The power and the passion: The Royal Organist goes on tour
He’s known as The Royal Organist – as for many years James O’Donnell was music master at Westminster Abbey – but now the internationally acclaimed musician is heading to OZ to promote the majestic instrument he loves.
It towers over the Concert Hall at QPAC, but how often does the Klais Grand Organ get played?
It’s not a trick question and the answer is – not enough. Occasionally an organ piece is programmed for a concert and the audience will excitedly look up to the platform way above the stage to see someone solemnly approach the organ, preparing to play.
Soon that someone will be one of the world’s top exponents of the instrument, Englishman James O’Donnell.
O’Donnell’s visit begins at Adelaide’s Pilgrim Uniting Church on July 20 as part of the International Organist Series. He then joins Queensland Symphony Orchestra for two concerts, which include Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony and Joseph Jongen’s Symphonie concertante, among other things, before making his organ debut at Sydney Opera House with JS Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in E-flat major, Bingham’s St Bride, Assisted by Angels, Franck’s Choral I in E, Walton’s Crown Imperial and Duruflé’s Organ Suite.
One of the most celebrated concert organists, choral conductors and liturgical musicians of our time, O’Donnell, 63, served for more than a decade as master of music at Westminster Cathedral and for more than two decades as organist and master of the choristers (director of music) at Westminster Abbey. He has often been described as “The Royal Organist”.
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During his tenure at Westminster, O’Donnell directed the music for many nationally and internationally significant occasions, including the historic 2010 service attended by Pope Benedict XVI and the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton (Duke and Duchess of Cambridge). He conducted the Choir of Westminster Abbey for many broadcasts, concerts and tours.
He was responsible for the music for the funerals of both the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth.
Nowadays O’Donnell serves as professor in the practice at Yale Institute of Sacred Music and Yale School of Music, in the US, where he teaches graduate-level organ majors and students in sacred music. He also directs a newly established professional liturgical vocal ensemble.
He’s in the US when we chat by phone and he says he can’t wait to play the Klais Grand organ in Brisbane – a magnificent 6780-pipe instrument housed in the Concert Hall. Built by Johannes Klais Orgelbau of Bonn, Germany, it was completed in 1987 after three years in construction. The organ is a key feature of the Concert Hall, but we don’t hear it enough.
“I’ve been to Australia before but have never played the organ at QPAC,” O’Donnell says. “It’s a very nice organ. I’ve done some research on it. An organ needs to be looked after and above all it needs to be used. That keeps it in good condition. Organs can wither on the vine otherwise.”
Anyone who has seen the film Babe will know the Saint-Saens organ symphony, a heartwarming melody that features in the soundtrack. In Brisbane, Spanish conductor Pablo Gonzalez will be in charge of Queensland Symphony Orchestra for O’Donnell’s two concerts.
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O’Donnell will also conduct the choir at Adelaide’s Pilgrim Uniting Church.
“One of the ironies of becoming an organist in an English cathedral such as Westminster is that you tend to conduct the choir more than you play the organ,” O’Donnell says. “I think the organ should be more popular than it is. There is an enormous repertoire available and there is interesting variety and diversity in that repertoire. But many people are unfamiliar with organ music.”
It’s his mission to make people more familiar with the instrument and the repertoire which includes, he says, an awful lot of Bach, and that’s a good thing. He says some people claim not to like organ music but may change their minds if they hear more.
“But luckily there is also a healthy interest in it and a lot of people are working to make organ music more accessible,” he says. “But to play a pipe organ you have to have access and I think churches should be open to children who are interested so they get the bug.”
Growing up in Essex in the UK O’Donnell says his local church was very generous, which helped kindle his love for the instrument. He wants to share that love and on his whistlestop tour Down Under he’s very much a man on a mission.
The Royal Organist Concert tour dates:
July 20, Pilgrim Uniting Church, Adelaide: pilgrim.org.au/event/organ-recital-international-organist-series-james-odonnell-2
July 26-27, QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane, with Queensland Symphony Orchestra: qso.com.au/events/2025/maestro-evenings/the-royal-organist
July 29, Sydney Opera House: sydneyoperahouse.com/classical-music/royal-organist