End of concert series brings organ back to life

AS world-renowned organist Anthony Halliday started to play Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copeland, the audience at St John’s Anglican Church Creswick knew at once they were listening to a very uncommon musician.

Halliday is not only one of the finest organists in the world, but is an accomplished pianist and composer.

It was fitting that he should be invited to play at St John’s for the final concert in the 2018 series of the Four Seasons Fine Music Festival as he was in part instrumental in the Parish of Springmount acquiring the organ from the Barkly Street Uniting Church in Ballarat.

Halliday had been invited to play at the final concert for the 2015 Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields and this historic organ built by Fincham and Hobday in 1889 was looking for a new home. Anthony put the call out that perhaps someone at the service would like to consider giving it one.

For Father Ryan Bennett, Anglican Priest of Springmount, this seemed like an opportunity too good to pass by and he instigated discussions with the Uniting Church, who generously gifted the organ to the church. St John’s in Creswick.

From initial costs of $10,000 to relocate the organ, the overall cost was in the region of $144,000 as the church had to undergo substantial structural and restoration work to house a significant instrument of great historical value.

As Halliday worked his way through a program of American, European and Australian composers the audience were in no doubt that the organ is at home in Creswick.

Via a large screen the audience was able to see Anthony’s graceful hands moving swiftly over the keys, and the way in which the pedals became another set of hands. In particular, in the Toccata by Jan Nieland it was as if a ghostly spectre was influencing the music moving the organ keys as if by magic.

Halliday concluded his program with Beethoven’s uplifting Shepherds Hymn of Joy and Thanksgiving, a most suitable choice to what was a wonderful evening of superb organ playing.