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John Kitchen (musician)

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John Philip Kitchen MBE (born 27 October 1950) is a Scottish organist, harpsichordist, conductor, early music scholar, and music educator based in Edinburgh. He serves as the Edinburgh City Organist.[1] Kitchen is known for his extensive recording portfolio of organ music, and his research and demonstration of historical keyboard instruments.[2][3] He made major contributions to the discography and scholarship on the organ works of William Russell,[4][5] and Johann Ludwig Krebs.[6][7]

John Kitchen MBE
John Kitchen at St Mary's Music School Edinburgh
Born (1950-10-27) 27 October 1950 (age 74)
United Kingdom
NationalityScottish
Alma materGlasgow University, University of Cambridge
Occupation(s)Edinburgh City Organist, music scholar and educator

Current positions

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Kitchen is the Edinburgh City Organist, with related duties at Usher Hall.[8] He is the University Organist and an Honorary Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, and serves as Director of the Edinburgh University Singers[9][10] He is also involved with the preservation, expansion and demonstration to the public of the collection of early keyboard instruments at St Cecilia's Hall in Edinburgh.[11] He is the Director of Music of Old Saint Paul's Episcopal Church.[12][13] He teaches harpsichord at St Mary's Music School, Edinburgh.[14] He was appointed MBE in the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours list.[15]

Education and professional history

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Kitchen started teaching himself the organ at around the age of 6 and by 8 was accompanying his local Sunday School.[11] He was in his 20s before he had formal lessons.[16] He earned the Master of Arts and Bachelor of Music degrees at Glasgow University, and earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree from the University of Cambridge where he researched 17th-century French harpsichord music. His doctoral thesis (approved 1980) was titled "Harpsichord music of seventeenth century France: the forms, their origins and developments, with particular emphasis on the work of Louis Couperin (1626–1661)".[17] While at Cambridge, he was organ scholar of Clare College, and studied the organ with Gillian Weir.[16] From 1976 until 1988, he was a Lecturer in Music and University Organist at the University of St Andrews. From 1988 to 2014, he was Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of Edinburgh, teaching harmony, counterpoint, keyboard skills, history, and performance practice at all levels.[18] Kitchen has a Fellowship Diploma (FRCO) from the Royal College of Organists, and he is a Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music (LRAM).[19] He is a member of the Baroque ensemble Laudonia.[20][21]

Scholarship

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Kitchen has studied and recorded the complete Organ Voluntaries of the organist William Russell (1777–1813) on the Delphian Label. The recording took place in 2008 on the restored 1829 J.C. Bishop organ at St. James, Bermondsey.[22] As part of this project, Kitchen authored a detailed essay about Russell and his music, with information about every single Voluntary (including the disposition of the organ and the registration of the Voluntary)[23][24]

Kitchen has studied and recorded the complete organ works of Baroque composer Johann Ludwig Krebs (1713–1780). These recordings (on the Priory Records label) were made in 2000–2001 on several different organs, including the two-manual Frobenius organ of Canongate Kirk, Edinburgh.

Kitchen has published multiple reviews of recordings, studies and organ manuals in the journals Early Music, Early Music Today, Choir & Organ, Organists' Review, and The Organ Yearbook,[25][26]

Kitchen recorded recitals that introduce and explore different organs, including the organ at Usher Hall (Edinburgh); the organ at McEwan Hall (University of Edinburgh); the Reid Concert Hall (University of Edinburgh); the 1769 Pascal Taskin harpsichord; and instruments from the Rodger Mirrey[27] and Raymond Russell collections.[28]

Selected discography

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  • Gaudeamus Igitur: John Kitchen plays the Organ of McEwan Hall; Delphian DCD 34163; ASIN: B01F3P5MB8; 2016.
  • The Usher Hall Organ Volume II; Delphian DCD 34132; ASIN: B00OYT32KI, 2015.
  • Russell: Complete Organ Voluntaries; Delphian DCD 34062; ASIN: B001O4FDC6; 2013.
  • Music from the Age of Louis XIV; Delphian DCD 34109; ASIN: B00DP5K0QQ; 2012.
  • John Kitchen Plays Handel Overtures; Delphian DCD34053; ASIN: B002B847I0, 2011.
  • Krebs Complete Organ Works / John Kitchen; Priory Records PRCDBOX400 / PRCD734-739; 2010.
  • Instruments from the Rodger Mirrey Collection; Delphian DCD 34057; ASIN: B00OYT32KI; 2010.
  • Organs of Edinburgh; Delphian DCD 34100; ASIN: B01K8LNLUQ; 2010.
  • Music from the age of Louis XV: John Kitchen plays the 1769 Taskin Harpsichord; Delphian DCD 34112; 2012.
  • La Paix Du Parnasse; Delphian DCD 34012; ASIN: B0001FV4ZO, 2006.
  • Instruments of the Russell Collection, Volume 2; Delphian DCD 34309; ASIN: B000EJ9LSY; 2006.
  • Instruments of the Russell Collection, Volume 1; Delphian DCD 34001; ASIN: B00005LVXO; 2006.
  • The Usher Hall Organ; Delphian DCD 34022; ASIN: B0001W8E2S; 2004.
  • Great European Organs No. 49 – John Kitchen plays the Organ of the Reid Concert Hall, University of Edinburgh; Priory Records; ASIN: B00000F1RJ; 1998
  • The Grand Tour: Laudonia with Susan Hamilton; Laudonia SCIO, SKU: 9006807000015

References

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  1. ^ "Our team". Edinburghorganists.org. 12 March 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  2. ^ "John Kitchen". Delphian Records. Archived from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  3. ^ Chung, D. (1 February 2015). "Interpreting Historical Keyboard Music: Sources, Contexts and Performance. Ed. by Andrew Woolley and John Kitchen". Music Lett. 96 (1): 121–123. doi:10.1093/ml/gcu113.
  4. ^ "An immaculate introduction to Russell". Classic FM. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  5. ^ Kitchen, John (June 2015). "The Organ Music of William Russell". Nineteenth-Century Music Review. 12 (1): 9–25. doi:10.1017/S1479409815000026. S2CID 184586936.
  6. ^ "Krebs Complete Organ Works, Vol 3". Gramophone. 9 January 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  7. ^ "Krebs Organ Music Vol 6 [GH]: Classical CD Reviews- July 2003 MusicWeb(UK)". Musicweb-international.com. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  8. ^ "Usher Hall – Interview with organist John Kitchen". 21 February 2012 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ "Dr John Kitchen | Edinburgh College of Art". University of Edinburgh. Archived from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  10. ^ "Edinburgh University Singers". Eusingers.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  11. ^ a b "At home with John Kitchen". The Herald. 17 August 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  12. ^ "Old Saint Paul's Scottish Episcopal Church ~ About Old Saint Paul's ~ Who's Who at Old Saint Paul's". Osp.org.uk. Archived from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  13. ^ Records, Delphian. "John Kitchen". Delphian Records. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  14. ^ "John Kitchen". www.stmarysmusicschool.co.uk. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  15. ^ "John-bio.pdf" (PDF). Scottish Polish Cultural Association Edinburgh. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Five questions for...John Kitchen". The Lady Organist. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  17. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 9 March 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. ^ "Edinburgh University Singers". Eusingers.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  19. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. ^ "Laudonia | Scotland's Dynamic Baroque Ensemble". Laudonia. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  21. ^ "Laudonia: The Grand Tour". Edinburgh Music Review. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  22. ^ "St James, Bermondsey, South East London, Restoration of the 1829 Bishop Organ – Goetze & Gwynn". Goetzegwynn.co.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  23. ^ "RUSSELL Organ Voluntaries Delphian DCD34062 [JV]: Classical Music Reviews – October 2009 MusicWeb-International". Musicweb-international.com. 25 July 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  24. ^ "Recording William Rusell's Voluntaries at St. James's. Bermondsey, London | Open Music Library". Archived from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  25. ^ "Edinburgh, music author:"John Kitchen"". Google Scholar. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  26. ^ [1] Archived 6 April 2017 at the Wayback Machine
  27. ^ "Rodger Mirrey Collection of Early Keyboard Instruments". University of Edinburgh. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  28. ^ "Raymond Russell Collection of Early Keyboard Instruments". University of Edinburgh. 27 May 1922. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
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