Christchurch City Organist Martin Setchell will play the inaugural concert on the new Allen 4 Manual Q405C organ in the newly developed Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin, Hamilton. The widely varied programme includes Bach Toccatas, Sousa Marche and Scott Joplin's 'The entertainer".

Admission by door sales: adults $20, concessions $15, family pass $30, children under 12 free.

There will be a masterclass for organists at 4pm.

Born and educated in the north of England town of Blackpool. Martin holds Honours degrees in both French and Music from the University of Exeter, and he was awarded both the Limpus and Shinn prizes when he received his Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists in London. Subsequently he undertook advanced studies in Classical organ technique with Pierre Cochereau (then titular organist of Notre Dame in Pans). Marie-Claire Alain, Piet Kee. and Peter Hurford.

Martin emigrated to New Zealand in 1974 on his appointment to the University of Canterbury School of Music where he is Associate Professor of Music and tutor in organ. He combines his university teaching and research career with a busy schedule of recitals and concerts as soloist, accompanist and continuo player on organ and harpsichord. Ten years ago he was appointed curator of the newly installed Rieger pipe organ in the Christchurch Town Hall. Since then, he has devoted himself entirely to promoting the organ as a concert instrument in its own right.

His solo concert tours outside New Zealand have taken him to Australia, America, Europe and the Far East Some concert highlights include the Spreckels organ in Balboa Park, San Diego. the famous Hill organ in Sydney Town Hall, Oliwa Cathedral in Poland as part of the Gdansk International Organ Festival, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Guangdong Xinghai Concert Hall in Guangzhou. China, the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore, Musashino Civic Cultural Hall, Tokyo, Japan, St Paul s Cathedral, London, and St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh. Concerts in 2008 take him to Japan, Germany, the UK. Australia and New Zealand, and in 2009 he will undertake major concert tours in Europe and the USA during a sabbatical leave.

As a composer, Martin Setchell concentrates on writing tuneful and accessible organ and choral music, which is published by Kevin Mayhew Music, and Fagus Music in the UK, and is heard internationally. He is best known through his recent volumes of transcriptions of music by Fauré, Bizet and the Sousa marches. Oxford University Press has recently published a volume of his organ arrangements of works by Saint Saens.

Martin’s other activities include conducting (especially choral works and chamber operas), examining for Trinity Guildhall. London, and after-dinner speaking. He was recently honoured by the City of Christchurch, receiving a Civic Award for services to music in the community and the Town Hall organ in particular.