On Saturday 21st June at 7:30pm, Buckfast Abbey in South Devon will open its series of 2025 evening organ recitals, hosting the world-famous titular organist at Saint-Sulpice in Paris, Karol Mossakowski, for a splendid evening recital.
Karol Mossakowski is one of the most highly sought-after recitalists of his generation. He will play music by two of his predecessors – Marcel Dupré’s Cortège et Litanie and Charles-Marie Widor’s Symphonie Romane – as well as his transcriptions of solo piano works by Mendelssohn, Chopin and Liszt. He will conclude with an improvisation on a submitted theme.
Peter Holder will play the second concert of the series on Saturday 19th July at 7:30pm. In his role as Sub-Organist at Westminster Abbey, he played for the State Funeral of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla. In September 2024 he took up the position of Organist at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. His programme takes on a fittingly royal theme with music by Harris, Weir, Walton, Elgar, and Farrington. The recital concludes with Widor’s Symphonie No. 5 including its famous Toccata.
A centre of culture and arts in the South West of England, Buckfast Abbey is recognised as both a place of worship and a centre of musical excellence. The Abbey installed a new organ by the Italian builder, Fratelli Ruffatti, in 2018, and hosts an annual series of organ recitals.
Tickets for the concert are priced at £10 and are available to purchase from www.buckfast.org.uk/events or from the Abbey Gift Shop. Advanced booking is advised, as seating is unreserved and on a first come, first served basis. Doors will open at approximately 7:00pm, following the conclusion of Monastic Vespers.
Buckfast Abbey is conveniently located midway between Exeter and Plymouth, just off the A38. Home to a community of Benedictine monks, the Abbey offers a unique, tranquil ambience, and is open seven days a week to the public. For more information on Buckfast Abbey visit www.buckfast.org.uk
