Rachel Mahon, Director of Music at Coventry Cathedral, plays Bach, Byrd and Gerard Bales, as well as Buxtehude's dramatic Toccata in D minor

Programme

Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major BWV 564 J. S. Bach (1685-1750)

Cromorne en taille a 2 parties Nicolas de Grigny (1672-1703)

Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr BWV 663 J. S. Bach

Fantasia in A minor William Byrd (1539-1623)

Meditation on "Herzliebster Jesu" and Toccata on "Westminster Abbey" – Ruth Watson Henderson (b. 1932)

Prelude in E minor Gerald Bales (1919-2002)

Toccata in D minor, BuxWV 155 Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707)

Canadian organist and conductor Rachel Mahon is Director of Music at Coventry Cathedral (UK), where, along with playing the organ and curating the recital series, she trains and conducts the Cathedral Choir which consists of adults and separate boys’ and girls’ choirs. Prior to this, she was Assistant Director of Music and before that she was Assistant Organist at Chester Cathedral where she worked regularly with the Cathedral Choir.

Rachel was Organ Scholar at St Paul's Cathedral in London, England from 2014-2016, and made history as the first female organist on staff in its 1400-year history. As one of the staff organists, she gave recitals and regularly played and conducted for services, working with the world-famous Cathedral Choir in the daily cycle of worship as well as services of National significance.

She combines life as a Cathedral musician with a busy international recital schedule, touring as soloist and as part of Organized Crime Duo. Recent performances have taken her to Oslo, Norway; the Walt Disney Concert Hall for the Los Angeles Philharmonic; Oklahoma City; St Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna; Wϋrzburg and Essen in Germany; and Adelaide and Sydney in Australia. Along with concerts in Sweden and Germany, last year she made her BBC Proms debut in the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. This year, she will perform the Saint-Saens again with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Rachel has appeared on radio as performer and presenter, most recently accompanying the BBC Singers in Choral Evensong and presenting Inside Music on BBC radio 3 and This Is My Music on CBC radio. Rachel's debut solo album, featuring all Canadian music on the organ of Coventry Cathedral and supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, was released to excellent reviews - it received five stars in Choir and Organ Magazine and was Gramophone Magazine Editor's Choice in March 2020.

Rachel has won numerous awards and competitions in Canada, including a graduating scholarship from the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto and the Godfrey Hewitt Memorial Scholarship from the Royal Canadian College of Organists. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Organ Performance from the University of Toronto, where she studied with John Tuttle. Whilst pursuing her degree, Rachel was the Bevan Organ Scholar at Trinity College, Toronto, as well as the Principal Organist at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church. Once in the UK, she studied with Henry Fairs at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. She has also held organ scholarships at St James Cathedral, Toronto and Truro Cathedral, UK.

In 2012, Rachel and fellow organist Sarah Svendsen founded the duo Organized Crime and the two organists aim to entertain audiences with their music and crazy antics. They have toured across Canada many times. For more information, visit rachelmahon.co.uk.