www.leedsminster.org
The Friends of the Music of Leeds Minster ~ Registered Charity 1055944
present
Sounds Seasonal
Lunchtime Organ Music every Friday in December 2015
at Leeds Minster by
Christopher Newton
Friday 4th December
Andrew Carter
Rebecca Groom Te Velde
JS Bach
Camille Saint-Saëns
David Blackwell
Francis Jackson
André Fleury
Toccata on Veni Emmanuel
Meditation on Conditor alme siderum
Allein Gott in der Hoh sei Ehr, BWV 711
Rhapsody 1 sur Cantiques Bretons
Reflection on Divinum mysterium
Scherzetto Pastorale
Variations sur un Noël Bourgignon
Friday 11th December
Camille Saint-Saëns
Dezső Antalffy-Zsiros
Louis Claude Daquin
Jean-François Dandrieu
Jean Huré
William Thomas Best
Rhapsody 2 sur Cantiques Bretons
Christmas Bells
Noël Suisse
Noël: Chantons je vous prie
Pour la Communion d'une Messe de Minuit de Noël
A Christmas Fantasy
Friday 18th December
Geoffrey Bush
Carillon
Jean Bouvard
Noël Vosgien
Camille Saint-Saëns
Rhapsody 3 sur Cantiques Bretons
Antonio Vivaldi
Largo (Winter – The Four Seasons)
Noel Rawsthorne
Three Improvisations on Christmas Carols
Past Three O'Clock - A Maiden Most Gentle - The Virgin Mary had a Baby Boy
Christopher Tambling
Prelude on 'Still, Still, Still'
David Willcocks
Postlude on ‘Mendelssohn’
Friday, 4th December
Although he was born in Leicester, Andrew Carter has been very much associated with the musical life of
Yorkshire. After graduating from the University of Leeds he joined the choir of York Minster. He was also
Director of Music of the nearby St Mary’s Convent Grammar School, and in 1965 he founded the renowned
Chapter House Choir. Andrew and his music have also been frequent and welcome visitors to Leeds Minster.
Of this Toccata on Veni Emmanuel he wrote ‘Seeing the manuscript on an Oxford editor’s desk John Scott
asked to give the first performance in York Minster, albeit in his summer recital. It was, I recall, the hottest
and most humid day of a prolonged heatwave, with everyone in short sleeves. As the great pedal tune rolled
around the Minster during John’s rehearsal, I overheard a visitor remark to her husband ‘By gum, Christmas
is a bit early this year!’
Rebecca Groome te Velde (b.1956) works in Oklahoma, as organist of First Presbyterian Church and as a
teacher at the State University. This tranquil Meditation is based on the plainsong Advent hymn Conditor
alme siderum – ‘Creator of the stars of night, Thy people’s everlasting light’.
The chorale Allein Gott in der Höh sei Her is based on the plainsong of ‘Gloria in Excelsis Deo’. Bach
seemed fond of this particular chorale, and his collected organ works contain at least ten settings. This one
presents the chorale rather soberly against a lively, dancing bass – maybe representing a conflict between the
sacred and secular?
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 – 1921) was Organist of the Church of La Madeleine in Paris from 1858 until
1877, when his finances meant that he no longer had to rely on a church salary. Not long after his
appointment he attended the Grand Pardon of Sainte-Anne-La-Palud, one of Brittany's oldest religious days.
It is still held each August and attracts thousands of pilgrims. A modern guide describes it as ‘A series of
services leading to Sunday's open-air mass and spectacular procession on the sand dunes in honour of the
Virgin Mary's mother, Saint Anne.’
One result of his pilgrimage was a set of three Rhapsodies on Breton melodies. The melodies may well have
been Christmas carols: their style certainly gives the Rhapsodies a suitably seasonal atmosphere, and gives
me enough reason to include the complete set during the course of this month’s recitals.
David Blackwell (b.1961) is Head of Music Publishing at OUP. His Reflection is based on the plainsong
melody which is associated with the hymn ‘Of the Father’s Love Begotten’. Most of it is indeed reflective,
but it has a short, more powerful central section.
Scherzetto Pastorale was written by Francis Jackson for a Christmas Album published by OUP in 1956. The
composer describes the work as suggesting ‘distant bells on the frosty night air’. Towards the end Good King
Wenceslas makes a very brief appearance – although you will need to be alert to spot him!
André Fleury (1903 – 1995) was born near Paris, and was organist of St Augustine, in Paris, for many years.
He was an outstanding organist, even in his old age. I recall attending a recital which he gave when he was in
his eighties: Despite his age and skeletal appearance he displayed an energetic virtuosity that would have
been a credit to a much younger performer. He spent much of his life in Paris, but after the war he spent
about twenty years as Organist of Dijon Cathedral in the heart of Burgundy. It was during this time that he
wrote these Variations on a Burgundy Carol. After a number of short variations, there is a fugue which leads
into a suitably bucolic finale, no doubt inspired by the joys of the local wine.
Friday 11th December
Dezso Antalffy-Zsiros (1885 – 1945) was born in Hungary and studied at the Budapest Academy and in
Leipzig, where he was a pupil of Max Reger. He became organist of St Stephen’s Cathedral in Budapest, but
moved to the United States, in 1921, to take up the post of organist of a rather different establishment – The
Radio City Music Hall in New York. He was also invited to teach accompaniment for silent films at the
Eastman School of Music. Most of his compositions for organ reflect these American experiences. Christmas
Chimes calls for the sound of real bells – a common feature of theatre organs, but far less common on church
organs in the UK, even on such a comprehensive instrument as the one in Leeds Minster.
Louis Claude Daquin (1694 – 1772) was regarded as the finest organist of his day, and in 1739 was
appointed Organist to the King. His only published composition for organ was a set of twelve Noëls. As its
name suggests, Noël Suisse is based on a foreign carol, but Daquin gave no indication of its title. It is a
powerful piece, marked ‘Pesamment’ (‘Heavily’). The distinguished French organist Marie-Claire Alain
suggested that Daquin added this indication in order to discourage organists from losing control of the
rhythm.
Like Daquin, Jean-François Dandrieu (1682 – 1738) played a prominent part in Parisian musical life:
amongst other activities he held a post of organist of the Chapelle Royal. He also seemed fond of writing
settings of French Noels. The one which we will hear today is short and slight: Chantons je vous prie (‘Let’s
sing, please’).
When does Christmas actually start? Retailers suggest that it starts in August, but it actually starts on
December 25th itself - an event which is marked in many churches by a midnight service. These are occasions
of reflection as well as joy, and so before the final outburst of cheerfulness in this recital I will play
Communion of a Christmas Midnight Mass by Jean Huré (1877 – 1930). The composer worked as a
musicologist, journalist and concert pianist as well as organist. This tranquil piece, which incorporates a
French carol, probably started as an improvisation during a midnight mass.
William Thomas Best (1826 – 1897) was born in Carlisle, but is best known for his 40 years as organist of
St George’s Hall in Liverpool. This post prompted him to compose many concert works for his regular
weekly recitals, including A Christmas Fantasy for the organ on Ancient English Carols for Xmas-tide, to
give its full title. It opens with two very well known carol melodies, but after that we enter increasingly
obscure territory: do any of you know ‘A rare song in praise of Christmas. A.D.1660’? (It’s the jig which
follows the more stately ‘The Babe of Bethlehem’). Familiarity returns at the end, with a lively setting of
‘The Boar’s Head Carol’
Friday December 18th
Geoffrey Bush (1920 – 98) started composing while he was a chorister at Salisbury Cathedral. Later he
studied with John Ireland, and succeeded him as organist of St Luke’s, Chelsea. He was particularly noted for
his long service as a teacher at London University, and for the variety of his compositions: they range from
miniatures to operas and symphonies. His Carillon is based on the old German Carol A great and mighty
wonder. It takes the form of a distant procession, which gradually approaches and finally arrives in a blaze of
glory.
Jean Bouvard (1905 – 1996) spent most of his long life in the Rhône Valley. He was organist of Ste-Thérèse
in Lyon, and a professor at the Lyon Conservatoire. He passed on his love of music to his grandson Michel,
who has held a number of distinguished posts, and is now Professor of Organ at the Paris Conservatoire. As a
composer Jean seemed particularly fond of writing music based on Christmas themes. His Noël Vosgien is an
unassuming setting of a carol from the North East of France.
The outer movements of Vivaldi’s famous Winter concerto portray typical December weather, but all is
comfortable in the Largo, which involves ‘resting contentedly beside the hearth, while those outside are
drenched by pouring rain.’
Noel Rawsthorne (b. Christmas Eve, 1929) was a native of Liverpool, who based most of his career in that
city. He was chorister, assistant organist, and, from 1955, organist of the city’s great Anglican Cathedral.
During his time as organist he was noted for his improvisations, and after his retirement he turned this
creativity to composition. These Improvisations come from a collection of 48, published in 1997. They cover
a range of styles, some of which would probably have caused raised eyebrows among the more staid
members of the Cathedral’s clergy and congregation.
This series ends with brief tributes to two distinguished musicians who died recently. For the last 17 years of
his life Christopher Tambling was Director of Music at Downside School, where he was a particularly
inspiring teacher: among his pupils was Daniel Justin, former organist of Leeds Cathedral. Among his many
compositions for organ is a full scale Symphony, as well many miniatures. This Prelude: Still, Still, Still,
published last year, perfectly captures the mood of this Austrian carol.
It is hard to summarise the many activities and achievements of Sir David Willcocks, but at this time of year
it seems appropriate to mention the Christmas Eve carol services at King’s College Cambridge. Under his
musical direction these services gained international fame. They were enhanced by his many arrangements of
carols, while his descants to ‘O come, all ye faithful’ and ‘Hark the herald angels’ have become so well
known that members of congregations are sometimes inspired to join in, not always with happy results. He
was a prolific arranger and editor, but original compositions are few – this Postlude on ‘Mendelssohn’ seems
to be one of only two works for organ. Willcocks’ choice of hymn tune seems especially appropriate, since
‘Hark the herald angels’ is the inevitable final hymn of a King’s College Christmas Eve service.