Buxtehude’s wondrous organ works prove to be a refreshing nightcap.

St David’s Cathedral
19 June, 2015

It’s half an hour to midnight, and with a tea-induced caffeine hit I venture outside into the harsh Hobart winter to see Calvin Bowman perform as part of Dark Mofo. Driving through the city to St David’s Cathedral, I pass many buildings engulfed in red lights to honour the festival. I arrive far too early, but outside the church a substantial crowd is already awaiting the midnight performance of Buxtehude’s organ preludes.

I find my seat in the depths of the cathedral – directly behind my pew is the old pedal organ, and meters in front of me the tall pipes are mounted in the walls. People enter quietly while I spend a few minutes reflecting on the architecture of the historic building, its stained glass windows blackened from the night sky.

Dressed casually in jeans and a sweater, Bowman takes his seat at the organ. As he opens the concert with Buxtehude’s Prelude in G Minor, BuxWV 149, a few things strike me as unusual. He’s less than a meter away from me – an audience member – and I can read his music...