Lunchtime Concert: David Hirst, organ

Chichester Cathedral's popular lunchtime concerts take place on Tuesdays at 1.10pm during term time, in the spectacular setting of the Cathedral Nave. They are free and last approximately 50 minutes. There is a retiring collection.

Event details

Tickets
Free
Date
Tuesday 30 September 2025, 13:10
Venue
Nave
Programme

Dietrich Buxtehude (c. 1637 – 1707)
Toccata & Fugue in F major, BuxWV 156 

In memory of Dr John Birch – two gems of the English baroque
Maurice Greene (1696 – 1755)
Voluntary XIII in G major 
William Boyce (1711 – 1779)
Voluntary I in D major

Max Reger (1873 – 1916)
Variations & Fugue on God save the King ("Heil unserm König, Heil") 

Claude Debussy (1862 – 1918)
Clair de Lune (from the Suite Bergamasque for piano) 
transcription by Jean-Baptiste Robin

Louis Vierne (1870 – 1937)
Carillon de Westminster, Op. 54 No. 6 


Musician Biographies

David Hirst is one of the few British organists to have fully integrated into the French organ world.  Based near Paris, he is Organiste Titulaire of the magnificent 12th-century Collegiate Church in Mantes-la-Jolie, where he oversees its three organs.  He also serves as Artistic Director of the city’s International Organ Festival.

As a recitalist, David performs worldwide.  Recent appearances include Westminster Abbey; the cathedrals of Versailles, Chartres, and Antwerp; the Laurenskerk in Rotterdam; and the Constantine Basilica in Trier.  He has also played in South Africa, Singapore and Japan.

In 2024, he toured the United States, with performances at St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City—home to the world’s largest organ—and other venues in San Francisco, Maine, NYC and Washington, DC.

David was a chorister at Chichester Cathedral in the 1970s under Dr John Birch.  He holds a master's degree in music from Cambridge University and a postgraduate diploma with distinction from the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he studied organ with Lionel Rogg.  He has also studied with Nicolas Kynaston and Thomas Trotter.

Previous organist appointments include Emmanuel College, Cambridge; St Germain du Chesnay in Versailles; and St Martin-in-the-Fields, London’s royal parish church.  There, he performed for royal and celebrity occasions, as well as concerts, recordings, and 30 BBC broadcasts.

David’s discography features the first recordings of the 1897 grand organ by Joseph Merklin in Mantes-la-Jolie, among them his critically acclaimed 2022 Priory CD: “These stylish performances are quite sublime” — Organists’ Review.

Website:  www.davidhirst.org
YouTube:  https://youtu.be/37M09j3q2hM
 


 

Donations

Chichester Cathedral's Lunchtime Concert series is self-supporting, and thrives through the generosity of its audiences. While there is no charge for admission, we suggest a minimum donation of £3 per person, with Gift Aid applied if possible. Donations can be made in the retiring collection, in the Cathedral, at our Visitor’s Desk or at various donation points, using cash, card and contactless or using the button below.

click here to donate online


Can't make it this time?

Lunchtime Concerts take place every Tuesday at 1.10pm during term-time, our talented performers come from across the UK and occasionally overseas, to delight our audiences with music from Beethoven to Chopin, Elgar to Mozart and more.

Autumn flyer coming soon!