A TOP musician will return to the Vale of Clwyd from Down Under this weekend.

On Saturday, July 20, concert-goers at St Peter’s Church, in Ruthin, will be treated to dazzling display of musical virtuosity by Dr Philip Smith, who is organist of Auckland Cathedral in New Zealand.

He is returning to Ruthin for a concert that will include music by the great J S Bach, and the French composers Joseph Bonnet and Léonce de Saint-Martin.

Dr Smith was director of Music at St Peter’s Church for 14 years, before moving to Auckland Cathedral in 2008.

During his time in Ruthin, the church choir sang in various British cathedrals, as well as for High Mass at Notre Dame in Paris.

Under the auspices of Denbighshire County Council, they toured Silesia in Poland in 2003.

Dr Smith also masterminded the installation of a new organ in St Peter’s Church.

This has four keyboards and contains nearly 2,000 pipes, and it is one of the finest instruments in North Wales.

His services to church music in Wales were recognised in 2002 when Dr Rowan Williams presented him with the prestigious Archbishop of Wales Award in Church Music.

On July 21, Dr Smith will play for the Sunday services at St Peter’s Church.

These will be a Sung Eucharist at 10.30am and Choral Evensong at 6 pm.

The music will include Gabriel Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine and C V Stanford’s Evening Service in C.