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Carlo Curley
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Directed by Brian Armfield.
Track Listing:
1. Rejoice O my spirit - Bach (2:27) Choir
2. Panis Angelicus - Franck (3:11) Choir
3. Litany to the Holy Spirit - Hurford (2:39)
Solo: Andrew MacDougall Choir
4. Sortie - Lefébure-Wély (3:42) Organ
5. All things bright and beautiful - Rutter (2:11) Choir
6. Gaelic Blessing - Rutter (1:50) Choir
7-14 Eight pieces for musical clock - Haydn (6:37) Organ
15. Berceuse - Fauré (3:25) Organ
16. In paradisum - Fauré (3:12) Choir
17. Pie Jesu - Fauré (2:32)
Solo: Lloyd Nail
18. Clair de lune - Vierne (7:32) Organ
19. Personent Hodie - Holst (2:29) Choir
20. Nativity Carol - Rutter (3:50)
Solo: James Kaminski Choir
21. Lullay myn liking - Holst (3:08)
Solos: James Young-Jamieson and Thomas Burnell-Nugent Choir
22. O little town of Bethlehem - Walford Davies (3:25)
Solo: Alick Mildmay-White Choir
23. Shepherd's Pipe Carol - Rutter (3:06) Choir
24. Fanfare in D - Lemmens (2:50) Organ
1. Rejoice O My Spirit - Bach (1685-1750)
This charming aria comes from Cantata 15. Bach wrote most of his cantatas whilst Organist at St Thomas in Leipzig.
2. Panis Angelicus - Franck (1822-1890)
Franck’s compositions varied a great deal. As well as a highly accomplished orchestral writer, he was a fine organist - his three Chorals for organ being among the most well-known in the organ repertoire. Panis Angelicus has become very popular as a solo and choral item.
3. Litany to the Holy Spirit - Hurford (b. 1930)
Peter Hurford is well-known as an organ recitalist - including an acclaimed reputation in the performance of Bach’s music. He was also, for many years, Organist and Master of the Music at St Alban’s Cathedral in Hertfordshire.
4. Sortie -Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wély (1817-1870)
A Graduate of the Paris Conservatoire, he studied with Benoist (as did Franck) and went on to succeed his father as organist of Saint-Roch. After a ten-year tenure there, he assumed the post of organist at the Madeleine, after which he took up the post at Saint-Sulpice. His Sortie is a rollicking offering, certainly more of a “profane” recital piece as opposed to a sacred work. Here the full organ is exploited to the fullest, crowned by the super “Father Willis” reeds.
5. All things bright and beautiful 6. Gaelic Blessing - Rutter (b. 1945)
The two pieces written by John Rutter illustrate his easy lyrical style and his choral music has now become an integral part of the choral repertoire for this reason. The instant ear-catching melodies, together with attractive and colourful accompaniments make these pieces very popular with the Chapel Choir members.
7—14. Eight Pieces for musical clocks - Haydn (1732-1809)
1. Minuet 2. Allegretto 3. Allegro 4. Minuet 5. Presto 6. Menuet - Allegretto 7. Allegretto 8. Marche
Haydn wrote approximately thirty pieces for the flute-clock. Those represented here were composed between 1772 and 1793 and utilize the lighter registers of the organ’s comprehensive specification.
The listener will discover Carlo’s singing bird-cage in operational mode in the latter part of piece no 6 Minuet - Allegretto.
15. Berceuse - Gabriél Fauré(1845-1924)
Faure served as organist at the Madeleine and as Professor of composition at the Paris Conservatoire. A perfect example of his lyrical, impressionistic writing must surely be the delicate Berceuse, whose transcription by the brilliant organist, Edouard Connilette is heard here. Among his most well-known pupils were Roger-Ducasse and Ravel.
16. In Paradisum
17. Pie Jesu - from Requiem - Fauré.
The Requiem by Fauré is very much one of the most well-known and popular among choral societies. It contains many beautiful tunes as well as the music’s ability to be equally successfully accompanied by orchestra or organ. The work was originally written for boys’ voices.
18. Clair de lune (No 5 from Deuxième Suite - Pièces de Fantaisie) - Louis Vierne (1870 - 1937)
Vierne served for many years as organist at Notre Dame de Paris. His Clair de lune is dedicated to the American organ builder, Ernest M. Skinner and highlights several of the instrument’s lovely solo registers (harmonic flute, clarinet) accompanied by the soft, undulating string and string celeste voices.
Christmas Music
19. Personent Hodie - Holst (1874-1934), 20. Nativity Carol - Rutter
21. Lullay myn liking - Holst, 22. O little town of Bethlehem - Walford Davies (1869-1941)
23. Shepherd’s pipe Carol - Rutter
All three composers featured in the Christmas section of the CD have great reputations as choral conductors . Their Christmas compositions reflect their ability to capture the simple message of the Nativity. Gustav Holst, more well-known for such pieces as the Planets Suite was for some lime Director of Music at St Paul’s Girls’ School in London. Walford Davies was highly respected in his time as Organist at the Temple church in London. John Rutter has charge of one of the leading choirs in this country - the Cambridge Singers.
24. Fanfare in D -Jacques Lemmens (1823-1881)
Lernmens was appointed professor at Brussels Conservatoire in 1849 and exercised great influence over future generations of organists. His thrilling Fanfare in D is his best known composition and brings the full resources of the Torrington organ into play.
Track Listing:
1. Rejoice O my spirit - Bach (2:27) Choir
2. Panis Angelicus - Franck (3:11) Choir
3. Litany to the Holy Spirit - Hurford (2:39)
Solo: Andrew MacDougall Choir
4. Sortie - Lefébure-Wély (3:42) Organ
5. All things bright and beautiful - Rutter (2:11) Choir
6. Gaelic Blessing - Rutter (1:50) Choir
7-14 Eight pieces for musical clock - Haydn (6:37) Organ
15. Berceuse - Fauré (3:25) Organ
16. In paradisum - Fauré (3:12) Choir
17. Pie Jesu - Fauré (2:32)
Solo: Lloyd Nail
18. Clair de lune - Vierne (7:32) Organ
19. Personent Hodie - Holst (2:29) Choir
20. Nativity Carol - Rutter (3:50)
Solo: James Kaminski Choir
21. Lullay myn liking - Holst (3:08)
Solos: James Young-Jamieson and Thomas Burnell-Nugent Choir
22. O little town of Bethlehem - Walford Davies (3:25)
Solo: Alick Mildmay-White Choir
23. Shepherd's Pipe Carol - Rutter (3:06) Choir
24. Fanfare in D - Lemmens (2:50) Organ
1. Rejoice O My Spirit - Bach (1685-1750)
This charming aria comes from Cantata 15. Bach wrote most of his cantatas whilst Organist at St Thomas in Leipzig.
2. Panis Angelicus - Franck (1822-1890)
Franck’s compositions varied a great deal. As well as a highly accomplished orchestral writer, he was a fine organist - his three Chorals for organ being among the most well-known in the organ repertoire. Panis Angelicus has become very popular as a solo and choral item.
3. Litany to the Holy Spirit - Hurford (b. 1930)
Peter Hurford is well-known as an organ recitalist - including an acclaimed reputation in the performance of Bach’s music. He was also, for many years, Organist and Master of the Music at St Alban’s Cathedral in Hertfordshire.
4. Sortie -Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wély (1817-1870)
A Graduate of the Paris Conservatoire, he studied with Benoist (as did Franck) and went on to succeed his father as organist of Saint-Roch. After a ten-year tenure there, he assumed the post of organist at the Madeleine, after which he took up the post at Saint-Sulpice. His Sortie is a rollicking offering, certainly more of a “profane” recital piece as opposed to a sacred work. Here the full organ is exploited to the fullest, crowned by the super “Father Willis” reeds.
5. All things bright and beautiful 6. Gaelic Blessing - Rutter (b. 1945)
The two pieces written by John Rutter illustrate his easy lyrical style and his choral music has now become an integral part of the choral repertoire for this reason. The instant ear-catching melodies, together with attractive and colourful accompaniments make these pieces very popular with the Chapel Choir members.
7—14. Eight Pieces for musical clocks - Haydn (1732-1809)
1. Minuet 2. Allegretto 3. Allegro 4. Minuet 5. Presto 6. Menuet - Allegretto 7. Allegretto 8. Marche
Haydn wrote approximately thirty pieces for the flute-clock. Those represented here were composed between 1772 and 1793 and utilize the lighter registers of the organ’s comprehensive specification.
The listener will discover Carlo’s singing bird-cage in operational mode in the latter part of piece no 6 Minuet - Allegretto.
15. Berceuse - Gabriél Fauré(1845-1924)
Faure served as organist at the Madeleine and as Professor of composition at the Paris Conservatoire. A perfect example of his lyrical, impressionistic writing must surely be the delicate Berceuse, whose transcription by the brilliant organist, Edouard Connilette is heard here. Among his most well-known pupils were Roger-Ducasse and Ravel.
16. In Paradisum
17. Pie Jesu - from Requiem - Fauré.
The Requiem by Fauré is very much one of the most well-known and popular among choral societies. It contains many beautiful tunes as well as the music’s ability to be equally successfully accompanied by orchestra or organ. The work was originally written for boys’ voices.
18. Clair de lune (No 5 from Deuxième Suite - Pièces de Fantaisie) - Louis Vierne (1870 - 1937)
Vierne served for many years as organist at Notre Dame de Paris. His Clair de lune is dedicated to the American organ builder, Ernest M. Skinner and highlights several of the instrument’s lovely solo registers (harmonic flute, clarinet) accompanied by the soft, undulating string and string celeste voices.
Christmas Music
19. Personent Hodie - Holst (1874-1934), 20. Nativity Carol - Rutter
21. Lullay myn liking - Holst, 22. O little town of Bethlehem - Walford Davies (1869-1941)
23. Shepherd’s pipe Carol - Rutter
All three composers featured in the Christmas section of the CD have great reputations as choral conductors . Their Christmas compositions reflect their ability to capture the simple message of the Nativity. Gustav Holst, more well-known for such pieces as the Planets Suite was for some lime Director of Music at St Paul’s Girls’ School in London. Walford Davies was highly respected in his time as Organist at the Temple church in London. John Rutter has charge of one of the leading choirs in this country - the Cambridge Singers.
24. Fanfare in D -Jacques Lemmens (1823-1881)
Lernmens was appointed professor at Brussels Conservatoire in 1849 and exercised great influence over future generations of organists. His thrilling Fanfare in D is his best known composition and brings the full resources of the Torrington organ into play.
About Mount House School
Mount House School is an Independent Prep School in Tavistock on the edge of Dartmoor. The school has 185 pupils in the main school and 50 in the Pre-Prep department. Pupils are prepared for Public Schools locally and also throughout the country. The boarding element of the school is very strong with over half the pupils being full boarders. In the latest edition of The Good Schools Guide, the school was highly commended for its traditional but caring and friendly atmosphere.
Music at the School is strongly encouraged with almost all pupils learning an instrument and over 100 children singing in the five choirs. The Chapel Choir featured on this recording consists of 20 boy trebles and supported by altos, tenors and basses drawn mainly from staff and parents. The Chapel Choir leads the singing on Sunday in the school’s Sunday Service.
The Chapel Choir sings also at venues outside the school, including an Annual Concert at Buckfast Abbey and recitals at local Churches. As the choir is affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music, many boys take the external singing exams run by the Diocese. Currently, 9 boys have awards.
Choristers taking part in the recording:
Mount House School is an Independent Prep School in Tavistock on the edge of Dartmoor. The school has 185 pupils in the main school and 50 in the Pre-Prep department. Pupils are prepared for Public Schools locally and also throughout the country. The boarding element of the school is very strong with over half the pupils being full boarders. In the latest edition of The Good Schools Guide, the school was highly commended for its traditional but caring and friendly atmosphere.
Music at the School is strongly encouraged with almost all pupils learning an instrument and over 100 children singing in the five choirs. The Chapel Choir featured on this recording consists of 20 boy trebles and supported by altos, tenors and basses drawn mainly from staff and parents. The Chapel Choir leads the singing on Sunday in the school’s Sunday Service.
The Chapel Choir sings also at venues outside the school, including an Annual Concert at Buckfast Abbey and recitals at local Churches. As the choir is affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music, many boys take the external singing exams run by the Diocese. Currently, 9 boys have awards.
Choristers taking part in the recording:
George Armstrong
Forbes Bialick Orlando Browne Thomas Burnell-Nugent (Head Chorister) Robert Campbell Sebastian Cater George Coombs Seamus Crawford William Day-Robinson Thomas Emerson George Goldberg Thomas Gude Ian Hargreaves Neil Hargreaves |
Jonathan Jackson (helper)
James Kaminski (Deputy Head Chorister) Peter Liddell-Grainger Andrew MacDougall James McKinnel Alick Mildmay-White Robert Murphy Lloyd Nail Tom Oxenham Rupert Palmer Jake Parker David Watkins John Yeomans James Young-Jamieson (Head Chorister) |
Carlo Curley is well-established as a world-famous organ performer. Appearances include all the main Concert Halls in the world - in this country The Royal Albert Hall, Festival Hall, St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey as well as all the major Cathedrals are among his venues. His style has also caught the fancy of such distinguished people as the President of the USA, for whom he has given a concert in the White House, and Princess Grace of Monaco as well as Princess Anne.
His aim is to bring to the public the view that organ music can be a very attractive musical medium. He is in great demand for television and radio programmes - his extrovert style of discussion has led to appearances on the Wogan Show, Desert Island Discs, Songs of Praise as well as chat shows in USA.
Such is his appeal, he is constantly in demand in other countries too, Particularly in Japan, Russia and Scandinavia. He is managed exclusively by PVA Management Ltd.
David Bailey has been one of the world’s most prestigious photographers for a number of years. Since coming to fame in 1959 as photographer for British, American, French and Italian Vogue, he has made a name for himself in a variety of styles. He has won numerous awards in Cannes and America and he won the D&AD President’s award in London in 1998. As well as photographs, he has produced and directed films including the 1995 film The Lady is a Tramp written and directed by him and featuring his wife, Catherine.
Exhibitions of his work have been featured in leading galleries throughout the world. The photograph of the Chapel Choir in front of Mount House was taken by him in June 1999.
Mount House School wish to thank the Vicar and Churchwardens of St Michael and All Angels, Great Torrington for the use of the Church for the recording. Special thanks also to Messrs Don Mittle and John Downing for their personal help and advice.
His aim is to bring to the public the view that organ music can be a very attractive musical medium. He is in great demand for television and radio programmes - his extrovert style of discussion has led to appearances on the Wogan Show, Desert Island Discs, Songs of Praise as well as chat shows in USA.
Such is his appeal, he is constantly in demand in other countries too, Particularly in Japan, Russia and Scandinavia. He is managed exclusively by PVA Management Ltd.
David Bailey has been one of the world’s most prestigious photographers for a number of years. Since coming to fame in 1959 as photographer for British, American, French and Italian Vogue, he has made a name for himself in a variety of styles. He has won numerous awards in Cannes and America and he won the D&AD President’s award in London in 1998. As well as photographs, he has produced and directed films including the 1995 film The Lady is a Tramp written and directed by him and featuring his wife, Catherine.
Exhibitions of his work have been featured in leading galleries throughout the world. The photograph of the Chapel Choir in front of Mount House was taken by him in June 1999.
Mount House School wish to thank the Vicar and Churchwardens of St Michael and All Angels, Great Torrington for the use of the Church for the recording. Special thanks also to Messrs Don Mittle and John Downing for their personal help and advice.
Julian Rhodes
Track Listing:
Sinfonia from Cantata 29 (Bach)
Three Ancient Greek Hymns (Mesomedes of Crete, arr. Rhodes)
Praeludium in G minor (Buxtehude)
Capriol: Suite on old French dance tunes (Peter Warlock, arr Rhodes)
Clair de Lune (Vierne)
Toccata (Joseph Jongen)
Naiades (Vierne)
Fantasia on “Wie schön leuch't uns dir Morgenstern" Op 40 No.1 (Reger)
62 minutes.
The Sinfonia in D by J.S. Bach heralds the entrance to the Temple of Tone. It began life as the first movement of the third Partita for solo violin. Arranged first by the composer for his 29th Church Cantata "We thank thee, God", and here rearranged for solo organ, it makes a jubilant musical shout of praise.
The organ boasts an ancient lineage. Invented in Hellenic Egypt in the 3rd-century B.C., it became popular in both Greek and Roman worlds. The Emperor Nero was an enthusuastic organist, while Mesomedes of Crete, a favourite of the Emperor Hadrian, is a more shadowy figure. In these three hymn-arrangements his spare, sinewy melodic lines are underpinned by drone-accompaniments.
In the Preludium in G-minor, Diderik Buxtehude creates a musical paradigm of the great North-European churches in which he played; soaring arcs and solid columns of sound are loosed into the vast gothic spaces. The two mediums illumine each other perfectly: architecture as frozen music; music as living geometry.
Peter Warlock’s “Capriol” Suite is pure musical nostalgia. Based on vigorous, earthy 16th-century dance tunes, it infuses them with the bitter-sweetness of the English pastoral school. Originally composed for string orchestra, it makes a colourful and eflective organ transcription. A large tonal palette is explored in the course of the six movements, from renaissance reeds to romantic strings, ending with the full power of the instrument.
In the 19th-century, France and Belgium produced a new wave of organist-composers who furthered the organ’s role as a concert instrument. Louis Vierne, in the darkness of his physical blindness, created the most richly coloured musical canvasses which invite comparison with the art of Monet. "Clair de Lune" is a musical pastel in soft colours; it presents one of the most ethereal melodies ever written for the organ. In complete contrast, “Naiades” evokes the play of mythical water-spirits in iridescent sprays of sound.
Joseph Jongen’s gritty “Toccata” is perhaps the best of its genre; a sizzling tableau of musical scarlet, it drives remorselessly onwards to a stark, menacing conclusion.
Max Reger’s fantasia on the chorale “How brightly shines the Morning Star” is in itself, a Temple of Tone. Here the composer pays homage to the era of Buxtehude and Bach, both in the form of the piece—introduction, chorale, variations, fugue—and in his choice of theme, an old church melody. The work spans both the declamatory and the sensually intimate, flavoured throughout with luxuriant, fin-de-si cle chromaticism. The mood of hope suggested by the words of the chorale finally prevails, building to one of the most shatteringly triumphant conclusions in the literature.
Recorded at St. Michael & All Angels, Great Torrington, Devon on 5th, 6th and 7th December, 1997.
Recording Engineer: David Lane & Peter Cox
Executive Producer: Adam Swainson
Digital Editing & Mastering: Ralph Dagleish,
Huntcliff Recording Services
JULIAN RHODES
has been described by the press as “something of a phenomenon”. Born in Derbyshire in 1964, he studied at music schools and colleges in Manchester and London. His debut was at the Wigmore Hall in 1987. The recipient of numerous awards, his busy schedule includes many international concert tours as well as radio and television appearances.
Critics have enthused over Julian’s “dazzling virtuosity... in every way out of the ordinary... a highly cultured technique and a musicality from the innermost heart” (Trierischer Volksfreund, Germany). His concerts have been described as “hauntingly beautiful... technically flawless... superbly performed... just stunning” (The Organ).
His writings on the history and aesthetics of the organ have been published in France, Britain and the USA.
REVIEW from The Organ, February 1999
Described in the liner notes as "something of a phenomenon", Julian Rhodes is a young organist based in St Leonards-on-Sea: he is also a harpsichordist and, as well shown on this CD, a skilled arranger for the organ.
Best perhaps to ignore the title of this disc and similarly pass over the liner notes: we have here an eclectic range of music for organ - Bach, Mesomedes of Crete (who he?), Buxtehude, Warlock, Vierne, Jongen & Reger - all of which is very stylishly played, often, as in Vierne's Naiades with amazing virtuosity.
This CD starts with a Bach Sinfonia from Cantata 29 and closes with Reger's extensive Fantasia on Wie schön leuch't uns die Morgenstern, a piece I can personally live without, though the performance Mr Rhodes presents is certainly one that might just change my mind. Three Ancient Greek Hymns by our Cretan arranged by Julian Rhodes are monophonic pieces with drone accompaniments - novel, fascinating and a useful addition to the repertoire.
Better still as an arrangement is his splendid version of Warlock's Capriol Suite. Along with other members of the Organ Club I have been entertained from time to time by various movements of this arrangement and was glad to hear it in its entirety. It really works on the organ: ignorance of the original might easily lead you believe that this is an genuine organ piece. I hope some publisher will be found so that we can all have a go at this enchanting music.
The organ at St Michael & All Angels, Great Torrington is one of the masterpieces of Father Willis, dating from 1864. Since then various hands have worked on it, most noticeably Hele in 1951: more importantly, it was given a thoroughly sympathetic restoration by Lance Foy when moved here in 1989. It is a glorious instrument, rightly famous and rightly recorded.
All in all, this is a very welcome CD from one of our rising organ stars - I await its successor.
DW
Sinfonia from Cantata 29 (Bach)
Three Ancient Greek Hymns (Mesomedes of Crete, arr. Rhodes)
Praeludium in G minor (Buxtehude)
Capriol: Suite on old French dance tunes (Peter Warlock, arr Rhodes)
Clair de Lune (Vierne)
Toccata (Joseph Jongen)
Naiades (Vierne)
Fantasia on “Wie schön leuch't uns dir Morgenstern" Op 40 No.1 (Reger)
62 minutes.
The Sinfonia in D by J.S. Bach heralds the entrance to the Temple of Tone. It began life as the first movement of the third Partita for solo violin. Arranged first by the composer for his 29th Church Cantata "We thank thee, God", and here rearranged for solo organ, it makes a jubilant musical shout of praise.
The organ boasts an ancient lineage. Invented in Hellenic Egypt in the 3rd-century B.C., it became popular in both Greek and Roman worlds. The Emperor Nero was an enthusuastic organist, while Mesomedes of Crete, a favourite of the Emperor Hadrian, is a more shadowy figure. In these three hymn-arrangements his spare, sinewy melodic lines are underpinned by drone-accompaniments.
In the Preludium in G-minor, Diderik Buxtehude creates a musical paradigm of the great North-European churches in which he played; soaring arcs and solid columns of sound are loosed into the vast gothic spaces. The two mediums illumine each other perfectly: architecture as frozen music; music as living geometry.
Peter Warlock’s “Capriol” Suite is pure musical nostalgia. Based on vigorous, earthy 16th-century dance tunes, it infuses them with the bitter-sweetness of the English pastoral school. Originally composed for string orchestra, it makes a colourful and eflective organ transcription. A large tonal palette is explored in the course of the six movements, from renaissance reeds to romantic strings, ending with the full power of the instrument.
In the 19th-century, France and Belgium produced a new wave of organist-composers who furthered the organ’s role as a concert instrument. Louis Vierne, in the darkness of his physical blindness, created the most richly coloured musical canvasses which invite comparison with the art of Monet. "Clair de Lune" is a musical pastel in soft colours; it presents one of the most ethereal melodies ever written for the organ. In complete contrast, “Naiades” evokes the play of mythical water-spirits in iridescent sprays of sound.
Joseph Jongen’s gritty “Toccata” is perhaps the best of its genre; a sizzling tableau of musical scarlet, it drives remorselessly onwards to a stark, menacing conclusion.
Max Reger’s fantasia on the chorale “How brightly shines the Morning Star” is in itself, a Temple of Tone. Here the composer pays homage to the era of Buxtehude and Bach, both in the form of the piece—introduction, chorale, variations, fugue—and in his choice of theme, an old church melody. The work spans both the declamatory and the sensually intimate, flavoured throughout with luxuriant, fin-de-si cle chromaticism. The mood of hope suggested by the words of the chorale finally prevails, building to one of the most shatteringly triumphant conclusions in the literature.
Recorded at St. Michael & All Angels, Great Torrington, Devon on 5th, 6th and 7th December, 1997.
Recording Engineer: David Lane & Peter Cox
Executive Producer: Adam Swainson
Digital Editing & Mastering: Ralph Dagleish,
Huntcliff Recording Services
JULIAN RHODES
has been described by the press as “something of a phenomenon”. Born in Derbyshire in 1964, he studied at music schools and colleges in Manchester and London. His debut was at the Wigmore Hall in 1987. The recipient of numerous awards, his busy schedule includes many international concert tours as well as radio and television appearances.
Critics have enthused over Julian’s “dazzling virtuosity... in every way out of the ordinary... a highly cultured technique and a musicality from the innermost heart” (Trierischer Volksfreund, Germany). His concerts have been described as “hauntingly beautiful... technically flawless... superbly performed... just stunning” (The Organ).
His writings on the history and aesthetics of the organ have been published in France, Britain and the USA.
REVIEW from The Organ, February 1999
Described in the liner notes as "something of a phenomenon", Julian Rhodes is a young organist based in St Leonards-on-Sea: he is also a harpsichordist and, as well shown on this CD, a skilled arranger for the organ.
Best perhaps to ignore the title of this disc and similarly pass over the liner notes: we have here an eclectic range of music for organ - Bach, Mesomedes of Crete (who he?), Buxtehude, Warlock, Vierne, Jongen & Reger - all of which is very stylishly played, often, as in Vierne's Naiades with amazing virtuosity.
This CD starts with a Bach Sinfonia from Cantata 29 and closes with Reger's extensive Fantasia on Wie schön leuch't uns die Morgenstern, a piece I can personally live without, though the performance Mr Rhodes presents is certainly one that might just change my mind. Three Ancient Greek Hymns by our Cretan arranged by Julian Rhodes are monophonic pieces with drone accompaniments - novel, fascinating and a useful addition to the repertoire.
Better still as an arrangement is his splendid version of Warlock's Capriol Suite. Along with other members of the Organ Club I have been entertained from time to time by various movements of this arrangement and was glad to hear it in its entirety. It really works on the organ: ignorance of the original might easily lead you believe that this is an genuine organ piece. I hope some publisher will be found so that we can all have a go at this enchanting music.
The organ at St Michael & All Angels, Great Torrington is one of the masterpieces of Father Willis, dating from 1864. Since then various hands have worked on it, most noticeably Hele in 1951: more importantly, it was given a thoroughly sympathetic restoration by Lance Foy when moved here in 1989. It is a glorious instrument, rightly famous and rightly recorded.
All in all, this is a very welcome CD from one of our rising organ stars - I await its successor.
DW
Andrew Nethsingha
More:
Track Listing:
1. Grand Choeur en Re majeur - Guilmant 7’42”
2. Rhosymedre - Vaughan Williams 4’37”
3. Air and Gavotte - Wesley 4’18”
4. Air and Variation (in the old English style) - Thiman 4’06”
5. Alleluyas - Preston 5’10”
6. Elegy - Thalben-Ball 6’26”
7. Marche Heroique - Brewer 6’27”
8. Rhapsody No. 1 - Howells 7’21”
9. March on a Theme of Handel - Guilmant 7’12”
10. Choral No. 2 - Franck 14’20”
11. Final (Symphonie No. 1) - Vierne 6’14”
Total Playing Time: 74’40”
ANDREW NETHSINGHA
Andrew Nethsingha was born in 1968 and received his early musical training as a chorister in Exeter Cathedral under the direction of his father. From there he won a music scholarship to Clifton College, where he was taught the organ by Gwilym Isaac.
He then studied for two years at the Royal College of Music, where he won seven prizes. During his second year at the RCM he was Organ Scholar at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, under Christopher Robinson. He was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists when he was eighteen.
Andrew went on to read Music at St John”s College, Cambridge, where he was Organ Scholar under Dr George Guest. In 1990 he moved to Wells where he was Assistant to the Cathedral Organist Dr Anthony Crossland. He also taught organ and ran the senior choirs at Wells Cathedral School.
In September 1994 he succeeded David Briggs as Master of the Choristers and Organist at Truro Cathedral. He is also Musical Director of the ”Three Spires Singers and Orchestra”.
He has performed in ten countries and engagements last year included solo recitals in Montreal, Kingston Ontario, Toronto, Princeton and Philadelphia. This is his second solo organ recording.
THE MUSIC ON THIS RECORDING
Felix Alexandre Guilmant exercised a tremendous influence upon the organ as composer, scholar, performer and teacher. Among his compositions are eighteen volumes of original music for the harmonium which the composer later arranged for the organ, entitled “L’Organiste Pratique”. Grand Choeur en Re majeur comes from Book Four and bears the subtitle Alla Haendel. Opening in minuet style, contrast is provided by a sprightly trio section which is pure Guilmant. Here the spirit of Handel in partnership with the technique of Guilmant clearly illustrates why this is one of the composer’s most popular compositions.
Rhosymedre is the second of “Three Preludes (Founded on Welsh Hymn Tunes)” composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1920. Dedicated to his organ teacher, Alan Gray, this chorale prelude shows Vaughan Williams to be equally at home on a smaller canvas as he weaves a contemplative contrapuntal web around J.H. Edwards's hymn tune.
Since their publication in 1815, in a set of “Twelve Short Pieces”, Air and Gavotte by Samuel Wesley, have remained at the forefront of the organ repertoire. Originally untitled and composed for organ or harpsichord, these two charming miniatures allow Andrew Nethsingha to pay homage to a sadly neglected figure in English music.
Evoking the spirit of Samuel Wesley and his contemporaries is Air and Variation (in an old English style) by Eric Thiman. Fastidious craftsmanship allied to fine taste aflows the listener to appreciate the quieter registers of the instrument, particularly the Corno di Bassetto and the Orchestral Oboe solo stops.
Alleluyas by Simon Preston opens in dramatic style. Large in concept, this Messaien-like paean of praise contrasts the declamatory style of the opening with moments of repose. A thrilling coda, recalling earlier themes, brings an exhilarating end to a work which makes demands on both performer and instrument.
In contrasting mood is Elegy by George Thalben-Ball. Dedicated to Sir Walford Davies, Thalben-Ball’s predecessor as Organist of the Temple Church, London, the work pays homage to that composer’s “Solemn Melody”. Evolving from a BBC broadcast extemporization, Elegy is given voice by a curved, drooping melody in a work of great dignity and beauty.
Marche Heroique, dating from the First World War, by Sir Herbert Brewer, opens in impressive rhythmical style. Contrast is offered in the form of a lyrical melody of “noblimente” proportions. It is no surprise that Elgarian imperial associations permeate the score, Brewer being Organist of Gloucester Cathedral, Conductor of the Three Choirs Festival and a member of Elgar’s inner circle.
However, Marche Herolique remains a fine work in its own right, taut in structure, economical in resource and atmospheric in execution as the twin elements of rhythm and melody combine to bring the work to a dramatic conclusion.
While Marche Heroique harks back to a bygone era, Rhapsody No.1 by Herbert Howells heralds a new dawn in organ composition. Composed in 1915, the same year that Marche Heroique was published, Rhapsody, an austere evocation of Gloucester Cathedral is a reminder that Howells spent his formative years as Pupil-Assistant to Sir Herbert Brewer.
March Upon a Theme of Handel by Alexandre Guilmant opens the first volume of “L’Organiste Pratique”. Despite the title of the work suggesting that the composition is based upon the chorus “Lift Up Your Heads” from Handel’s “Messiah”, the melody also bears a striking resemblance to the English song, “The Vicar of Bray”. Perhaps Guilmant composed the music first and then thought of a suitable title? Whatever the answer, we can only marvel at his skill, particularly when he recalls the opening march, cleverly combining it with the fugue subject of the preceding section. Few will fail to be swept along by the sheer exuberance of this music, which is populist in conception and skilful in execution.
“Three Chorals”, Ceesar Franck's last works were composed in the summer of 1890, just before to his death. Essentially a suite of short variations, Pastoral No.2 is effectively divided into two outer sections, joined together by a brief recitative marked “largamente con fantasia”. Opening in B minor with the theme in the pedals alla Bach, Franck follows his middle linking section with an unusual double fugue, expanding the passacaglia form in his idiosyncratic style.
Louis Vierne represents for many the pinnacle of French organ music. Owing much to the influence of Cesar Franck some of his finest music is to be found in his “Six Symphonies Pour Orgue”. Symphonie No.1 dates from 1899 and is dedicated to his organ teacher, Alexandre Guilmant. In six movements, all thematicall linked, the Final opens with a bold pedal theme submerged amid virtuosic chromatic writing which sweeps all before it. One of the most exhilarating postludes in the organ repertoire, it provides a fitting climax to a most challenging programme.
Kenneth Shenton 1995
Technical Notes
Producer: Philip Millward
Engineering: David Lane and Peter Cox
Digital Editing: Ralph Dagleish, Huntcliff Recording Services
Recorded on the 17 and 18 July, 1995.
This recording was made using B&K 4006 microphones, Salix High Definition Microphone Pre-Amplifier, Symetrix 620 20 Bit Analogue to Digital Converter and monitored on Harbeth BL5 loudspeakers
1. Grand Choeur en Re majeur - Guilmant 7’42”
2. Rhosymedre - Vaughan Williams 4’37”
3. Air and Gavotte - Wesley 4’18”
4. Air and Variation (in the old English style) - Thiman 4’06”
5. Alleluyas - Preston 5’10”
6. Elegy - Thalben-Ball 6’26”
7. Marche Heroique - Brewer 6’27”
8. Rhapsody No. 1 - Howells 7’21”
9. March on a Theme of Handel - Guilmant 7’12”
10. Choral No. 2 - Franck 14’20”
11. Final (Symphonie No. 1) - Vierne 6’14”
Total Playing Time: 74’40”
ANDREW NETHSINGHA
Andrew Nethsingha was born in 1968 and received his early musical training as a chorister in Exeter Cathedral under the direction of his father. From there he won a music scholarship to Clifton College, where he was taught the organ by Gwilym Isaac.
He then studied for two years at the Royal College of Music, where he won seven prizes. During his second year at the RCM he was Organ Scholar at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, under Christopher Robinson. He was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists when he was eighteen.
Andrew went on to read Music at St John”s College, Cambridge, where he was Organ Scholar under Dr George Guest. In 1990 he moved to Wells where he was Assistant to the Cathedral Organist Dr Anthony Crossland. He also taught organ and ran the senior choirs at Wells Cathedral School.
In September 1994 he succeeded David Briggs as Master of the Choristers and Organist at Truro Cathedral. He is also Musical Director of the ”Three Spires Singers and Orchestra”.
He has performed in ten countries and engagements last year included solo recitals in Montreal, Kingston Ontario, Toronto, Princeton and Philadelphia. This is his second solo organ recording.
THE MUSIC ON THIS RECORDING
Felix Alexandre Guilmant exercised a tremendous influence upon the organ as composer, scholar, performer and teacher. Among his compositions are eighteen volumes of original music for the harmonium which the composer later arranged for the organ, entitled “L’Organiste Pratique”. Grand Choeur en Re majeur comes from Book Four and bears the subtitle Alla Haendel. Opening in minuet style, contrast is provided by a sprightly trio section which is pure Guilmant. Here the spirit of Handel in partnership with the technique of Guilmant clearly illustrates why this is one of the composer’s most popular compositions.
Rhosymedre is the second of “Three Preludes (Founded on Welsh Hymn Tunes)” composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1920. Dedicated to his organ teacher, Alan Gray, this chorale prelude shows Vaughan Williams to be equally at home on a smaller canvas as he weaves a contemplative contrapuntal web around J.H. Edwards's hymn tune.
Since their publication in 1815, in a set of “Twelve Short Pieces”, Air and Gavotte by Samuel Wesley, have remained at the forefront of the organ repertoire. Originally untitled and composed for organ or harpsichord, these two charming miniatures allow Andrew Nethsingha to pay homage to a sadly neglected figure in English music.
Evoking the spirit of Samuel Wesley and his contemporaries is Air and Variation (in an old English style) by Eric Thiman. Fastidious craftsmanship allied to fine taste aflows the listener to appreciate the quieter registers of the instrument, particularly the Corno di Bassetto and the Orchestral Oboe solo stops.
Alleluyas by Simon Preston opens in dramatic style. Large in concept, this Messaien-like paean of praise contrasts the declamatory style of the opening with moments of repose. A thrilling coda, recalling earlier themes, brings an exhilarating end to a work which makes demands on both performer and instrument.
In contrasting mood is Elegy by George Thalben-Ball. Dedicated to Sir Walford Davies, Thalben-Ball’s predecessor as Organist of the Temple Church, London, the work pays homage to that composer’s “Solemn Melody”. Evolving from a BBC broadcast extemporization, Elegy is given voice by a curved, drooping melody in a work of great dignity and beauty.
Marche Heroique, dating from the First World War, by Sir Herbert Brewer, opens in impressive rhythmical style. Contrast is offered in the form of a lyrical melody of “noblimente” proportions. It is no surprise that Elgarian imperial associations permeate the score, Brewer being Organist of Gloucester Cathedral, Conductor of the Three Choirs Festival and a member of Elgar’s inner circle.
However, Marche Herolique remains a fine work in its own right, taut in structure, economical in resource and atmospheric in execution as the twin elements of rhythm and melody combine to bring the work to a dramatic conclusion.
While Marche Heroique harks back to a bygone era, Rhapsody No.1 by Herbert Howells heralds a new dawn in organ composition. Composed in 1915, the same year that Marche Heroique was published, Rhapsody, an austere evocation of Gloucester Cathedral is a reminder that Howells spent his formative years as Pupil-Assistant to Sir Herbert Brewer.
March Upon a Theme of Handel by Alexandre Guilmant opens the first volume of “L’Organiste Pratique”. Despite the title of the work suggesting that the composition is based upon the chorus “Lift Up Your Heads” from Handel’s “Messiah”, the melody also bears a striking resemblance to the English song, “The Vicar of Bray”. Perhaps Guilmant composed the music first and then thought of a suitable title? Whatever the answer, we can only marvel at his skill, particularly when he recalls the opening march, cleverly combining it with the fugue subject of the preceding section. Few will fail to be swept along by the sheer exuberance of this music, which is populist in conception and skilful in execution.
“Three Chorals”, Ceesar Franck's last works were composed in the summer of 1890, just before to his death. Essentially a suite of short variations, Pastoral No.2 is effectively divided into two outer sections, joined together by a brief recitative marked “largamente con fantasia”. Opening in B minor with the theme in the pedals alla Bach, Franck follows his middle linking section with an unusual double fugue, expanding the passacaglia form in his idiosyncratic style.
Louis Vierne represents for many the pinnacle of French organ music. Owing much to the influence of Cesar Franck some of his finest music is to be found in his “Six Symphonies Pour Orgue”. Symphonie No.1 dates from 1899 and is dedicated to his organ teacher, Alexandre Guilmant. In six movements, all thematicall linked, the Final opens with a bold pedal theme submerged amid virtuosic chromatic writing which sweeps all before it. One of the most exhilarating postludes in the organ repertoire, it provides a fitting climax to a most challenging programme.
Kenneth Shenton 1995
Technical Notes
Producer: Philip Millward
Engineering: David Lane and Peter Cox
Digital Editing: Ralph Dagleish, Huntcliff Recording Services
Recorded on the 17 and 18 July, 1995.
This recording was made using B&K 4006 microphones, Salix High Definition Microphone Pre-Amplifier, Symetrix 620 20 Bit Analogue to Digital Converter and monitored on Harbeth BL5 loudspeakers
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David Briggs - Full Compass & Power
SIDE ONE
1. Variations de Concert (Leduc) Joseph Bonnet (1884-1944) 9’24”
2. Three Pieces for Musical Clocks (Novello) Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) 3’16”
3. Imperial March (Novello) Edward Elgar(1857-1934) 5’05”
4. Nimrod (Novello) Edward Elgar (1857-1934) 4’34”
5. Impromptu (Pièces de Fantaisie) (Durand) Louis Vierne (1870-1937) 3’17”
6. Prelude and Fugue in B major (Leduc) Marcel Dupré (1886-1971) 7’07”
SIDE TWO
1. Grand Choeur Dialogué (Durand) Eugéne Gigout (1844-1924) 5’27”
2. Romance (4me Symphonie, 4me Mouvement) (Lemoine) Louis Vierne 1870-1937 9’39”
3. Sortie in E flat major (Harmonia) Louis Lefébure-Wély (1817-1869) 4’06"
4. Fantasia and Fugue on BACH (Novello) Fram Lint (1811-1886) 13’51”
THE MUSIC ON THIS RECORDING
Joseph Bonnet combined the talents of performer and composer with consummate ease. His Variations de Concert, Op.1 mark his debut as a composer and date from 1906. Following the dramatic opening, Bonnet introduces the main theme of the work, proceeding to treat the listener to a series of skilful variations. The intervention of a pedal cadenza of virtuosic proportions makes demands on both performer and instrument before moving the work to a triumphant conclusion.
Three Pieces for Musical Clocks by Joseph Haydn allow the listener to appreciate the quieter registers of the instrument. For manuals only, these delightful miniatures form a short three movement suite. Flanked by two allegros in C major, the middle movement offers contrast in the form of a gentle C major minuet.
Sir Edward Elgar’s ‘Imperial March’, Op.32 was first heard at Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations on April 19th, 1897, quickly catching the public’s imagination. The composer himself described the work as “concise and effective” and this is certainly highlighted in this arrangement by Sir George Martin.
Succinct in concept, elegiac in mood, skilful in execution, Edward Elgar’s ‘Nimrod’ from the Enigma Variations, Op.36, has been described as “one of the sublimest moments in Western Music”. William Harris’s arrangement successfully captures that intensity and feeling as we are granted a miniature portrait of the composer’s great friend, A.E. Jaeger.
Louis Vierne represents for many the pinnacle of French organ composition. Owing much to the influence of Cesar Franck, some of his most interesting music is to be found in ‘Pieces de Fantaisie’, twenty-four pieces in four suites. Impromptu comes from the Third Suite, Op.54, which was published in 1927. Dedicated to André Marchal, Impromptu brings together the many disparate elements of Vierne’s technique, all handled with the skill of a master craftsman.
Prelude and Fugue in B major, Op.7 by Marcel Dupré dates from 1912, though not published until 1920. It is a work of great energy and exhilaration as the toccata-like texture of the Prelude cleverly foreshadows the Fugue. Here the unusual fugue subject follows the expected academic disciplines but Dupré, in his own inimitable manner, cloaks them in an exciting modern idiom as the work ends in a thrilling torrent of sound.
Eugéne Gigout, a pupil of Saint-Saens, became organist of St Augustin, Paris, in 1863, where he remained for the rest of his life. Now somewhat neglected as a composer, he has left us a huge corpus of music for the organ, much of which makes use of plainsong themes. Grand Choeur Dialogué eschews liturgical influences and allows the organist to show off the instrument’s reed choruses. A reminder, perhaps, that Henry Willis and Cavaillé-Coll had much in common.
Romance from the Fourth Symphony of Louis Vierne offers the listener a contrasting glimpse of this talented composer. He composed six Symphonies for the organ, building upon the work of his teacher, Charles-Marie Widor. The Fourth Symphony dates from the 1914-18 War, a period of personal tragedy for the composer, which reflects itself in much of the music. Amid the gentleness of the solo melody, Vierne introduces music from the earlier Prelude which, with its shifting tonal base, somewhat disturbs the mood. However, calm and repose are soon restored as the composer allows his essentially lyrical nature to reassert itself.
Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wély offers yet another aspect of French organ music. Sortie in E flat is fairly typical of the composer’s style, being undemanding on the ear and populist in conception. Though often derided by the critics, few will fail to he swept along by the sheer exuberance of the music as David Briggs brilliantly demonstrates.
Franz Liszt’s monumental Fantasia and Fugue on BACH leaves the listener in little doubt as to the inspiration behind his composition. The little phrase provided by Bach’s surname (‘B’ giving B flat and ‘H’ B natural in German terminology) lends both distinction and power to Liszt’s conception. Relying very heavily on pianistic writing, the Fugue is little more than a free fantasia rather than a strict academic exercise, but nevertheless it provides the perfect finale to this most challenging programme.
DAVID BRIGGS
David Briggs was born in 1962 and became a Fellow of The Royal College of Organists in 1980, winning five prizes and the Silver Medal of The Worshipful Company of Musicians. As Organ Scholar of King’s College, Cambridge, from 1981 to 1984, he toured Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Holland and Germany with the Choir and made many broadcasts and recordings. During this period he also received a Countess of Munster Award to study interpretation and improvisation with M. Jean Langlais in Paris, and he has furthered his interest in improvisation through his transcriptions of the recordings of the late Pierre Cochereau.
Appointed Assistant Organist of Hereford Cathedral in December 1984, he was privileged to be involved in The Three Choirs Festival of 1985 and 1988. In January 1989 he became Master of the Choristers and Organist at Truro Cathedral. In addition to his busy schedule in Cornwall, he remains much in demand as a recitalist. Past venues have included St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Notre Dame de Paris, Birmingham and Huddersfield Town Halls, the St. Alban's International Organ Festival, The Royal College of Organists and numerous other cathedrals, churches and college chapels throughout the country. 1989 saw both his debut for BBC Radio 3 and his first solo recording, on the Priory Label, featuring reconstructed improvisations by Louis Vierne, Marcel Dupré and Pierre Cochereau played an the famous Willis organ in St George’s Hall, Liverpool.
TECHNICAL NOTES
Recorded in St Michael and All Angels, Torrington, Devon, on lst October, 1991.
Producer, David Briggs
Recording Engineers: David Lane and Peter Cox
Production Associates: Ben Armstrong, John Downing, Don Whittle
This recording was made with B&K 4006 microphones, Neumann KK83 capsules with custom electronics, Harbeth HL5 monitor loudspeakers and Sony digital recording equipment.
This cassette has been duplicated in REAL TIME on a Nakamichi deck for maximum fidelity to the digital mastertape.
1. Variations de Concert (Leduc) Joseph Bonnet (1884-1944) 9’24”
2. Three Pieces for Musical Clocks (Novello) Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) 3’16”
3. Imperial March (Novello) Edward Elgar(1857-1934) 5’05”
4. Nimrod (Novello) Edward Elgar (1857-1934) 4’34”
5. Impromptu (Pièces de Fantaisie) (Durand) Louis Vierne (1870-1937) 3’17”
6. Prelude and Fugue in B major (Leduc) Marcel Dupré (1886-1971) 7’07”
SIDE TWO
1. Grand Choeur Dialogué (Durand) Eugéne Gigout (1844-1924) 5’27”
2. Romance (4me Symphonie, 4me Mouvement) (Lemoine) Louis Vierne 1870-1937 9’39”
3. Sortie in E flat major (Harmonia) Louis Lefébure-Wély (1817-1869) 4’06"
4. Fantasia and Fugue on BACH (Novello) Fram Lint (1811-1886) 13’51”
THE MUSIC ON THIS RECORDING
Joseph Bonnet combined the talents of performer and composer with consummate ease. His Variations de Concert, Op.1 mark his debut as a composer and date from 1906. Following the dramatic opening, Bonnet introduces the main theme of the work, proceeding to treat the listener to a series of skilful variations. The intervention of a pedal cadenza of virtuosic proportions makes demands on both performer and instrument before moving the work to a triumphant conclusion.
Three Pieces for Musical Clocks by Joseph Haydn allow the listener to appreciate the quieter registers of the instrument. For manuals only, these delightful miniatures form a short three movement suite. Flanked by two allegros in C major, the middle movement offers contrast in the form of a gentle C major minuet.
Sir Edward Elgar’s ‘Imperial March’, Op.32 was first heard at Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations on April 19th, 1897, quickly catching the public’s imagination. The composer himself described the work as “concise and effective” and this is certainly highlighted in this arrangement by Sir George Martin.
Succinct in concept, elegiac in mood, skilful in execution, Edward Elgar’s ‘Nimrod’ from the Enigma Variations, Op.36, has been described as “one of the sublimest moments in Western Music”. William Harris’s arrangement successfully captures that intensity and feeling as we are granted a miniature portrait of the composer’s great friend, A.E. Jaeger.
Louis Vierne represents for many the pinnacle of French organ composition. Owing much to the influence of Cesar Franck, some of his most interesting music is to be found in ‘Pieces de Fantaisie’, twenty-four pieces in four suites. Impromptu comes from the Third Suite, Op.54, which was published in 1927. Dedicated to André Marchal, Impromptu brings together the many disparate elements of Vierne’s technique, all handled with the skill of a master craftsman.
Prelude and Fugue in B major, Op.7 by Marcel Dupré dates from 1912, though not published until 1920. It is a work of great energy and exhilaration as the toccata-like texture of the Prelude cleverly foreshadows the Fugue. Here the unusual fugue subject follows the expected academic disciplines but Dupré, in his own inimitable manner, cloaks them in an exciting modern idiom as the work ends in a thrilling torrent of sound.
Eugéne Gigout, a pupil of Saint-Saens, became organist of St Augustin, Paris, in 1863, where he remained for the rest of his life. Now somewhat neglected as a composer, he has left us a huge corpus of music for the organ, much of which makes use of plainsong themes. Grand Choeur Dialogué eschews liturgical influences and allows the organist to show off the instrument’s reed choruses. A reminder, perhaps, that Henry Willis and Cavaillé-Coll had much in common.
Romance from the Fourth Symphony of Louis Vierne offers the listener a contrasting glimpse of this talented composer. He composed six Symphonies for the organ, building upon the work of his teacher, Charles-Marie Widor. The Fourth Symphony dates from the 1914-18 War, a period of personal tragedy for the composer, which reflects itself in much of the music. Amid the gentleness of the solo melody, Vierne introduces music from the earlier Prelude which, with its shifting tonal base, somewhat disturbs the mood. However, calm and repose are soon restored as the composer allows his essentially lyrical nature to reassert itself.
Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wély offers yet another aspect of French organ music. Sortie in E flat is fairly typical of the composer’s style, being undemanding on the ear and populist in conception. Though often derided by the critics, few will fail to he swept along by the sheer exuberance of the music as David Briggs brilliantly demonstrates.
Franz Liszt’s monumental Fantasia and Fugue on BACH leaves the listener in little doubt as to the inspiration behind his composition. The little phrase provided by Bach’s surname (‘B’ giving B flat and ‘H’ B natural in German terminology) lends both distinction and power to Liszt’s conception. Relying very heavily on pianistic writing, the Fugue is little more than a free fantasia rather than a strict academic exercise, but nevertheless it provides the perfect finale to this most challenging programme.
DAVID BRIGGS
David Briggs was born in 1962 and became a Fellow of The Royal College of Organists in 1980, winning five prizes and the Silver Medal of The Worshipful Company of Musicians. As Organ Scholar of King’s College, Cambridge, from 1981 to 1984, he toured Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Holland and Germany with the Choir and made many broadcasts and recordings. During this period he also received a Countess of Munster Award to study interpretation and improvisation with M. Jean Langlais in Paris, and he has furthered his interest in improvisation through his transcriptions of the recordings of the late Pierre Cochereau.
Appointed Assistant Organist of Hereford Cathedral in December 1984, he was privileged to be involved in The Three Choirs Festival of 1985 and 1988. In January 1989 he became Master of the Choristers and Organist at Truro Cathedral. In addition to his busy schedule in Cornwall, he remains much in demand as a recitalist. Past venues have included St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Notre Dame de Paris, Birmingham and Huddersfield Town Halls, the St. Alban's International Organ Festival, The Royal College of Organists and numerous other cathedrals, churches and college chapels throughout the country. 1989 saw both his debut for BBC Radio 3 and his first solo recording, on the Priory Label, featuring reconstructed improvisations by Louis Vierne, Marcel Dupré and Pierre Cochereau played an the famous Willis organ in St George’s Hall, Liverpool.
TECHNICAL NOTES
Recorded in St Michael and All Angels, Torrington, Devon, on lst October, 1991.
Producer, David Briggs
Recording Engineers: David Lane and Peter Cox
Production Associates: Ben Armstrong, John Downing, Don Whittle
This recording was made with B&K 4006 microphones, Neumann KK83 capsules with custom electronics, Harbeth HL5 monitor loudspeakers and Sony digital recording equipment.
This cassette has been duplicated in REAL TIME on a Nakamichi deck for maximum fidelity to the digital mastertape.
MARGARET PHILLIPS - SAINT SAENS ...PLUS TWO
Saint-Saens
Lefebure-Wely
Dubois
LOUIS JAMES ALFRED LEFÉBURE-WÉLY (1817-1870)
1 Sortie in B Flat 4.05
CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921)
2 Benediction Nuptiale Op.9 5.17
3 Seven Improvisations Op.156 No.1 6.55
4 Seven Improvisations Op.156 No.2 4.33
5 Seven Improvisations Op.156 No.4 2.14
6 Prelude & Fugue Op.99 No.1 9.15
7 Seven Improvisations Op.156 No. 7 3.26
8 Prelude & Fugue Op.99 No.2 6.12
9 Seven Improvisations Op.156 No.6 6.22
10 Seven Improvisations Op.156 No.3 4.03
11 Seven Improvisations Op.156 No.5 4.38
12 Prelude & Fugue Op.99 No.3 7.20
LOUIS JAMES ALFRED LEFÉBURE-WÉLY (1817-1870)
13 Andante ‘Choeur De Voix Humaines’ 2.56
THEODORE DUBOIS (1837-1924)
14 Toccata 6.31
THE COMPOSERS AND THE MUSIC
The three composers whose music is represented on this recording all studied the organ at the Paris Conservatoire under Francois Benoist, and were successively organists at the fashionable Paris church of the Madeleine.
Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wély (1817-1870) was perhaps the most popular organist of his day, and was frequently invited to inaugurate new organs by the most successful and influential French organ-builder of the nineteenth century, Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. One such occasion was at the Madeleine in 1846, and the following year he was invited to become organist of the church. He remained until 1857, though it was not until 1863 that the lure of another new Cavaillé-Coll instrument persuaded him to go to Saint-Sulpice. He died still in office in 1870, to be succeeded by Widor.
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) devoted less of his career to the organ and church music. He succeeded Lefébure-Wély at the Madeleine in 1857, leaving in 1876 to concentrate primarily on composition. He enjoyed travelling, both as recreation and to give concerts (usually as organist but also as pianist), and visited such diverse places as Algeria, Ceylon, Africa, the Far East and South America.
He was able to indulge his wide interests on these journeys; he wrote poetry and plays, as well as papers on subjects as varied as ancient Roman theatres, philosophy, astronomy and acoustics.
Theodore Dubois (1837-1924) followed a more conventional career. After his training at the Paris Conservatoire he won the coveted Prix de Rome for composition (an award which eluded Saint-Saëns). He was appointed ma tre de chapelle, first at Ste Clotilde (where Franck held the more prestigious post of organist), and then in 1869 at the Madeleine where he worked with Saint-Saëns, eventually succeeding him as organist in 1877. He was also Professor of Composition at the Paris Conservatoire, becoming its Director in 1896. He was forced to resign in 1905 following the public outcry when Ravel failed to win the Prix de Rome.
Of the music of the three composers, only that of Saint-Saëns is widely heard in the concert hall today, and even his vast output of operas, choral music, orchestral and chamber music is generally restricted to a handful of popular works. Among these are two dating from 1886, the ‘Organ’ Symphony and the ever-popular Carnival of the Animals, which Saint-Saëns wrote in the space of a few days whilst on holiday, and which was never intended for publication, but as entertainment for his friends. His comparatively small output of organ music is spread over a period of 62 years, from the first Fantaisie written in 1857 at the age of 22, to the Fantaisie No.3 which was written in 1919 at the age of 84. Both of these pieces can he heard on the companion recording made by Margaret Phillips at Exeter Cathedral: Saint-Saens: Music for Organ YORK CD 110.
The Benediction Nuptiale Op.9 is an early work (1859), tuneful and somewhat sentimental, but already showing Saint-Saens’s penchant for modulating into unrelated keys: the basic key is F major, but the middle section is in E major. This piece had the distinction of being performed in Westminster Abbey at the wedding of HRH Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles in February 1922, two months after the composer’s death.
Saint-Saëns did not write any organ music between 1866 (Trois Rhapsodies Bretonnes) and 1894, when the first set of Preludes and Fugues Op. 99 appeared. These are dedicated to three of the most eminent organists in Paris at the time: Widor, Guilmant and Gigout. As well as organist of Saint-Sulpice, Widor was then Professor of Organ at the Paris Conservatoire, and he was to be succeeded in turn by Guilmant and Gigout. The first Prelude, in E, has a gently flowing theme which is used in a modified form for the accompanying Fugue, marked dolce, legato, moderato. Something of the same mood is found also in the second Prelude, in B, in which a siciliana-like melody alternating between the left hand and the pedal is heard against a background of rippling triplet semiquavers. The Fugue, also in six-eight time, has a rather cheeky subject. Prelude and Fugue No.3, in E flat, is on a grander scale. The Prelude is a brilliant toccata, followed by a maestoso Fugue in expansive style. Saint-Saëns’s mastery of counterpoint is evident here, and his use of Baroque rhythmic figures points to his interest in the music of Bach and the eighteenth
century.
The Sept Improvisations Op.150 were written during the First World War, towards the end of the composer’s life, and like the third Prelude and Fugue were dedicated to Gigout. He had been a pupil of Saint-Saëns at the Ecole Niedermeyer, and became one of his few close friends. The pieces are generally in a simpler and more austere style than the earlier works, often making use of the quieter colours of the organ. No.1 uses the whole-tone scale both for the opening chords, and the melody which follows, while No.2 (Feria Pentecostes) is based on a plainsong melody sung at Whitsun. In No.3 chorale-like sections on the vox humana are interspersed with rocking figures on another manual, and No.4 is a fleeting scherzo. Echoes of the conflict in Europe can be imagined in No.5 (Pro Martyribus), a solemn and hymn-like piece, and No.6 (Pro Defunctis), a slow dance in the style of a pavane. Even in No.7, though it is marked allegro giocoso and is in three-four time, the modal and minor key harmony lends a hint of melancholy until the clouds finally lift in a triumphant chord of A major.
The music of Lefébure-Wély is quite different in style from that of Saint-Saëns. His obvious intention was to entertain, in which he was, and is, highly successful. The Sortie in B flat, one of his most popular pieces, though written as a concluding voluntary to follow the Mass, verges on the profane, while the Andante ‘Choeur de Voix humaines’ (nicknamed ‘The Nun’s Chorus’) is charming in its simplicity.
Dubois wrote 88 pieces for organ, but it is only the famous Toccata, a moto perpetuo with a hymn-like central section, which has won enduring popularity.
M.P.
MARGARET PHILLIPS
Acknowledged as one of Britain’s leading concert organists and teachers, Margaret Phillips was born at Exeter and studied at the Royal College of Music in London. She made her debut at the Royal Festival Hall in 1972 and soon gained an international reputation as a soloist, playing at cathedrals and concert halls throughout Europe and in the USA, Australia and Mexico. Also in demand as a continuo player and accompanist, she appears frequently with such ensembles as the BBC Singers and The Sixteen, and she is one of the organists of St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey.
Her recordings have been widely praised. They include music by Saint-Saëns at Exeter Cathedral, a recording of music by three members of the Wesley family, Charles, Samuel and Samuel Sebastian—on the 1790 James Davis organ at Wymondham Abbey in Norfolk, and collections of eighteenth and nineteenth century English music played on new organs at St Matthew’s Westminster and St Andrew’s Holborn, London. In the words of The Gramophone (April 1993), it is ‘...the inner conviction and obvious sense of enjoyment which makes Margaret Phillips's playing so impressive’.
Recognizing her debt to her own teachers, who included Marie-Claire Alain and the late Ralph Downes, Margaret Phillips now devotes a substantial part of her time to teaching and other activities in the organ world. Alongside her busy career as a player, she is Tutor in Organ Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, and serves on the Councils of the Royal College of Organists and the Incorporated Association of Organists.
At their home in Milborne Port, Somerset, Margaret Phillips and her husband have established a small collection of organs by English organ-builders from the eighteenth century to the present day, aiming to provide facilities for learning and playing the organ, to promote the understanding and appreciation of the organ as a musical instrument, and to preserve a modest part of Britain’s organ heritage.
Lefebure-Wely
Dubois
LOUIS JAMES ALFRED LEFÉBURE-WÉLY (1817-1870)
1 Sortie in B Flat 4.05
CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921)
2 Benediction Nuptiale Op.9 5.17
3 Seven Improvisations Op.156 No.1 6.55
4 Seven Improvisations Op.156 No.2 4.33
5 Seven Improvisations Op.156 No.4 2.14
6 Prelude & Fugue Op.99 No.1 9.15
7 Seven Improvisations Op.156 No. 7 3.26
8 Prelude & Fugue Op.99 No.2 6.12
9 Seven Improvisations Op.156 No.6 6.22
10 Seven Improvisations Op.156 No.3 4.03
11 Seven Improvisations Op.156 No.5 4.38
12 Prelude & Fugue Op.99 No.3 7.20
LOUIS JAMES ALFRED LEFÉBURE-WÉLY (1817-1870)
13 Andante ‘Choeur De Voix Humaines’ 2.56
THEODORE DUBOIS (1837-1924)
14 Toccata 6.31
THE COMPOSERS AND THE MUSIC
The three composers whose music is represented on this recording all studied the organ at the Paris Conservatoire under Francois Benoist, and were successively organists at the fashionable Paris church of the Madeleine.
Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wély (1817-1870) was perhaps the most popular organist of his day, and was frequently invited to inaugurate new organs by the most successful and influential French organ-builder of the nineteenth century, Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. One such occasion was at the Madeleine in 1846, and the following year he was invited to become organist of the church. He remained until 1857, though it was not until 1863 that the lure of another new Cavaillé-Coll instrument persuaded him to go to Saint-Sulpice. He died still in office in 1870, to be succeeded by Widor.
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) devoted less of his career to the organ and church music. He succeeded Lefébure-Wély at the Madeleine in 1857, leaving in 1876 to concentrate primarily on composition. He enjoyed travelling, both as recreation and to give concerts (usually as organist but also as pianist), and visited such diverse places as Algeria, Ceylon, Africa, the Far East and South America.
He was able to indulge his wide interests on these journeys; he wrote poetry and plays, as well as papers on subjects as varied as ancient Roman theatres, philosophy, astronomy and acoustics.
Theodore Dubois (1837-1924) followed a more conventional career. After his training at the Paris Conservatoire he won the coveted Prix de Rome for composition (an award which eluded Saint-Saëns). He was appointed ma tre de chapelle, first at Ste Clotilde (where Franck held the more prestigious post of organist), and then in 1869 at the Madeleine where he worked with Saint-Saëns, eventually succeeding him as organist in 1877. He was also Professor of Composition at the Paris Conservatoire, becoming its Director in 1896. He was forced to resign in 1905 following the public outcry when Ravel failed to win the Prix de Rome.
Of the music of the three composers, only that of Saint-Saëns is widely heard in the concert hall today, and even his vast output of operas, choral music, orchestral and chamber music is generally restricted to a handful of popular works. Among these are two dating from 1886, the ‘Organ’ Symphony and the ever-popular Carnival of the Animals, which Saint-Saëns wrote in the space of a few days whilst on holiday, and which was never intended for publication, but as entertainment for his friends. His comparatively small output of organ music is spread over a period of 62 years, from the first Fantaisie written in 1857 at the age of 22, to the Fantaisie No.3 which was written in 1919 at the age of 84. Both of these pieces can he heard on the companion recording made by Margaret Phillips at Exeter Cathedral: Saint-Saens: Music for Organ YORK CD 110.
The Benediction Nuptiale Op.9 is an early work (1859), tuneful and somewhat sentimental, but already showing Saint-Saens’s penchant for modulating into unrelated keys: the basic key is F major, but the middle section is in E major. This piece had the distinction of being performed in Westminster Abbey at the wedding of HRH Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles in February 1922, two months after the composer’s death.
Saint-Saëns did not write any organ music between 1866 (Trois Rhapsodies Bretonnes) and 1894, when the first set of Preludes and Fugues Op. 99 appeared. These are dedicated to three of the most eminent organists in Paris at the time: Widor, Guilmant and Gigout. As well as organist of Saint-Sulpice, Widor was then Professor of Organ at the Paris Conservatoire, and he was to be succeeded in turn by Guilmant and Gigout. The first Prelude, in E, has a gently flowing theme which is used in a modified form for the accompanying Fugue, marked dolce, legato, moderato. Something of the same mood is found also in the second Prelude, in B, in which a siciliana-like melody alternating between the left hand and the pedal is heard against a background of rippling triplet semiquavers. The Fugue, also in six-eight time, has a rather cheeky subject. Prelude and Fugue No.3, in E flat, is on a grander scale. The Prelude is a brilliant toccata, followed by a maestoso Fugue in expansive style. Saint-Saëns’s mastery of counterpoint is evident here, and his use of Baroque rhythmic figures points to his interest in the music of Bach and the eighteenth
century.
The Sept Improvisations Op.150 were written during the First World War, towards the end of the composer’s life, and like the third Prelude and Fugue were dedicated to Gigout. He had been a pupil of Saint-Saëns at the Ecole Niedermeyer, and became one of his few close friends. The pieces are generally in a simpler and more austere style than the earlier works, often making use of the quieter colours of the organ. No.1 uses the whole-tone scale both for the opening chords, and the melody which follows, while No.2 (Feria Pentecostes) is based on a plainsong melody sung at Whitsun. In No.3 chorale-like sections on the vox humana are interspersed with rocking figures on another manual, and No.4 is a fleeting scherzo. Echoes of the conflict in Europe can be imagined in No.5 (Pro Martyribus), a solemn and hymn-like piece, and No.6 (Pro Defunctis), a slow dance in the style of a pavane. Even in No.7, though it is marked allegro giocoso and is in three-four time, the modal and minor key harmony lends a hint of melancholy until the clouds finally lift in a triumphant chord of A major.
The music of Lefébure-Wély is quite different in style from that of Saint-Saëns. His obvious intention was to entertain, in which he was, and is, highly successful. The Sortie in B flat, one of his most popular pieces, though written as a concluding voluntary to follow the Mass, verges on the profane, while the Andante ‘Choeur de Voix humaines’ (nicknamed ‘The Nun’s Chorus’) is charming in its simplicity.
Dubois wrote 88 pieces for organ, but it is only the famous Toccata, a moto perpetuo with a hymn-like central section, which has won enduring popularity.
M.P.
MARGARET PHILLIPS
Acknowledged as one of Britain’s leading concert organists and teachers, Margaret Phillips was born at Exeter and studied at the Royal College of Music in London. She made her debut at the Royal Festival Hall in 1972 and soon gained an international reputation as a soloist, playing at cathedrals and concert halls throughout Europe and in the USA, Australia and Mexico. Also in demand as a continuo player and accompanist, she appears frequently with such ensembles as the BBC Singers and The Sixteen, and she is one of the organists of St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey.
Her recordings have been widely praised. They include music by Saint-Saëns at Exeter Cathedral, a recording of music by three members of the Wesley family, Charles, Samuel and Samuel Sebastian—on the 1790 James Davis organ at Wymondham Abbey in Norfolk, and collections of eighteenth and nineteenth century English music played on new organs at St Matthew’s Westminster and St Andrew’s Holborn, London. In the words of The Gramophone (April 1993), it is ‘...the inner conviction and obvious sense of enjoyment which makes Margaret Phillips's playing so impressive’.
Recognizing her debt to her own teachers, who included Marie-Claire Alain and the late Ralph Downes, Margaret Phillips now devotes a substantial part of her time to teaching and other activities in the organ world. Alongside her busy career as a player, she is Tutor in Organ Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, and serves on the Councils of the Royal College of Organists and the Incorporated Association of Organists.
At their home in Milborne Port, Somerset, Margaret Phillips and her husband have established a small collection of organs by English organ-builders from the eighteenth century to the present day, aiming to provide facilities for learning and playing the organ, to promote the understanding and appreciation of the organ as a musical instrument, and to preserve a modest part of Britain’s organ heritage.
LUCIUS WEATHERSBY - SPIRITUAL FANTASY
1. Fanfare & Toccata (Wallace Cheatham) 5'21"
2. Yoruba Lament (Fela Sowande) 7'53"
3 & 4. Joie and Prelude & Fugato (Violet George Bowers) 1'36" & 3'29"
5. Summerland from Three Visions (William Grant Still arr. Weathersby) 4'5"
6. Organ Suite: Prelude, Adagio, Fantasia (Kevin George) 13'48"
7. Improvisation on the Helston Floral Dance (Traditional arr. Weathersby) 6'28"
8. Spiritual Fantasy (Lucius Weathersby) 4'16"
9. Were you there? (Traditional arr. Uzee Brown Jr.) 2'7"
10. The Martyrs of Torrington, 1646 Toccata Spirituoso (Lucius Weathersby) 6'31"
TOTAL PLAYING TIME 56'15"
Lucius R. Weathersby was born in 1968 in Houston, Texas, and raised in Many, Louisiana, USA. He is married to Diane Lorraine Mull Weathersby and his son Lucius Curtis Weathersby was born in 1999. He is an assistant professor of music and chairman of the music department at Dillard University in New Orleans where he teaches piano and lectures in music theory. He is the founder and co-director of the Dillard Universitv String ensemble. He holds degrees from Dillard University in New Orleans (BA. in Music and a BA. in German, 1990) with honours, University of Northern Iowa (M.M. in Organ Performance, 1992) and advanced studies in Hymnology and Religion at the New Orleans Baptist Theological. Seminary.
For more than five years, he was employed as full time director of music in two churches where he founded and managed the First Congregational Concert Series in Waterloo Iowa and the Second Sunday Concert Series at the Church of the Beatitudes in Phoenix, Arizona. He has given recitals in the United States and worldwide and is a promoter of new music.
As a conductor, he has conducted orchestral and vocal ensembles including members of the Waterloo Cedar Falls Symphony and the Sanctuary Choir of Church of the Beatitudes, where he has performed many classical masses together with members of the Phoenix Symphony. In 1993, he was a guest conductor at the International Dvorak Festival and led the West Union Madrigal Singers in Dvorak's Mass in D.
Spiritual Fantasy was premiered by the composer on January 19, 1997 at the Meyerson Center of the Performing Arts. Other works with organ include Fanfare 1993 for organ and brass, and Iowa Suite for organ, written in 1992.
The Martyrs of Torrington, 1646 (Toccata Spiritoso) premiered on this recording was inspired by the history of the church in which this recording was made. On February 16, 1646, during the English Civil War, the town was taken over by the Parliamentary New Model Army led by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell. The church was blown up and 200 Royalists inside perished. This work is in memoriam to those people. The traditional Helston Floral Dance shows Mr. Weathersby's exceptional improvisational skills and an interest in English folklore so displayed and justly applauded in this set of variations instantly performed from first sight of the theme during a concert.
2. Yoruba Lament (Fela Sowande) 7'53"
3 & 4. Joie and Prelude & Fugato (Violet George Bowers) 1'36" & 3'29"
5. Summerland from Three Visions (William Grant Still arr. Weathersby) 4'5"
6. Organ Suite: Prelude, Adagio, Fantasia (Kevin George) 13'48"
7. Improvisation on the Helston Floral Dance (Traditional arr. Weathersby) 6'28"
8. Spiritual Fantasy (Lucius Weathersby) 4'16"
9. Were you there? (Traditional arr. Uzee Brown Jr.) 2'7"
10. The Martyrs of Torrington, 1646 Toccata Spirituoso (Lucius Weathersby) 6'31"
TOTAL PLAYING TIME 56'15"
Lucius R. Weathersby was born in 1968 in Houston, Texas, and raised in Many, Louisiana, USA. He is married to Diane Lorraine Mull Weathersby and his son Lucius Curtis Weathersby was born in 1999. He is an assistant professor of music and chairman of the music department at Dillard University in New Orleans where he teaches piano and lectures in music theory. He is the founder and co-director of the Dillard Universitv String ensemble. He holds degrees from Dillard University in New Orleans (BA. in Music and a BA. in German, 1990) with honours, University of Northern Iowa (M.M. in Organ Performance, 1992) and advanced studies in Hymnology and Religion at the New Orleans Baptist Theological. Seminary.
For more than five years, he was employed as full time director of music in two churches where he founded and managed the First Congregational Concert Series in Waterloo Iowa and the Second Sunday Concert Series at the Church of the Beatitudes in Phoenix, Arizona. He has given recitals in the United States and worldwide and is a promoter of new music.
As a conductor, he has conducted orchestral and vocal ensembles including members of the Waterloo Cedar Falls Symphony and the Sanctuary Choir of Church of the Beatitudes, where he has performed many classical masses together with members of the Phoenix Symphony. In 1993, he was a guest conductor at the International Dvorak Festival and led the West Union Madrigal Singers in Dvorak's Mass in D.
Spiritual Fantasy was premiered by the composer on January 19, 1997 at the Meyerson Center of the Performing Arts. Other works with organ include Fanfare 1993 for organ and brass, and Iowa Suite for organ, written in 1992.
The Martyrs of Torrington, 1646 (Toccata Spiritoso) premiered on this recording was inspired by the history of the church in which this recording was made. On February 16, 1646, during the English Civil War, the town was taken over by the Parliamentary New Model Army led by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell. The church was blown up and 200 Royalists inside perished. This work is in memoriam to those people. The traditional Helston Floral Dance shows Mr. Weathersby's exceptional improvisational skills and an interest in English folklore so displayed and justly applauded in this set of variations instantly performed from first sight of the theme during a concert.