As a versatile organist and bass-baritone, Oliver’s repertory encompasses a broad array of styles and genres, stretching from the early Renaissance to the Avant Garde. Each programme (whether for organ or voice) is specifically tailored to the nature of the performance, audience expectations, and the instrument itself.
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Below is a selection of eclectic concert programmes, featuring mainstream organ and vocal repertoire, as well as exploring more alternative avenues of performance. Please contact Oliver for a unique programme consultation.
Short Lunchtime Organ Recital Programme (c. 35 minutes):
Praeludium in C Major, BUX 137 | Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707)
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Sonata No. 3 in A Major | Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
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Andante Sostenuto (Symphonie Gothique) | Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937)
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Choral Varié sur le thème du 'Veni Creator' | Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986)
This programme incorporates a diverse mix of organ repertoire, proving extremely popular with audiences. With styles ranging from the improvisatory Stylus Fantasticus of Buxtehude, through to the French Romantic idioms of Widor and Duruflé, this comprehensive programme tours the European continent and its organ repertory.
‘Bach and Friends’: Historical Organ Works
Prelude in E flat, BWV552a | JS. Bach (1685-1750)
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Ballo del Granduca, SwWV. 319 | Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562-1621)
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Fantasia in a, MB 13 | William Byrd (1543-1623)
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Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr, BWV 662 | JS. Bach
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Fugue in E flat, BWV 552b | JS. Bach
This selection of Late Renaissance and Baroque keyboard works showcases the pillars of historical composition for the organ. The improvisatory works of Sweelinck and Byrd is flanked by the polished counterpoint JS. Bach, demonstrating the influence and evolution of early music through the ages.
Popular Organ Transcriptions Lunchtime Concert (c. 35 minutes)
Sinfonia in D, BWV 29/1 | J.S. Bach (1685-1750), arr. Dupré
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Danse Macabre | Camille Saint-Sáëns (1835-1921) arr. Lemare
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Danse Tarantelle Styrienne | Claude Debussy (1862-1918), Arr. Hirsch
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Imperial March | Edward Elgar (1857-1934) Arr. Martin
This programme seeks to demonstrate the symphonic nature of the organ, through virtuosic realisations of well-known orchestral repertoire. With works ranging from the Italianate concerti of JS. Bach, through to the evocative Dance Macabre ‘Dance of Death’ by Camille Saint-Saëns, this programme highlights the vast array of textures and orchestral colours unique to the instrument.
Vocal Recital: ‘Poetry in Song’
Music for a While | Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
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Let Us Garlands Bring | Gerald Finzi (1901-1956)
- Come away, come away death
- Who is Silvia?
- Fear no more the heat o’ the sun
- O Mistress Mine
- It was a lover and his lass
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Go, Lovely Rose | Roger Quilter (1877-1953)
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Captain Stratton’s Fancy | Peter Warlock (1894-1930)
This programme of English song features some of the finest settings of poetry for the voice. Purcell’s intimate setting of Music for a While, juxtaposed with twentieth-century works by Finzi, Quilter, and Warlock showcases the varied compositional styles and communicative interpretations of the text that define the genre.
