Salisbury Cathedral to Premiere Film Of Holst’s ‘The Planets’

Salisbury Cathedral to Premiere Film Of Holst’s ‘The Planets’ Featuring organ Arrangement And Breathtaking Drone Footage of the Interior of the Cathedral at Night

The Planets: Out of Darkness will premiere on Salisbury Cathedral’s YouTube channel on September 18 at 8pm, available to view for free by everyone. An accompanying audio recording will also be available for purchase as a CD and download.

Arranged for the organ and performed by John Challenger, Assistant Director of Music at Salisbury Cathedral, and filmed by Salisbury-based Ben Tomlin, The Planets: Out of Darkness is a full-length filmed performance, recorded at night in the stunning interior of the empty Cathedral.

John Challenger believes there is something very special about combining the majestic Cathedral with the famous Father Willis organ and Holst’s deeply spiritual music. He said “It is at night time that I find the Cathedral especially remarkable. It is not the pipe organ alone, but the stones which surround it, the feelings evoked when such music emerges from the shadows, that contribute to the overall effect. These meditative moments (a job perk for the very lucky organist who gets to practise at the dead of night) is something I have long wanted to share through the medium of film.”

The Planets is a perfect example of a large-scale ‘classical’ work that everyone can relate to. Written between 1914-1917, each of its seven movements relates to the character of a planet from the Solar System. Its most famous movements are Jupiter – The Bringer of Jollity, Mars – The Bringer of War and Neptune – The Mystic. The latter features ethereal voices, in this recording sung by the choristers of Salisbury Cathedral.

The film and recording are the conclusion of a two-year long community project, initiated by John Challenger and aimed at sharing the music creatively with young people. Working with the Cathedral’s Education team and local music charity La Folia, the project has included a concert performance to a packed Cathedral audience and music workshops with four local schools, including Exeter House School, Salisbury’s school for children with severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties.

Salisbury Cathedral YouTube

Salisbury Cathedral Website