Tom Winpenny’s new recording joins a fairly crowded field of excellent surveys of Elgar’s organ music. For several years Thomas Trotter’s splendid 2006 album from Salisbury Cathedral (Regent, 8/07) has been the one to surpass. Winpenny includes almost exactly the same mixture of original works and transcriptions, generously adding the Solemn March from the cantata The Black Knight of 1893 and the Loughborough Memorial Chime of 30 years later. This latter work, with its transitory melody, is played beautifully, almost as an extemporisation.

One of the happier outcomes from Elgar’s slightly haphazard four-year career as organist at St George’s in Worcester was the composition of the 11 Vesper Voluntaries, published in 1890. Imbued with a wide range of emotions, from the robust, through the essentially charming to the wistful and sentimental, none of these miniatures outstays its welcome. Winpenny imbues them with simple, unaffected phrasing and a limited tonal palette.

The Hereford organ bursts into full voice with the substantial Sonata in G of 1895 with the outer movements being full of vim and nervous energy. The finale, in particular, dashes with a headlong joie de vivre, making light work of its manifold technical challenges. There are some lovely moments, too, in the central movements, especially the Allegretto, which abounds with quasi-orchestral detail.

Of the shorter works, William Harris’s transcription of ‘Nimrod’ proceeds with a satisfying stateliness; the Imperial March chugs along in a soldierly way; while the fourth Pomp and Circumstance March bristles with confidence. Despite its foursquare, C major directness, the Cantique of 1912 is treated with an unforced tenderness.

Throughout this recital Winpenny reveals that he is a natural Elgarian, coaxing many delicious combinations from the Hereford Willis. The microphones seemingly having been placed close to the pipework, there is some occasional ‘clatter’ and creaking, either from the action or the console itself, during quieter moments, but this is not a major distraction. In sum, this is an album of strong, committed and painstakingly fine organ-playing.