Freemasons Hall stages year’s first free ‘enjoy from home’ organ concert
PGM writes to all members about resumption of Freemasonry in Lincolnshire
March 9, 2021Sharing knowledge of the Royal Arch – Making light of it
March 12, 2021
Carl Jackson, director of music at the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace, will play in this year’s first free ‘enjoy from home’ organ concert from Freemasons’ Hall.
Taking place at 7pm on Tuesday 30th March, the event will showcase the magnificent 1933 Willis pipe 0rgan in the Grand Temple of Freemasons’ Hall in London.
Free tickets for the event are available to book here: https://event.bookitbee.com/32027/freemasons-hall-organ-concert-30th-march-2021-carl
Mr Jackson studied at the Royal Academy of Music, and he has held organ scholarships at Downing College, Cambridge as well as his current base of Chapel Royal.
Before his current role he taught at Goldsmiths’ College, and he has held positions at Croydon Minster and St Peter’s, Eaton Square. He has also appeared regularly on television with the Chapel Royal choir and features with them on CDs. He was appointed MVO in the 2012 New Year Honours list.
Dr David Staples, Chief Executive of the United Grand Lodge of England, commented: “It is an honour to welcome Carl Jackson to perform for our first Organ Concert of 2021. The various lockdowns the country has faced during the pandemic have left many people feeling isolated and lonely. The virtual concert will bring world-class music and joy into people’s homes whilst also giving the audience an opportunity to take in some of the stunning architecture of our headquarters here in London.”
While enjoying the concert online, attendees will be able to experience the splendor of the Grand Temple, including the majestic 1.25-tonne organ with its ornate pipes as well as the stunning recently-renovated mosaics that surround the ceiling.
The organ was installed in 1933 by Henry Willis, the third generation of an extended family line of organ builders. It originally had three manuals and 43 stops, giving a total complement of some 2,220 pipes, and was the last big organ built by the Willis firm. After 80 years it was in need of a complete renovation, which was carried out in Durham by Harrison & Harrison in 2014 and included the cleaning, repairing and re-voicing the existing mechanisms, as well as mounting a new case of some 400 pipes on the east wall.
