Louis Vierne’s Glasgow Recital, 1924

It is sad to think that when one passes the former British Home Stores building on the corner of Sauchiehall Street and Renfield Street that giants once walked there. On 12 January 1924, the legendary French organist and composer, Louis Vierne gave a major recital at the long- demolished United Reformed Church there. This was the final event during a whistle-stop tour of the United Kingdom. Just before leaving France, Vierne had played at the Basilica of Saint-Michel, Le Havre. Crossing to England, he played at Trinity College, Cambridge and Westminster Cathedral (3 January), York Minster (5 January), Leeds Parish Church (7 January), Manchester Town Hall (8 January) and St Anne’s R.C. Church, Edgehill Liverpool (10 January). Two days later he travelled up to Glasgow. 

At that time, the United Reformed Church had a Willis and Sons organ originally installed in 1878. After a major overhaul by the builder in 1905, it was rebuilt by Willis and Lewis in 1923, and then Hill, Norman and Beard in 1960. The three-manual instrument latterly had 35 speaking stops. (Stewart, David A., rev. Buchan, Alan, Organs in Scotland: A Revised List, The Edinburgh Society of Organists, 2018, p.230).

Fortunately, for music historians, the Glasgow Herald (14 January 1924 p.5) provided a detailed account of the event. The proceedings were begun by the Rev. W. Erskine Blackburn who stated that the venue had been chosen because of the “strategic position of the church…for the welfare of the citizens, and it was felt that many would be touched by music who were not so easily to be reached by preaching.” There was a further intention to “stimulate a liking for organ music.” The event was successful: the recital attracted considerable interest in Glasgow and the church was full, with some members of the audience failing to find seats. Somehow, I feel the gathering would have been the usual suspects, organ music cognoscenti, and that few Glesca Keelies would have attended on “spec.”

The programme began with J.S. Bach’s Buxtehude-ian inspired Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, BWV 542, which would appear to have been written around c.1720 during his Köthen Period. This was followed by two chorale preludes: the highly ornamented O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß BWV 622 from the Orgelbüchlein and the powerful and jubilant Wir glauben all an einen Gott, BWV 680. Both were given their French titles in the programme. The next offering was César Franck’s highly-romantic Prelude, Fugue and Variation, op.18 which is the third number from Six pièces pour Grand Orgue. It was composed around 1860. The Herald reported that this was “a masterly interpretation by the accomplished French musician.” 

For many in the audience, the highlight of the recital must have been the generous selection from Vierne’s own compositions. First up was the Andante and Final from his Organ Symphony No. 1 in D minor, op.14 which was “a brilliantly scored composition” penned in 1898-99. Certainly, the balance between the slow movement with its dreamy voix céleste and the dazzling finale, complete with a powerful pedal part and carillon-like cascades on the manuals, must have impressed the audience. Vierne has been quoted as saying that this Symphony displays “a lack of taste, but a lack of taste that pleases the public…so I always play it!”

The end of the formal recital presented three contrasting movements from the Organ Symphony No.3 in F sharp minor, op.28 completed in 1911 and premiered the following year. Here the spellbinding and lyrical Cantilene once again effectively uses the string stops. The Adagio is meditative, bewitching and agonising at the same time. It reflects the troubled times that Vierne was experiencing currently. The optimistic Final is full of light and shade, dizzying in its toccata like exposition of the initial figuration. The work was dedicated to Marcel Dupré in whose home Vierne completed the score.

The Herald critic notes that these pieces were “followed with close attention, and…rewarded with enthusiastic applause.”

After this ecstatic Finale, there was a bit of fun. The members of the audience were asked to select a melody for Vierne to improvise on. He selected the “homely Scottish tune Kate Dalrymple.” The critic reported that its “treatment…was heard with lively interest. The vim and snap inherent in the tune were, perhaps not strongly marked, but the familiar air was handled in arresting fashion.”  A vote of thanks was given to the recitalist, and it was hoped that that he would return to Glasgow soon. To my knowledge he never did.

As Glasgow was Vierne’s final concert in the series, we can surmise that he boarded a train at Central or St Enoch Station to head towards London and then the Channel Ports. His next recital was at medieval Église Saint Bonaventure in Lyon on 11 February. This church remains in use, however a new organ by Merklin and Kuhn was installed 12 years later in 1936.

Renfield Street U.F. closed in 1964 and was dismantled a few years later to make way for the BHS store completed in 1969. The organ was relocated to Renfield St Stephen’s Church, now St Andrew’s West. The chain store itself closed in 2016. Covered in graffiti, the building awaits redevelopment.

With thanks to the Glasgow Society of Organists where this essay was first published.