• Anna Lapwood, Cambridge choral don and TikTok phenomenon, is on a mission to show the riches of organ music beyond the realms of weddings and funerals. Luna, her debut solo album for Sony Classics, combines classical repertoire with works by living composers – Philip Glass, Ludovico Einaudi, Max Richter – and film music transcriptions. The only Bach, usually an organist’s mainstay, is the Ave Maria in the sweetened arrangement by Charles Gounod. Her choices are popular: some, such as Chopin’s E flat Nocturne, Op 9 No 2, were written originally for piano. The opening work, Flying, is from the soundtrack, by James Newton Howard, to the live-action 2003 film of Peter Pan. The album is direct, honest, accessible. If you object to these attributes, stick to the plentiful supply of mainstream organ music on offer elsewhere. If you are open to Lapwood’s distinctive approach, there’s plenty to enjoy from this talented musician and advocate.
