Truro Cathedral is preparing to welcome back one of its distinguished former organists to give a concert on Wednesday, March 18 at 7.30pm.

David Briggs was organist at Truro Cathedral from 1988 to 1994. He came to Truro having been organ scholar at King’s College, Cambridge and then assistant organist at Hereford Cathedral. After his time in Truro, he moved to Gloucester Cathedral and then on to a freelance career that sees him delight audiences all over the world in his 60 concerts each year.

Truro Cathedral’s director of music, Christopher Gray, said: “David loves coming back to Cornwall and I’m delighted that he has been able to fit us in to his packed schedule this year. Every time someone of this musical stature plays is a special occasion and I know that 18th March will be no exception.

David has treated Truro audiences to a number of memorable evenings when he has improvised organ-only soundtracks to silent movies, including Phantom of the Opera and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. This time, David returns to play a programme of music normally only heard at concerts by large symphony orchestras.

There will be two works by Vaughan Williams, The Wasps Overture and the Fantasia on a theme of Thomas Tallis. After transcriptions of pieces by Brahms and Berlioz, there will be Debussy’s famous Clare de Lune and then the whole of Ravel’s La Valse.

After that will come one of David’s celebrated improvisations and he might possibly we willing to take suggestions of themes from the audience.”

The cathedral will have its big screen up so that David Briggs’ artistry will be visible to the audience throughout. Tickets costing £10 (students £5 and under-18s free) will be available on the door.