Kenneth Shenton writes:

WHILE occupying the organ bench of St Barnabas’s, Pimlico, for more than 40 years, David Aprahamian Liddle, who died on 28 March, aged 65, enjoyed a non-stop career as a top-flight concert and recording artist. Despite his blindness, he revelled in the many opportunities that the instrument afforded him, and was one of that select but notable band of British organists who enjoyed a truly global reputation. Over the years, his seemingly effortless technique, unerring accuracy, and sensitive interpretations endeared him to audiences worldwide. Likewise, his sense of humour, generous spirit, and gentle personality won him the high regard of colleagues.

Born in London on 28 November 1960, the son of the artist and poet Jill Bamber, David Liddle was educated, after the onset of blindness in 1969, at Worcester College for the Blind. There, he studied both piano and organ, having further lessons in the holidays from H. A. Bate, the organist of St James’s, Muswell Hill.

Impressed by his talent, the writer and music critic Felix Aprahamian, who lived in Muswell Hill (and who reviewed for the Church Times in his last years), became a notable mentor, arranging for Liddle to travel to France to have lessons with the veteran French organist André Marchal, who was also blind. Aprahamian’s music room, complete with ten keyboards, including Marchal’s former chamber organ, was then made available for Liddle to use whenever he wanted. As a gesture of thanks, Liddle later adopted the Aprahamian name.

In 1981, by now an Associate of the Royal College of Organists, Liddle went up to St John’s College, Cambridge, to read music. There, his friends included the composers George Benjamin and Robin Holloway. The following year, he became assisting organ scholar to David Briggs at King’s College. In 1985, Liddle succeeded William Sands as Director of Music and Organist at St Barnabas’s. Further refining his technique in the company of Richard Popplewell, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists the same year, carrying off the Limpus, Shinn, and Durrant Prizes, as well as the Coventry Cathedral Recital Award. Twelve months later, the Worshipful Company of Musicians awarded him its coveted W. T. Best Memorial Scholarship.

He had a particular passion for French organ music of the 19th and 20th centuries, but Harwood, Whitlock, and Hollins also featured prominently in his concert programmes. In all, he made eight recital tours of the United States, including appearances at Yale and other universities. In the UK, regular church and cathedral recitals were supplemented by performances at both the Royal Festival Hall and the Royal Albert Hall. In 1990, he gave the inaugural recital on the partially restored Willis organ at the Alexandra Palace, where his Sunday-afternoon promenade concerts proved popular. He and Crane, his Golden Labrador guide dog, were in the organ loft of Liverpool Cathedral together for the service in 2006 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Guide Dogs for the Blind.

When studying a new piece, Liddle would first learn the pedal part while following the Braille with his fingers. He then committed one hand at a time to memory, following the Braille with the other before he would bring everything together. His biggest challenge, however, was that no two instruments are exactly the same. If performing on a large organ with which he was unfamiliar, Liddle would arrive the day before and spend seven or eight hours familiarising himself with the instrument. Someone would read out the stops and their positioning, so that he could commit them to Braille. Then, using the plan, he programmed the pistons to play the complex stop combinations required. He then rehearsed and rehearsed until he was completely satisfied.

Throughout his career, Liddle also remained active as a composer, providing an extensive range of often challenging music for the instrument. These range from the Three Pieces for Organ of 1981 to Paradoxon, almost a quarter of a century later. His Toccata, of which he gave the premiére on his New York debut in 1988, remains a virtuosic tour de force. Offering contrast is the delightful palindromic Valse Locrienne. Remaining central to his output are the Variations on “Mit Freuden zart” Op. 9, 14 movements exploring all aspects of a Moravian hymn tune. Offering yet further insights into the very private musical world of this most talented blind musician is the English Organ Mass of 1990-1, based on The Book of Common Praier Noted by John Merbecke.

David Aprahamian Liddle, organist, was born on 28 November 1960 and died on 28 March, aged 65.