Kevin Duggan is an outstanding organist who performs a meticulously selected and beautiful array of Danish works on the magnificent Flentrop organ of Dunblane Cathedral. 'Hymne til Ærø' takes its title from a work of the same name composed by Duggan after his time living on the Danish island of Ærø. The piece is one of two world-premiere recordings of Duggan’s music featured on this release.
Ærø’s low hills, whitewashed churches and the Baltic Sea, combined with Dunblane’s poetic Flentrop organ, have inspired this musical evocation of Denmark. Two sublime works frame the album: the Prelude and Fugue in E minor by Nicolaus Bruhns and Carl Nielsen’s tour de force, 'Commotio'. These works are well known outside Scandinavia, whereas the elegantly crafted music of composers such as Jesper Madsen and Leif Thybo may be less familiar but are deserving of a wider audience.
