Chester Cathedral’s 19th century organ pipes seen over the top of the medieval choir

This is a really remarkable recording of Jonathan Scott playing the organ at Chester Cathedral, filmed by his brother Tom, who clearly understands what goes in to achieving the sounds that the organ, with Jonathan at its helm, is capable of producing.

The organ, which dates to the 19th century, has a rich, vibrant voice.  I often feel that the addition of organs to medieval churches and cathedrals destroys something (sometimes a considerable amount) of the internal harmony, with very little in the way of gain, but this video argues that at least in this particular case, there might be great compensation for architectural alterations.

This is an hour-long concert held in Chester Cathedral, beginning with the Overture to Mozart’s Magic Flute, in which the cathedral’s is being played by the remarkable Jonathan Scott, who talks about how the organ delivers its sound via keys, pedals and stops.  There is some great footage of Jonathan Scott’s finger work on all four tiered keyboards, and for me it was a particular revelation to see the amazing foot work required. I had no idea. There are also some great internal views of the cathedral on the video.  It is a truly illuminating insight into organ music.

YouTube channel Scott Brothers Duo: https://www.youtube.com/@scottbrothersduo