César Franck - Piece Heroique (Simon Preston)

[@mr.booker9263]

An astonishing performance...one of the very best I've ever heard...and probably the most exciting!

[@robertowarren7007]

Magical.

[@gerardbedecarter]

Thanks for uploading this.

[@Keldor314]

A pity about the scratch on the original record (or CD). Really cool instrumentation.

[@sierracanon]

I believe this is the recording he did at King's College/Cambridge, back-in-the-day.

[@andreacosta74]

Simon Preston on the organ of Westminster Cathedral in early sixties. This piece came from a reissue for Decca "Viva!" from an original (Decca Argo) of Preston's favourites. I remember also from this Lp Mozart's Great Fantasy for organ. This version is remastered.

[@brianmckay1236]

Sorry, but this is the organ of King's College Cambridge where Mr Preston was Organ Scholar from 1958 to 1962. A totally different sound to the Willis in Westminster Cathedral..

[@andreacosta74]

Brian McKay i have the old Lp. Came from my first organ disco bought when i was 13

[@brianmckay1236]

@@andreacosta74 I have been visiting London and Cambridge for close on 40 years now and I know the sounds of the various instruments. Please believe me, this is King's. It has a very distinctive sound, particularly the full organ which we hear towards the end of the piece. It is quite unlike either Westminster Cathedral (where Mr Preston never served) or Westminster Abbey (where he was both Sub-Organist and subsequently Organist and Master of the Choristers). I believe he made this recording whilst still Organ Scholar under the late great Sir David Willcocks. A superb interpretation of the piece.

[@Pipe-organ-recordings]

You realize you posted a photo of Simon Preston at Woolsey Hall and not Kings College?

[@gerwinhoekstra]

The picture shows Woolsey Hall, was this also recorded there?