10 Minutes of Pure English Organ Tranquility | Forgotten Music on the Royal Hospital School Organ

Описание: Earlier this week I received a wonderful little treasure: a book of forgotten English organ music sent to me by ‪@adrianhockey9334‬ (Adrian Hockey). After a long, full day out and about, I sat down at the organ simply to unwind — no recording planned, just playing for the sake of playing. Then I touched the first bars of the very first piece… and immediately changed my mind. The music was that beautiful.

I quickly preselected a few gentle registrations, opened the book, and played five short pieces at random, straight from the page. I chose only pieces I felt confident would be playable at first sight, including their dynamics and character. What you hear is exactly that moment: spontaneous, unpolished, and deeply sincere.

So sincere, in fact, that I decided to replace my originally planned piece for today in my English Music Week. This music deserved to be heard now. The original piece will appear next week. This performance is dedicated to Adrian!

00:00 Prelude
01:32 Prayer
04:40 Intermezzo 1
05:15 Aria
07:42 Devotion

Here you can download the book (for free): https://buymeacoffee.com/rienschalkwi...

The composer is Wilson Manhire (25 March 1883 — 20 July 1942). Manhire was born and died in Cornwall, England, and spent most of his life there. He began his career as a schoolteacher in Bugle, near St. Austell, before turning fully to music. In South West England he became active as an accompanist (organ and piano) and as a composer, writing music that is practical, lyrical, and quietly expressive. He is also remembered for his Elementary Pianoforte Manual, a widely used tutor book in the early 20th century.

These pieces are not written to impress — they are written to breathe. Modest in scope, but rich in atmosphere, they offer exactly what I needed at that moment: calm, warmth, and a sense of gentle continuity.

The sound you hear comes from the Royal Hospital School Grand Organ, a magnificent 1933 Hill, Norman & Beard instrument. While this organ is capable of immense power, its true magic often lies in its softer colours: warm flutes, tender strings, and quietly glowing foundations — a perfect match for Manhire’s intimate musical language.

This is ten minutes of tranquility, captured almost by accident.
I hope it gives you the same sense of rest and quiet joy it gave me.

Become a member of my channel and support me in my music journey!    / @rienschalkwijk  

Discover a world of music and creativity! Click this link https://www.gatorworks.nl.