Last week, Dr. John Harrison gave an organ recital at St. Johns as part of Tenby and District Arts Club’s 70th anniversary celebrations. John is the son of the first chairman of the Arts Club when it formed in 1947.

The first piece he played was ‘Promenade’ from Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky, with the annual painting exhibitions held by the Arts Club over the years in mind. This was followed by a choral song in three parts by Samuel Sebastian Wesley, a descendant of John Wesley.

The next piece was by Richard T Gore, a keen member of the Arts Club who was an eminent American composer from Worcester, Ohio. Between 1947 and 1977, he visited Tenby every summer, and gave piano recitals and talks, while his daughter, an operatic soprano, sang for the Arts Club. John played ‘Ponder my words, O Lord’ from Ten Organ Psalms.

‘To a Wild Rose’ by another American composer, Edward Macdowell, followed, in honour of the many slideshows held at the Arts Club over the years reflecting the beauty of nature and the wider world. Much talent has come to Tenby over the years from Ireland, including Hugh Hills, a music teacher at Greenhill in the 1960s and his wife, who were active members of the Arts Club, giving talks and musical shows. John played ‘Prelude in E Flat Major’ by one of Ireland’s greatest composers, Stanford.

The Prince of Denmark’s March, by Jeremiah Clarke followed in remembrance of Bill Davies who joined Greenhill Grammar after being in Burma, another active member of the Arts Club, as it was one of his favourite pieces.

John Beynon, another stalwart member of the Arts Club, discovered an organ piece composed by Edwin John, Augustus John’s father, who was organist at Gumfreston and assistant musical director at St. Mary’s. It is called ‘Berceuse’.

Three folk tunes followed, arranged by John Harrison himself. One was Latvian, for another loyal member of the Arts Club, Roy Oak himself originally from Latvia, having come to Tenby via Ireland, and bringing Roz, his daughter, and yet another active member, having organised the annual programme for many years. The other two folk tunes were arranged by John for Bill Davies’ (see above) daughter’s wedding!

When asked by Mr Copeland in 1970 to do a recital, for the Arts Club, John played this piece, a favourite of his parents, the ‘Introduction and Toccata’ from Suite Gothique by Boellmann. A young couple who moved to Tenby in 1957, Ken and Anne Jones, prompted John to select JS Bach’s ‘Choral Prelude: Von Himmel Hoch BWV 700’. Ken was head of English at Greenhill and made a big contribution to the Arts Club, being a charismatic actor, speaker and musician.

In 1951, the Arts Club gave a Shakespeare celebration on North Cliffe for the Festival of Britain. John played Mendelssohn’s ‘Wedding March’ from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, especially appropriate as it was played at the Queen’s wedding, also 70 years ago, in 1947.

It was a superb concert, showing the range of organ music available, and showcasing John’s talent, while giving a little insight into some of the interesting characters that have attended the Tenby Arts Club over the last 70 years.

A.D.