DERBY Cathedral's Summer Organ Recital series this year celebrates two anniversaries. Felix Mendelssohn was born 200 years ago and the cathedral's Compton organ itself is 70 years old.

Each of the recitals, which began this week and which run to August 19, includes at least one piece by Mendelssohn. Central to his organ music is his set of six sonatas.

Matthew Owens plays No 4 on July 8, Peter Gould plays No 3 on August 5, Tom Corfield plays No 6 the following week and the last recital of the series, by Paul Hale, includes No 2.

There's Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream music from Ian Tracey on July 29, and Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words in Robert Sharpe's programme on July 22.

There also come pieces by another of this year's anniversary composers, Henry Purcell, from Peter Gould and Paul Hale, plus music by Pachelbel (a set of chorale variations) in Matthew Owens' programme, and the 18th-century French composer Michel Corette from Paul Hale.

There's contemporary music, too. Matthew Owens plays Wedding, by Cornish composer Graham Fitkin, and Mariales, by Lebanese-born Naji Hakim, who gave the opening recital in last year's series; while Robert Sharpe plays Kiwi Fireworks, by the choral conductor and former artistic director of the Lichfield Festival Paul Spicer.

Amid all the smaller pieces there are also the blockbusters – Liszt's Prelude and Fugue on Bach, in Peter Gould's recital, and Julius Reubke's Sonata on the 94th Psalm, from Peter Williams, on July 15; while Paul Hale ends both his recital and the series with the Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue in E flat minor by Healey Willan.

As to the organ's own anniversary, Peter Gould and Tom Corfield's programmes include the music played by George Thalben-Ball in the inaugural recital in December 1939.

Derby Cathedral Organ Recitals, every Wednesday until August 19, at 7.45pm – individual recitals £5 on the door; season ticket £35 from 01332 341201 ext 25 or on the door.