Allan Wicks plays Messiaen : La Nativité du Seigneur : St Paul's Cathedral, London

Allan Wicks (1923-2010) was devoted to the works of Messiaen and was a very early pioneer in establishing them before the British audiences by both recitals and broadcasts – among them the premier of Les Corps Glorieux in the 1950s.

His performances of the music were remarkable not because of his conviction alone, but because he threw himself totally at this music with the energy and sensitivity that characterised the best of what he did - and that fantastic sense of drama is in full flow…

I. La Vierge et l’enfant
II. Les Bergers
III. Desseins éternels
IV. Le Verbe
V. Les enfants de Dieu
VI. Les anges
VII. Jésus accepte la soufrance
VIII. Les Mages
IX. Dieu parmi nous

For those less familiar with the work, here is a link to a detailed description of it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Nati...

My grateful thanks are due to James Spanner for so kindly making me a digital copy of AW’s Saga LP recording - and to Malcolm Hawke for introducing us - of La Nativité made in St Paul’s Cathedral to upload here. The LP is dated 1973, and I'd always presumed that was correct - but a friend (who has access to such details) has alerted me to the fact it was, in fact, first issued in 1968. It was, of course, recorded some years before the major Mander alterations were made c. 1977 – so the instrument was the Willis work of the 1960 rebuild.

The vast acoustic lends such inspiration to the magic this great music, the curves and sweeps of which can really be sensed wafting through the huge dimensions of that magnificent cathedral: it must have been fantastic to play this there. I have the copies Allan used to make this recording; fascinating to read his registrations and markings for it.

I hope many will be able to enjoy AW’s wonderful performance, remembering with due affection one of England’s great organists and church musicians of a past time… In my own work as a musician (and as a person) I am aware every day of the debt I owe to him from the early years of my development.