Repertoire revivals – Theophania Cecil
Great importance is attached to the fact that both Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughan Williams played regularly on the Thaxted Lincoln organ, and this was one of the selling points for its recent restoration. All very worthy of course, but…
Anne Page and the demanding Dr Chipp
Anne Page tells me she has gone out and bought a new pair of Organmaster shoes in order to do full justice to the Introduction and variations on ‘God preserve the Emperor’ by E T Chipp, which she will play…
St Alban’s International Organ Festival – the 2015 competition music
Here’s some entertaining reading for your next coffee break – the schedules of music for both the improvisation and interpretation competitions at the next St Alban’s Organ Festival, just launched. Application deadline 16 March 2015, so you’ve got a bit…
Repertoire revivals – Charles Avison
Continuing my Newcastle theme this week, may I recommend to you the music of Charles Avison? One of the pleasures of attending organ recitals is that of shamelessly appropriating other people’s repertoire. Hilary Norris recently included a concerto by Avison…
Thomas Morgan premiere – thanks to Twitter
Before I get too full of self-importance, I need to confess that having a piece of organ music written specially for me was most undeserving – I simply won a competition on Twitter. Composer Thomas Morgan celebrated getting to 300…
Repertoire revivals – William Lloyd Webber
My good friend organist Terence Atkins gave a recital yesterday which included no fewer than four pieces by William Lloyd Webber. Terence has long expressed his enthusiasm for Lloyd Webber’s music – as he says ‘William Lloyd Webber was a…
Repertoire Revivals – John E West, Passacaglia in B minor
My friend Jenny has been championing John Ebenezer West (1863-1929) and the virtues of his Passacaglia in B minor for about a year, and she’s delighted that it has now been published by Fitzjohn Music Publications, under the editorship of…
Frederick Stocken World Premiere – 11 February 2014
Frederick Stocken will give the world premiere of his new piece Faith, Love, Hope during a recital at St Lawrence Jewry, next to Guildhall in the City of London, on Tuesday 11 February at 1pm. He says the inspiration to…
I was Glad – Sacred Music of Stanford and Parry
If you’ve only experienced Stanford’s settings of the Canticles with organ accompaniment, can I heartily recommend this CD? New editions of the orchestral scores to Stanford’s four settings of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis have been created by Robert King,…
More pedals-only repertoire
Pedal duets, music for pedals and percussion, insanely difficult variations and assorted pedal workouts – I’ve just published a follow-up to my popular first page of pedals-only repertoire. You can find it here.
Carl Hemann – neglected Yorkshire composer – another free download!
I have been delighted at the global correspondence that has hit my inbox and Twitter feed since my first post on my great-grand-uncle, composer and organist Carl Hemann. At least two people have made the effort to tell me about…
Repertoire Revivals – Brian Brockless TOCCATINA
Adrian Brockless recently contacted me to say he was trying to get this little piece of his father’s better known. Much of Brian Brockless’ organ music is pretty challenging, but the Toccatina upon Tallis’ 9th tune is straightforward both to…
More manuals-only repertoire – from the Royal School of Church Music
The Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) has published an excellent listing of organ music for manuals only, for organists who have no pedals or have not yet mastered the pedals. It includes relatively simple music from John Alcock and…
Happy Birthday to You
For those of us asked to play Happy Birthday to You on a regular basis – and vaguely wondering each time about the copyright issues – there’s a comforting lawsuit (that’s a rarity) going through the US courts. See this…
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