A Celebration

Gillian Weir A Celebration CD

'Weir is to the organ what Heifetz was to the violin, and Casals to the cello –a phenomenon,' pronounced the celebrated broadcaster John  Amis. Fittingly, this is a 22-CD celebration of the doyenne  of organists –Dame Gillian Weir –on  her 80th birthday (17 January 2021) spanning her  illustrious career of nearly five decades.

It presents Gillian Weir's complete Argo recordings, selected recordings on other labels that have reverted to her, and most enticingly, no fewer than  ten discs of previously unpublished  BBC radio broadcasts –selected by Dame Gillian. The first twelve CDs in the set are made  up of studio recordings and the remaining ten CDs comprise previously unpublished  recordings of BBC broadcasts.  The set also features sixteen organs from  six countries and includes a 13,000-word  booklet  includes informative introductions to the recordings, with Gillian Weir's reminiscences andamusing anecdotes from  the  recording sessions and from her encounters  with composers  such as Olivier Messiaen and William Mathias.

"The contribution made to the world of the organ by Dame Gillian Weir is almost incalculable. Our instrument has hardly had such a skilled ambassador in modern times" Chris Bragg(Musicweb)

"Dame Gillian is one of the greatest of living artists; her playing shows a perfect mixture of hand and heart, a true musician with the technique to tackle anything.' John Amis, writer & critic"