What the critics wrote...
The Netherlands
'….. Philip Sawyer is an accomplished professional. His
playing is confident, articulated and full of rhythm. You are able to hear this
especially in the works of JS Bach …… The public understood very well that here
a passionate professional was speaking in musical terms ……'
(Rinus Groot, Haarlems Dagblad, 02 August 2000)
'Philip Sawyer appeared to be an immensely accurate organist and every rhythmic figure and ornament was "right". To this should be added a tasteful choice of registration and a well-studied interpretation that, all together, made listening to this organist a fascinating affair.
Chiefly the Bach chorale arrangement sounded marvellous and
that was therefore, for me, the most important part of the concert [in St
Laurens' Church, Alkmaar]. However, the music by Buxtehude was played full of
style and formed a good ending to this concert which attracted many listeners.'
(Newspaper music critic, Alkmaar, Netherlands; trans. PD)
France
'Le triomphe de la délicatesse.
Philip Sawyer…..est un organiste habile et, qui mieux est, un fin musicien. Organiste habile, il est doté, par nature et par travail, d'une indépendence des deux mains et des pieds qui lui permet d'atteindre à une remarquable souplesse de jeu.
Fin musicien, il ne cherche pas à noyer ses auditeurs dans
des flots sonores tonitruants, mais recherche l'utilisation de tous les jeux, de
toutes les ressources possibles d'un instrument [Monaco Cathedral, 1989] qu'il y
a toujours plaisir à découvrir. Légèreté du pédalier, sureté et finesse
expressive du chant et des traits et autres ornaments, Philip Sawyer nous a
permet d'apprécier ces qualités d'autant mieux qu'il avait choisi son programme
avec à-propos et bon goût.'
(Nice Matin)
'…..une seconde partie consacrée à Bach: Philip Sawyer
rapprocha de fort heureuse facon trois versions d'un meme choral [Nun komm,
der Heiden Heiland] et termina avec Prélude et Fugue en mi mineur [BWV548],
où il confirma ses qualités de technician, d'architecte aussi, d'indépendence
totale des claviers et du pédalier, et cela avec un tel bonheur que le public
[Nice Cathedral, 1989] témoigna sa sympathie et sa reconnaissance á Philip
Sawyer qui l'en remercia avec deux "bis" parfaitement justifiées.'
(Nice Matin)
'Philip Sawyer…..termina fort brillament son récital
[Monaco Cathedral, 1995] par une pièce d'orgue intitulée "Fantaisie en sol
majeur BWV572" de J-S Bach. Tout le long de cette pièce très brillant, Philip
Sawyer fit sortir de son orgue de très belles couleurs musicales grace à une
registration bien dosée. A l'extrème fin de cette oeuvre, il s'agissait
carrément d'un feu d'artifice sonore qui déclencha l'ovation du public réuni à
l'occasion de ce concert.
(Nice Matin)
Britain
'Translating Poussin's paintings The Seven Sacraments
into music is a challenge which John McLeod has taken up with relish in his
new organ work The Seven Sacraments of Poussin. Commissioned and
performed for the first time with great panache by organist Philip Sawyer……'
(The Scotsman)
'The Seven Sacraments of Poussin…….Brilliantly
played by Philip Sawyer, who commissioned the piece…….'
(The Glasgow Herald)
'[John McLeod's] new Sacraments were receiving their
première, played powerfully by organist Philip Sawyer.'
(The Independent)
'If music thrives on limitations, as Stravinsky thought,
then the limitations of the tiny English organ in St Cecilia's Hall, Edinburgh,
should keep it healthy. With only a couple of ranks at his disposal, Philip
Sawyer managed…..to give variety to a number of pieces from the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries…….'
(The Scotsman)
'…..and though the Usher Hall organ had a more prominent
role than usual, Philip Sawyer managed to make it behave like a chamber organ
with a warbling, embellished continuo part.'
(The Scotsman)