Matthew Owens, Richards, Fowkes & Co (2012), St George’s Church, Hanover Square, London / Dobson (2013), Merton College, Oxford

Resonus ★★★

Following the successful reception of his 24 Preludes and Fugues for piano, Howard Skempton composed two books of 25 Preludes and Fugues for organ. That may sound like a lot of music but these are essentially musical miniatures – some meditative, some playful – and naturally a nod to JSB, with the final piece in each book based on B.A.C.H. Among the additional eight pieces included on the two discs, Feuille d’album stands out as refreshingly different – as evocatively French in harmony as the title suggests.

Skempton’s style has been described (by BBC Music Magazine) as: ‘elegant, British, civilised, with a touch of anarchy ... a gentleman in a bowler hat, with a briefcase – and sandals.’ There’s not so much anarchy or tongue-in-cheek on display here: Matthew Owens takes a more methodical approach to Skempton’s scores, recording this music for the first time using the two organs where these two books of preludes and fugues were originally premiered.