Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

The titles on show place this recording into its context: there are seven Voluntaries, a Sonata and a Dirge. The Dirge gives us a chronological context: "Dirge For The Burial Of Lord Viscount Nelson" by Thomas Attwood (1765-1838). The Battle of Trafalgar was in 1805 so we are in the Georgian period as the names and dates of the other composers confirm: John Bennett (c 1757-1784), Thomas Gladwin (c 1710-1790), John Keeble (c.1711-1786), William Russell (1777-1813) and William Walond (?1725-1770). The Dirge is not dull and could easily be described as a Meditation and much of the rest of the programme is decidedly toe tapping. If you know your Jane Austen you know how much the Georgians loved to dance and this is the style of music Mr Darcy and his wealthy London friends would expect to hear when they attended a fashionable London church. Richard Hobson, organist at the Grosvenor Chapel in Mayfair, oversaw the creation of a new organ in a late 18th century English style. Your reviewer is no organ buff and he admits that he was not looking forward to playing this release. Happily though, 'The Glory Of Grosvenor' is full of enjoyable music, expertly played on a fine sounding instrument.

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