TO CELEBRATE his 70th birthday, Richard Lester, who has established an international reputation on harpsichord, organ and fortepiano, will be giving an organ recital at Cirencester Parish Church on Saturday, June 6 at 6pm.

Cirencester resident Richard is busier than ever in his 70th year, with concerts and recordings.

Last year he gave concerts in St Mark’s, Venice, Bergamo Cathedral and two in Bristol Cathedral.

Nimbus Records, with whom he has now recorded over 60 CDs in the current classical music catalogue, are releasing his CD and DVD of works by Italian Renaissance composers in time for his birthday celebration this year; plus another CD later in the year, with further projects up to 2018.

They have also asked him to compile and edit a volume of keyboard music with historical analysis of techniques used during the Renaissance.

In 2005 Richard began a marathon project to record the complete keyboard works of Domenico Scarlatti (some 600 works) on harpsichord, organ and fortepiano and received critical acclaim from all major recording magazines with a special mention in the Penguin Guide to Classical Music.

In 2013 his recordings of Frescobaldi’s keyboard works on historic instruments was listed in the Penguin Guide to the 1000 finest classical recordings, plus the ‘outstanding’ accolade in International Record Review.

His concert at the Parish Church on Saturday, June 6th at 6pm will comprise organ works by Gabrieli, Bach and the famous Toccata by Widor.

* For ticket details and more information go to richardlest er.org.uk.