A musical respite: Saturday fun and games

Описание: Continuing to explore the Tewkesbury Abbey sampleset - join me for fun mix of light music to explore the colors of this wonderful instrument. https://www.beautyinsound.co.uk/produ...

Timestamps:
0:00 Program Start
0:08 Walter Battison Haynes: Andante No. 1 (from Two Andantes, Op. 14)
5:34 Aaron Shows: Traditions Old and New
10:17 J.S. Bach, arr. Noel Rawsthorne: Sheep May Safely Graze
18:50 C.V. Stanford, arr. John Scott Whiteley: The Blue Bird
24:36 Harold DeCou: There Is a Fountain
30:46 J.S. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in G major, BWV 541
40:14 Philip Hammond: Toccata (from Sonata for Organ)
45:30 Edwin Lemare: My Old Kentucky Home
50:35 C.S. Lang: Tuba Tune
54:10 Aaron Shows: Wildfire Toccata

PROGRAM NOTES
Walter Battison Haynes (1859–1900): Andante No. 1 from Two Andantes, Op. 14
Haynes was an English pianist, organist, and composer who studied at the Leipzig Conservatory and later became Professor of Harmony and Composition at the Royal Academy of Music. Though he died at just 40, his influence on Victorian English organ music was significant—his students included Charles Macpherson. These lyrical Andantes feature the chromatic harmonies and surprising dynamic range characteristic of his mature style.

Aaron Shows: Traditions Old and New
From the collection Stick Around and Listen! Postludes Vol. I, this festive work was originally composed to keep congregations engaged after services rather than rushing off to coffee hour. Shows, known for his passion for film music, creates accessible yet rewarding postludes that work beautifully in both sacred and secular settings.
Score: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/pro...

J.S. Bach, arr. Noel Rawsthorne: Sheep May Safely Graze
This beloved aria comes from Bach's "Hunting Cantata" (BWV 208), composed in 1713 for the birthday of Duke Christian of Saxe-Weissenfels. Noel Rawsthorne (1929–2019), the legendary Organist of Liverpool Cathedral for 25 years, was renowned for his practical and beautiful arrangements—he studied with both Fernando Germani and Marcel Dupré.

C.V. Stanford, arr. John Scott Whiteley: The Blue Bird
Stanford's exquisite miniature, setting Mary Elizabeth Coleridge's poem, is one of the most beloved English partsongs. Originally written for SAATB choir in 1910, this organ arrangement by John Scott Whiteley (Organist Emeritus of York Minster) comes from A Stanford Organ Album published by Oxford University Press, exploring textures that capture Stanford's lyricism and dramatic flair.

Harold DeCou (1932–2008): There Is a Fountain
DeCou was a Philadelphia-born concert artist and arranger whose 58-year career produced beloved collections including The Sunday Morning Organist and The Gospel Organist through Singspiration Music in Grand Rapids. Generations of church organists grew up on his practical yet beautiful hymn arrangements. He served as organist at Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria, Illinois from 1988–2001.

J.S. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in G major, BWV 541
One of Bach's most brilliant and joyful organ works, the Prelude opens with exuberant running passages while the Fugue develops a dancing, spirited subject. The work likely dates from Bach's Weimar period (1708–1717) and showcases the full capabilities of the Baroque organ.

Philip Hammond (b. 1951): Toccata from Sonata for Organ
Belfast-born Philip Hammond is an Irish composer, teacher, writer, and broadcaster who has written for artists including James Galway, Barry Douglas, and the Ulster Orchestra. His Organ Sonata (1983) was commissioned by organist Norman Finlay. Hammond, who was awarded a Doctorate of Music from Queen's University Belfast in 2003, brings a contemporary voice to the organ repertoire.
Score: https://www.cmc.ie/shop/sonata-organ-0

Edwin Lemare (1865–1934): My Old Kentucky Home
Lemare was the most highly paid organist of his generation—a virtuoso who performed to audiences of up to 10,000 people. Beyond his famous Wagner transcriptions, he arranged beloved folk songs like this Stephen Foster classic as "encore" pieces, believing passionately in bringing music to the masses. This arrangement appears in The Encore Series (Wayne Leupold Editions).

C.S. Lang (1891–1971): Tuba Tune in D major, Op. 15
New Zealand-born Craig Sellar Lang studied with Stanford at the Royal College of Music and served as Director of Music at Christ's Hospital school. His Tuba Tune (1929) remains one of the most popular organ pieces ever written—a joyful, tuneful crowd-pleaser that sends everyone away smiling. It's an ideal postlude for happy occasions!

Aaron Shows: Wildfire Toccata
An exciting, driving toccata that brings the program to a fiery close. Part of the same Stick Around and Listen! collection, this piece demonstrates Shows' flair for creating organ music that is both accessible and thrilling.
Score: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/pro...