Christopher Herrick - Organ Fireworks, Vol. 1 (1985)

This is the ‘Fireworks’ programme that was to light the fuse for Herrick and Hyperion’s world pilgrimage to record stunning organ repertoire on a range of exciting instruments. When Ted Perry, the founder of the then-fledgling Hyperion label, was first offered a combination of Christopher Herrick, a programme entitled ‘Organ Fireworks’ and Westminster Abbey, it was Westminster Abbey that initially most attracted his attention. The recording was made during a single evening, in spite of a bell rehearsal unexpectedly striking up in the neighbouring St Margaret’s Church. Though Christopher had already recorded for a number of different record companies, including the Decca subsidiary L’Oiseau-Lyre, it was this Westminster Abbey disc for Hyperion that was to lead to the amazingly fruitful relationship that has produced to date twelve ‘Organ Fireworks’ discs, four ‘Organ Dreams’ discs, the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach on sixteen discs, and Daquin and Sweelinck on period instruments.