Talking to David Leigh

My very first remark to David Leigh was that when I first saw his name on a recital programme, I wondered if if there was a misprint and the name was meant to be David Lee. “Oh yes”, he replied, “a great source of confusion — still is”.

David Leigh grew up in Lancashire and had his early education there, which included starting to learn the play the organ at about the age of 14. While still at school, he was awarded an organ scholarship at Blackburn Cathedral. From Lancashire he went to St Peter’s College Oxford where he also held an organ scholarship and from which he gained his music degree. During his time in Oxford, he was Assistant Organist at Magdalene College. Following Oxford. yet another scholarship brought him to Lichfield Cathedral where he was also Assistant Organist for several years.

He held the position of Sub Organist of St James’ Church, Grimsby for eighteen months before coming to Ireland in 1997, where he replaced Andrew Johnstone as Assistant Organist in St Patrick’s. In his four years here, he has made a name for himself, as recitalist, accompanist and conductor.

Asked if he considers himself primarily an organist, a choir trainer or a conductor~ he replied that he is quite at home in all of these roles. Recitals have taken him all over UK and Ireland, and he has travelled further afield as a choral director and accompan- ist. At the time of my talk to him, he had five recitals coming up in the following three weeks. He has several CDs to his credit, the most recent of which is a recording of the organ of St Patrick’s, which drew very favourable comments from the reviewers. He very much likes Messiaen and the French school. What about Hakim? “Well the earlier stuff is OK but later Hakim is way out!”

A year ago, Mr Leigh restarted the Girls’ Choir in the Cathedral — which had fallen into abeyance after Barbara Dagg had moved on to Christ Church Cathedral. There are about 16 girls at present, coming from a variety of backgrounds. Some are very definitely Anglican, some from other religions and somehave no religious background. But they all love the music and its challenge. Barbara, he says, achieved great things with them.

He has had a double workload during the Organist’s vacancy of the last few months in St Patrick’s, but Peter O’Connor, the organ scholar has been very helpful. He is delighted with the appointment of Peter Barley to the post of Organist and looks forward to working with him. Mr Barley has been organist in St Marylebone Parish Church, where there is a large four-manual organ. David knows this organ quite well as it was the one on which he played for his FRCO.

He considers himself very fortunate to have access to what he regards as Ireland’s finest organ. A close second Is the Mulholland organ in the Ulster Hall, Belfast. He is not too familiar with the National Concert Hall organ. There is some nice stuff in it, but the case could have been improved. It is too deep, and sound is lost in it.

Do you like Ireland? “Oh yes, I’ve stayed, haven’t L I like everything about it except the exorbitant cost of cars!”

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