When Christopher Robinson displayed the 1896 Hope-Jones organ of Worcester Cathedral in his 1968 recording for HMV’s ‘Great Cathedral Organ’ series (3/68), he chose a programme of Bach, Mendelssohn, Franck, Flor Peeters and William Mathias. Organist, organ, record label and programme have all changed but, interestingly, one of the composers remains; and while Mathias’s Toccata giocosa is a very different work from his extended Partita on the old LP, its crisp, terse and bright textures vividly demonstrate the special qualities of the very different organ which Worcester Cathedral now boasts.

Built in 2008 by Kenneth Tickell, it is roughly the same size as its predecessor but makes a very different sound. While it clearly handles French music well – after all, five of the 12 composers represented on this new disc are French – some of its most arresting sounds come from its softer stops, as revealed in Somervell’s gentle Air and Bridge’s enchanting Minuet. It also proves itself to be disarmingly nimble and fleet-footed (as does Allsop himself) in the one piece which celebrates the cathedral itself, combining the work of two previous organists, Donald Hunt (1976 96) and Thomas Tomkins (1596-1656), in the former’s Tomkins’ Trifle.

Both organ and organist reveal their finest qualities in the two Shostakovich pieces. The huge dynamic range of the famous Passacaglia is splendidly captured by the excellent Regent recording, while Allsop’s own transcription of the Festive Overture combines impressive virtuosity with a richly colourful and at times brilliant organ sound.