East Asia is rapidly becoming an organ enthusiast’s paradise. There are fascinating old instruments in the Philippine Islands, glorious concert-hall organs in Japan, magnificent new instruments being built in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur and a veritable clutch of superb organs in Hong Kong, the emperor of which is, undoubtedly, the huge Rieger built in 1989 for the Cultural Arts Centre. Since 1997 wasthe year in which China assumed sovereignty over Hong Kong from Britain it is fitting that Christopher Herrick should have chosen the Centre as a recording venue. Fitting, too, that he should record his latest “Fireworks” disc there as it was the Chinese who invented fireworks (and who, for all we know, could easily have invented the organ itself).
That’s where the Asian connection finishes, however, for – excepting the two pieces written at the height of Britain’s colonial powers and ignoring the spurious argument that as the organ was built by an Austrian firm it is appropriate to focus attention on Austro-Hungarian repertoire – there is nothing to associate this programme with the recording location. Classic works by Liszt and Durufle sit happily beside frivolous oddities (variations on When Johnny comes marching home, the Austrian Hymn and God save the Queen – this last the basis of Reger’s work) and unashamed displays of stunning virtuosity (Eben and Bossi). All are performed with Herrick’s now predictable brilliance: familiarity still does not diminish the wonder of such outstanding playing. The organ makes a glorious noise and is capped by ranks of en chamade reeds which, I’m afraid, Herrick enjoys a little too much; they crop up in no fewer than seven of the disc’s 11 tracks. Overkill if ever there was.'