Jennifer Lucy Bate (11 November 1944 – 25 March 2020) was a British concert organist. She is known for recording the complete organ works by

Olivier Messiaen Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithologist who was one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex; harmonically ...

, guided by the composer, but also recorded, among others, English organ music, and the complete organ works of César Franck,

Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sy ...

and Peter Dickinson.

Life

Born in London, Bate was the daughter of H. A. Bate, organist of St James's at Muswell Hill from 1924 to 1978. She was considered an authority on the organ music of

, having befriended him within the last twenty years of his life as his organist of choice. In 1986, she gave the first British performance of his '' Livre du Saint-Sacrement'' at Westminster Cathedral and later made the world premiere recording of the work under the personal supervision of the composer, winning the '' Grand Prix du Disque''. She recorded the works at the Eglise de la Sainte-Trinite in Paris, and at the Beauvais Cathedral. He also endorsed her earlier recordings of all of his other organ works. Bate owned scores which contain many personal markings and references made by him. Bate had a broad repertoire spanning several centuries. She recorded the complete organ works of César Franck and the complete organ music of

, which was reviewed mentioning the "easy fluency of her technique" and "her highly articulate and intelligent interpretations". She recorded much English organ music, from John Stanley to Samuel Wesley, and the complete organ works by Peter Dickinson, whose Organ Concerto she premiered and first recorded. She appeared at The Proms four times between 1974 and 2008. Bate was briefly married (1968 - 1972), as his second wife, to Sir

George Thalben-Ball Sir George Thomas Thalben-Ball (18 June 1896 – 18 January 1987) was an Australian organist and composer who spent almost all his life in England. Early life George Thomas Ball (he later took the additional name of "Thalben") was born in Sydn ...

. She received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bristol in 2007. She was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(OBE) in the

2008 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours 2008 were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as part of the Queen's Off ...

. She became an officer of the

Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...

, and a chevalier of the

Légion d’Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon B ...

in 2012. Bate died of cancer on 25 March 2020, aged 75.

Life

References

External links