Organisers of Salisbury Cathedral’s Organ Festival are hoping that Richard Pinel’s performance on 17 September will be as popular as the Organ Prom on 13 August which drew an audience of nearly 1,000.

A veteran of many recitals across the UK, Europe and USA, Richard Pinel has broadcast, both as an organist and pianist, on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, Classic FM and Radio France Culture.

Prior to moving to Cambridge, Richard was assistant director of music at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, where he accompanied the choir and played on many occasions of national significance, including the annual Service of Thanksgiving for the Order of the Garter (‘Garter Day’) and the 90th birthday celebration for HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

Richard’s programme for the evening features works by two well-known modern composers – Sonata in C Minor written by Percy Whitlock in 1936, when he was civic organist at the Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth, and Introduction, Toccata and Fugue by Francis Pott. In 2021, Pott was awarded the Medal of the Royal College of Organists (its highest award) in recognition of his ‘distinguished achievement as a composer of organ and choral music’. Felix Mendelssohn’s Allegro, Chorale and Fugue, written three years before the composer’s death in 1847, also feature.

John Challenger, the 2022 Organ Festival organiser and assistant director of music said: “It has been a marvellous organ season so far, and I am absolutely delighted that so many people came to the Prom. It’s not often that an organ concert audience pushes a thousand, so this was a really special night. Special thanks must go everyone who worked on the event, my colleagues at the organ David and Sam, and of course Bishop Stephen, who was the most fantastic compère.

“We are also looking forward to Richard’s concert in September and David Briggs in October. Richard’s programme in particular will be interesting to locals, given that two of the composers come from this area – Whitlock lived and worked in Bournemouth and Pott sang with Winchester Cathedral Choir.”

Richard Pinel’s concert takes place at 7pm on Saturday 17 September.

Tickets are available via the cathedral website.