THE five finalists of the Dublin International Organ Competition were Neil Cockburn (Scotland), Christopher Pocock (England), Alexander Ffinch (England), Scott Dettra (USA) and Arjen Leistra (Netherlands). The set piece was the Prelude in E flat from the third part of Bach's Clavierdbung, after which each competitor could choose to play one of the chorale fantasies by Reger or a movement in 19th or 20th century French symphonic style.

To my mind, Dettra played the Bach with a greater lightness and clarity than the others, imparting a rhythmic spring to the notes; but Leistra's reading, if less clear in detail, had a forcefulness that captured the feeling of the work as a coherent whole.

Cockburn played Jongen's Sonata Eroica as his second piece, but his performance had less of the heroic spark than one would have expected. There was more excitement in the Moderato cantabile from Widor's Symphony No 8 as played by Ffinch, but the best Widor playing at Christ Church Cathedral on Saturday night came from Dettra, who played two movements from the Symphony No. 6 with compelling intensity.

Pocock played Reger's Halleluja! Gott zu loben and Leistra his Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme. Reger erects an astonishing edifice of sound on the chorale foundations and the works demand spiritual as well as technical strengths. Both players were up to the challenge, but Leistra brought more feeling to his performance.

The jury was unanimous in its choice of Neil Cockburn as the first prizewinner; the second and third prizes went to Arjen Leistra and Scott Dettra.