Jennifer Bate

Jennifer Lucy Bate, OBE (born 11 November 1944, London) is an internationally acclaimed British concert organist.

Jennifer Bate is the daughter of H.A. Bate, organist of St James's, Muswell Hill from 1924-1978. She is especially regarded as a unique authority on the organ music of Messiaen, having befriended him within the last twenty years of his life as his organist of choice. In 1986 she gave the first British performance of his "Livre du Saint Sacrement" at Westminster Cathedral, and later made the world premiere recording of the work under the personal supervision of the composer, winning the Grand Prix du Disque. He also endorsed her earlier recordings of all of his other organ works. She is in the privileged position of owning scores which contain many personal markings and references made by him.

In spite of her fame for Messiaen, she has a broad repertory spanning several centuries, also having recorded much English organ music, the complete organ works of César Franck and most recently the complete organ music of Felix Mendelssohn.

She was briefly married (as his second wife) to Sir George Thalben-Ball.

She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours. [LondonGazette |issue=58729 |date=14 June 2008 |startpage=9 |supp=yes |notarchive=yes]

Footnotes

External links

*Personal Website [http://www.classical-artists.com/jbate/]