch, an ORTOA committee member, A Song of Sunshine by Hollins proved a poignant encore.
Given his association with the instrument and ORTOA, not to mention his fine playing, Alex was a highly appropriate performer to round off a successful mini season of Tuesdays at One!
Keep an eye on future times and days when the town hall and ORTOA find the best fit amongst so many other fantastic events at the town hall.
With thanks to Dr. Joe Dawson for permission to publish his article.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 at 2 pm -Jonathan Scott Summer Organ Spectacular.
If anyone deserves the title of superstar in the world of organ music, it is Jonathan Scott. As shown in the picture, the hall was packed at 2 pm on a Wednesday afternoon in July.
Trained at Chetham’s and the RNCM, USA and the Netherlands, Jonathan, now Associated Artist at the Bridgewater Hall also gave a live organ solo BBC Prom last year at The Royal Albert Hall.
What is more, Jonathan is one of the best players to present a programme that makes the most of Rochdale’s JJ Binns instrument, as he knows it so well and he is a skillful arranger choosing appropriately from a wide repertoire. He is one of those rare performers who has consummate ability and a popular touch able to engage readily with an audience. He skillfully introduced and guided us through the varied sounds and combinations at his disposal.
We began with Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March no. 4 using all of the instrument’s orchestral qualities. Followed by Handel’s Passacaglia from Suite No. 7, with the original harpsichord music adapted to great effect. Then the Italian countryside was gloriously painted, complete with a convincing storm, in Vivaldi’s Summer concerto from the Four Seasons. In contrast, we had the calm of Saint-Seans’ beautiful aria from Samson and Delilah.
Mendelssohn’s Scherzo from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Holst’s Jupiter from the Planets again revelled in orchestral colour, epitomizing the town hall organ’s capacity to bring the sounds of the concert hall or opera house to the people.
More Handel, from his Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne also gave Jonathan the opportunity to point out the stained-glass portraits of British Royalty that surround the Great Hall, commenting that we had an outstanding instrument in an equally outstanding building.
The magnificent Widor Toccata crowned it all, incidentally, the only piece that wasn’t arranged by Jonathan.
An exquisite rendering of Puccini’s aria O mio babbino caro was a well-deserved encore that made a summer spectacular in so many ways.
You can see him again on 17 December 2025 for his Christmas offering. Book now to be sure of a place!
Jonathan is also the Honorary President of ORTOA (Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside Organists’ Association founded 1908) who continue their mission to promote organ music and the town hall instrument next on Tuesday 16 September at 1 pm Alex Fishburn (Liverpool Cathedral).
With thanks to Dr. Joe Dawson for permission to publish his article.
Tuesday 15 July 2025 at 1 pm – LEE LONGDEN Cinema Organist.
Rochdale’s internationally renowned Binns organ at the town hall was the star of the show in this delightful showbiz concert.
Lee Longden, a classically trained organist, pianist and conductor, branched out into jazz and popular music, and enjoyed a professional career as a performing musician and Musical Director. His work took him to many parts of the world, performing on land and at sea, in concert halls, theatres and cabaret and broadcasting on radio and television.
Lee returned to his first love today as a concert theatre organist after recovering from an illness. His engaging and enjoyable programmes are widely appreciated for their accessibility, variety and quality. Today was no exception.
He was delighted to have been invited to demonstrate Rochdale’s renowned civic organ’s great versatility. He said that he ‘believed the Binns turns its hand to anything’!
Although it does not have the bells and whistles or sound effects of a mighty Wurlitzer, nor does it rise through the floor, Lee used his considerable theatre and cinema skills to orchestrate imaginatively and make the most of the amazing instrumental colours and terrific bass stops. The musical choices and introductions were equally witty.
It was a case of no business like show business as famous Studio marches instantly propelled us into the world of cinema. Shirley Bassey’s Greatest Hits (entitled Shirley is Forever, as in Diamonds, get it?) had great rhythmic vitality and stirring bass and, A Walk in the Black Forest, and a Bossa Nova Selection had everyone’s feet tapping involuntarily. A Celebration of Sammy Davis Jr demonstrated superb vocal phrasing worthy of the legendary singer.
If the showbiz style was Reginald Dixon, then Lonely Ballerina was pure Mantovani and his exotic singing strings; twentieth century light music in glorious technicolour. Hollywood Blockbusters themes came thick and fast: A Bridge too Far, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Odd Couple, Born Free, Titanic, Harry Potter, the Magnificent 7, reliving those iconic cinematographic thrills. All we needed was the popcorn and interval choc ice.
This feast of movie magic came from the same musician and instrument just as capable of the gravitas of sacred or serious music of JS Bach or Widor’s Toccata – no wonder organists want to come and play Rochdale’s JJ Binns organ, a beacon of Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture 2025/6.
The sustained spontaneous applause from a delighted audience proved that this was an hour to remember – when the majestic giant clicked its heels.
With thanks to Dr. Joe Dawson for permission to publish his article.
May 2025 ORTOA Concert Reviews.
250520 ORTOA Review Keith Hearnshaw
