Kevin John Bowyer (; born 9 January 1961) is an English organist, known for his prolific recording and recital career and his performances of modern and extremely difficult compositions.
Biography Bowyer was born on 9 January 1961 in Southend-on-Sea, England. He sang in a choir and learnt the piano accordion and organ as a child. When the church where he practised refused to let him carry on practising, he says: "I went and had a key cut to the church and I got in anyway."Musicteachers.com online journal, Volume 2 Issue 1, July 2000 He attended Cecil Jones High School in Southend, and studied at the Royal Academy of Music from 1979 to 1982 with organists Christopher Bowers-Broadbent and Douglas Hawkridge, harpsichordist Virginia Black, and Paul Steinitz. After graduation, he studied for two years with David Sanger after winning a Countess of Munster Musical Trust scholarship. When given a list of music to prepare at his first meeting with Sanger, he did not realise that it was a term's work and had learnt it all by the next week.
Aside from playing the organ, he reads modernist literature, especially James Joyce, Samuel Beckett and the Powys family.
Repertoire and performances While a student, he performed the complete organ symphonies of Charles-Marie Widor, Louis Vierne and Marcel Dupré (none of which he has yet recorded), and the complete organ music of Olivier Messiaen. He was able to do this because, he says, "When I was 21, I developed a technique that allowed me to learn a French organ symphony every month" and "always started at the end and then worked backwards." His debut recital was at the Royal Festival Hall in 1984.Ian Carson: Bowyer, Kevin (John), Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 2007-06-24), http://www.grovemusic.com/
He has won the following competitions: St Albans International Organ Festival 1983 (neither 2nd nor 3rd prize was awarded that year) Odense International Organ Competition 1990 Paisley International Organ Festival 1990 Dublin International Organ and Choral Festival 1990 Calgary International Organ Festival 1990
He has performed and broadcast all over the world, and has released around ninety recordings, including all of Bach's organ music for the Nimbus recording label. His recital repertoire is enormous and ever expanding; in an article restricted to European 20th-century classical music for the organ, he mentions over 100 composers whose music he has played.Kevin Bowyer: 20th Century European Organ Music: A Toast, in The IAO Millennium Book, ed. P. Hale, Though he sees contemporary music as his vocation, he plays organ music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods onwards, and has shown an appreciation for the qualities of historical instruments in such music."I try to take primary sources and playing practices as a starting point, and try to apply them to the instrument that I am using. I am perfectly happy to admit that I am not at the forefront of Bach scholarship because I am a player. Although I rely on the editors of good Bach editions, you have to be aware of all the sources, see for yourself what the differences are and make decisions accordingly."Interview with Kevin Bowyer from MusicTeachers.co.uk Kevin Bowyer: Notes to A Late 20th Century Edwardian Bach Recital
He is the first of two people to have played and recorded Kaikhosru Sorabji's First Organ Symphony in its entirety, and the only person to have performed Sorabji's Second Organ Symphony in its entirety.
He was organist of the Parish of Warwick from 1989 until 1998; during this time, he taught around the country for the St Giles International Organ School. In 2005 he was appointed university organist at the University of Glasgow (with access to the Harrison & Harrison/Willis organ in the University Memorial Chapel), while continuing his teaching career at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. New projects include the annual Glasgow International Organ FestivalGlasgow International Organ Festival and Glasgow Pipeworks series of recitals of new music for organ.
On learning music, he says: "I practise bits and pieces of it over and over again until my fingers are moving faster than my brain, then I home in on what is difficult and link these with the easier passages, but the easier passages are still no less learned than the difficult ones. Sometimes it's necessary to practise for twelve to fourteen hours a day, during which you need to keep your mind alert." A particular example has been when he had to learn Niccolo Castiglioni's Sinfonia Guerriere et Amorose, 41 minutes of "nearly unplayable music. [...] I set my mind to encompass it in an eight-day learning period, a frame-work the piece naturally slipped into."
Since 2008 he has been able, with the support of the Glasgow University Trust, to be engaged almost exclusively"Since November 2008 I have put well over 2,000 hours of preparation and rehearsal into the piece. My practice schedule usually began at 6.30 am and ran through, with a couple of breaks for coffee and one for lunch, until 9 pm. Twelve and thirteen hour working days were the norm. Yet even with this gruelling schedule the ramparts of Organ Symphony 2 are only just beginning to crack." – Kevin Bowyer in preparing for performances of Sorabji's three organ symphonies, the difficulties of which he describes thus:
The lengths are also considerable: the Second Symphony alone is over an hour longer than Messiaen's complete organ music put together. The Second Symphony was premiered in 2010 and there were several postponements due to the difficulty of learning it. The Third Organ Symphony is expected to be premiered in 2022. Bowyer has also produced new typeset editions of Sorabji's three organ symphonies.
Recordings J. S. Bach: Complete organ works – 29 CDs (17 volumes)Bach recordings: Marcussen organ of Sct. Hans Kirke, Odense, Denmark.
Volume 1 (NI 5280) Toccata and Fugue in D minor (BWV 565) Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir (BWV 1099) Concerto in G (after Prince Johann Ernst) (BWV 592) Trio Sonata I in E flat (BWV 525) Pastorella in F (BWV 590) Ebarm dich mein, o Herre Gott (BWV 721) Fantasia and Fugue in G minor (BWV 542)
Volume 2 (NI 5289) Prelude and Fugue in G (BWV 541) Trio Sonata V in C (BWV 529) Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (BWV 720) Fugue in G ("Jig" Fugue) (BWV 577) Prelude and Fugue in A (BWV 536) Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her (BWV 738) In dulci jubilo (BWV 751) In dulci jubilo (BWV 729) Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ (BWV 697) Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ (BWV 722) Prelude and Fugue in D (BWV 532)
Volume 3 (NI 5290)
Prelude and Fugue in F minor (BWV 534) Trio Sonata II in C minor (BWV 526) Partite diverse sopra Sei gegrüßet, Jesu gütig (BWV 768) Concerto in D minor (after Vivaldi) (BWV 596) Prelude and Fugue in A minor (BWV 543)
Volume 4 (NI 5377) Toccata in G minor (BWV 915) Fugue in B minor on a theme by Albinoni (BWVB 951) Fugue in C minor (BWV 575) Eight "Short" Preludes and Fugues (BWV 553-560) Fantasia and Imitatio in B minor (BWV 563) Fugue in A on a theme by Albinoni (BWV 950) Toccata in G (BWV 916)
Volume 5 (NI 5400) Concerto in A minor (after Vivaldi) (BWV 593) Prelude and Fugue in D minor (BWV 539) Herr Gott, dich loben wir (Te Deum) (BWV 725) Fugue in G (BWV 576) Aria in F (after François Couperin) (BWV 587) Christ lag in Todesbanden (BWV 718) Jesus, meine Zuversicht (BWV 728) Christ ist erstanden (BWV 746) Toccata and Fugue in F (BWV 540)
Volume 6 (NI 5423) Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C (BWV 564) Trio Sonata VI in G (BWV 530) Prelude and Fugue in E minor (BWV 533) Trio in G minor (BWV 584) Prelude and Fugue in G minor (BWV 535) Fantasia super Valet will ich dir geben (BWV 735) Valet will ich dir geben (BWV 736) Partita: Wenn wir in hochsten Noten sein (BWV Anh. 78) Toccata in E (BWV 566)
Volume 7 (NI 5457/8)
Das Orgelbüchlein (BWV 599-644) (with Det Fynske Kammerchor)
Volume 8 (NI 5500/1) Fugue in C minor on a theme by Legrenzi (BWV 574) Concerto in F (after Vivaldi) (BWV 978) Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier (BWV 731) Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend (BWV 709) Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend (BWV 726) Prelude and Fugue in B minor (BWV 544) Gott ist mein Heil, mein Hilf und Trost (BWV 1106) Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr (BWV 1115) Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan (BWV 1116) Trio Sonata in G (BWV 1039/1027a) Prelude and Fugue in C (BWV 547) Prelude and Fugue in C (BWV 531) An Wasserflüssen Babylon (BWV 653b) Wir glauben all' an einen Gott (BWV 765) Wir glauben all' an einen Gott (BWV 1098) Fantasia and Fugue in C minor (BWV 537) Six "Schübler" Chorale Preludes (BWV 645-650) Prelude and Fugue in A minor (BWV 895) Toccata and Fugue in D minor, "Dorian" (BWV 538)
Volume 9 (NI 5561/2) Clavierübung, part III (BWV 552, 669-689, 802-805) Concerto in G (after Vivaldi) (BWV 973) Fugue in G minor (BWV 578) Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor (BWV 582)
Volume 10 (NI 5573/4) Eighteen "Leipzig" Chorale Preludes (BWV 651-668) Fugue in A (BWV 949) Wenn dich Unglück tut greifen an (BWV 1104) Wie nach einer Wasserquelle (BWV 1119) Ach Gott, tu dich erbarmen (BWV 1109) Als Jesus Christus in der Nacht (BWV 1108) Concerto in C (after Vivaldi) (BWV 594)
Volume 11 (NI 5606/7) Toccata in C minor (BWV 911) Trio in B minor (BWV 790(a)) Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten (BWV 691) Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten (BWV 690) Nun lob meine Seele den Herren (BWV Anh. 60) Wir glauben all an einen Gott (BWV Anh. 70) Fugue in B minor on a theme by Corelli (BWV 579) Das Jesulein soll doch mein Trost (BWV 702) Machs mit mire, Gott, nach deiner Güt (BWV 957) Herr Gott, nun schleuß den Himmel auf (BWV 1092) Nun laßt uns den Leib begraben (BWV 1111) Christus, der ist mein Leben (BWV 1112) Ich hab mein Sach Gott heimgestellt (BWV 1113) Alle Menschen müssen sterben (BWV 1117) Prelude and Fugue in C (BWV 943/953) Christe, der du bist Tag und Licht (BWV 1096) Werde munter, meine Gemüte (BWV 1118) Nun ruhen alle Wälder (BWV 756) Toccata in E minor (BWV 914) Prelude and Fugue in E minor ("Wedge") (BWV 548) Partita: Ach was ist doch unser leben (BWV 743) Herr Christ, der einig Gottes Sohn (BWV Anh. 55) Meine Seele erheb't den Herren (BWV 733) Canonic Variations on Vom Himmel Hoch (BWV 769) Fantasia and Fugue in A minor (BWV 904) Trio in D minor (BWV 583) Prelude and Fugue in C minor (BWV 546)
Volume 12 (NI 5647/8) Fantasia in G major (BWV 572) Trio Sonata IV in E minor (BWV 528) Fantasia and Fugue in C major (BWV 570/946) Toccata in F sharp minor (BWV 910) Aria Variata in A minor (BWV 989) A Little Harmonic Labyrinth (BWV 591) Fuga chromatisch bearbeitet (BWV Anh. 44) Fugue in G minor (BWV 131a) Allabreve in D (BWV 589) Fantasia in G major (BWV 571) Prelude and fugue in G (BWV 550) Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her (BWV 700) Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her (BWV 701) Wir Christenleut (BWV 1090) Wir Christenleut habn jetzund Freud (BWV 710) Capriccio in E (BWV 993) Fantasia and fugue (fragment) in C minor (BWV 562) Partita super Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr (BWV 771) Trio Sonata III in D minor (BWV 527) Prelude and fugue in C (BWV 545)
Volume 13 (NI 5669/70) Partita: O Gott, du frommer Gott (BWV 767) Canzona in D minor (BWV 588) Ach Gott, und Herr (BWV 714) Ach Gott vom Himmel sieh darein (BWV 741) Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend (BWV 655c) O Vater, almächtiger Gott (BWV 758) Trio in C minor (after Johann Friedrich Fasch) (BWV 585) Herr Jesu Christ, meines Lebens Licht (BWV 750) Prelude in A minor (BWV 569) Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt (BWV 1101) Vater unser im Himmelreich (BWV 762) Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt (BWV 705) Toccata in D minor (BWV 913) Wo soll ich fliehen hin (BWV 694) Christ, der du bist der helle Tag (BWV 1120) Prelude and Fugue in A minor (BWV 551) Prelude in G (BWV 568) Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (BWV 699) Nun freut euch, leiben Christen gmein (BWV 734) Lob sei dem allmächtigen Gott (BWV 704) Gottes Sohn ist kommen (BWV 703)