Ireland: Sursum Corda

The Complete Organ Works of John Ireland are rare additions to the catalogue and those of Grayston Ives, unknown. The Nicholson organ at Harris Manchester College, receives its first commercial recording.

It is not often CPO record British music, but on this new SACD they introduce the organ works of John Nicholson Ireland into their catalogue. Ireland’s compositional output followed the trend of many other English Impressionist composers and favored smaller forms rather than large scale orchestral works or operas.

Organ works account for a small proportion of his oeuvre, but Stefan Kagl is an excellent interpreter of these multifaceted works. This is the complete collection of Ireland’s organ works including 'Marcia popolare' and the 'Epic March' arranged by his life-long friend Robert Gower.