Stephen retired recently from his post as our Cathedral Organist, having served in that role for more than 33 years
Today he presented a wonderful programme, beginning with an old favourite from Bach, and then proceeding to an eclectic series of pieces labelled ‘The Hovingham Sketches’. These eleven compositions were composed for HRH The Duchess of Kent.
A display of the flute sounds of the organ. One can easily imagine it being played by an ensemble of flautists.
Richard Popplewell (1935 – 2016)
Puck’s Shadow
A whimsical piece in which the left hand chases, or shadows (hence the title) the right hand throughout. The upper reaches of the keyboards and the pedalboard are used extensively.
George Thalben-Ball (1896 – 1987)
Edwardia
Romantic nostalgia – or nostalgic romanticism.
Francis Jackson (1917 – 2022)
The sweet rivelet
” ….the sweet rivelet called Wath Beck which hath springes upp at Gauthorpe, cometh by Aryholme wher itt receiveth many small springes,and cometh to Wath,which giveth itt name, then to Friton and bt Slingsby unto Holbeck.”
Dodsworth’s Church Notes
W. S. Lloyd Webber (1914 – 1982)
Trio
Stylistically, but not harmonically, like the slow movement of a Bach trio sonata.
Arthur Wills (1926 – 2020)
Scherzetto
A witty piece, with constantly changing rhythms, from a composer more often inspired by the 20th century French School of Vierne, Duruflé, Dupré, Langlais and Messiaen.
Arthur J. Pritchard(1908 – 1997)
Canzonetta
Peter Hurford(1930 – 2019)
Trio
The two shortest pieces in the set, each lasting about one minute – the first gentle and lyrical, the second light and delicate.
Bernard Rose(1916 – 1996)
Chimes
A French quote “Ma fin est mon commencement, et mon commencement est ma fin” (My end is my beginning, and my beginning is my end) heads this piece, whose second half is the first played backwards.
The right hand motif is based on the chimes of Magdalen College, Oxford, where Bernard Rose was Organist for many years.
Herbert Howells(1892 – 1983)
Epilogue
In typical late Howell’s style, this piece – the composer’s final work – uses sketches dating from the 1940s for a piece not completed at that time.
Details of Stephen’s recent retirement party can be seen by clicking here
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