Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

Samuel Sebastian (1810-1876) was son of the organist Samuel and grandson of Charles Wesley, one of the founders of Methodism. Samuel Sebastian held various positions as organist in English cathedrals, mainly in the South West. As a performer and as a composer of organ music he lived at a time of transition in English organ playing and construction, as the full pedal-board came into wider use in England, to some extent inspired by the example of Mendelssohn. Wesley's organ music, influenced inevitably by the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, after whom he had been named, reflects these new developments, and paves the way for the late 19th and early 20th century revival of organ music. The organist on this collection is James McVinnie who is using the Father Willis Organ of St Michael and All Angels, Tenbury Wells that is reputed to sound much as it did when built in 1873. Certainly, McVinnie is an excellent organist and there is much on this disc that brings pleasure even to those who are not organ aficionados. Collectors of organ music will need no introduction to the Naxos Organ Encyclopedia.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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