Alton Organ Society will welcome Anthony Froggatt to the Church of St Lawrence for a concert on December 7 at 8pm.

His programme will include music written by Nicolas de Grigny, J S Bach, Max Reger, John Ireland, Denis Bédard and César Franck.

Doors open at 7.30pm, refreshments will be available and tickets cost £10 on the door (£5 for 19-25 year olds, under-19s free).

The society’s second concert of the season featured 22-year-old Italian organist Ilaria Centorrino. Her choice of programme was perfect and gave great joy to the audience of more than 60 people.

She opened with J S Bach’s Fantasia and Fugue in G minor (BWV 542). It was immediately evident that we were listening to a most professional delivery of this formidable organ work. Her interpretation and musicianship shone through, and her technique and phrasing were flawless.

This was a wonderful opening to an outstanding performance. Ilaria followed the Bach piece with a gentle performance of fellow Italian composer Girolamo Frescobaldi.

The melodic theme was repeated in amazing playing on the pedals throughout Jean Langlais’ da Hommage to Frescobaldi: Epilogue. It was only during the last couple of bars that the manuals came into play, climaxing an astonishing demonstration of footwork on the pedals. If it wasn’t for the 16ft depth of sound you would have been convinced the piece was performed using hands on the manuals.

Ilaria continued brilliantly with Saint-Saëns’ Fantasie in E flat major and Maurice Duruflé’s Chorale varié sur le Veni Creator Op 4. There was universal applause for this most accomplished musician.

Tony Willman