Martin Cooke Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 My copy of this arrived yesterday, hot off the press and I think it is excellent. Mind, it has quite a number of pieces that many will already have in their repertoire, or, at least, have copies of, but there are some new gems that will prove to be very worthwhile and enjoyable, I believe. Four have caught my eye straightaway - (1) a really interesting and extended toccata on Aberystwyth by David Bednall. This is fresh and has something new to say and it is not as difficult as might be thought. I don't feel qualified to comment in depth, but I shall certainly be getting my hands round it. I will be a lone voice, I know, but I have never really appreciated Francis Jackson's organ music but I very much like (2) his Meditation: Love Unknown. My third favourite is a stunningly beautiful little prelude on Hereford by Malcolm Riley - again, fresh but a real gem and, again, not difficult at all. Finally, (4) the piece that I had been waiting for - Fanfare: Shine Jesus Shine by a good friend and wonderful composer, Christopher Tambling. I can't imagine what pcnd will think of this (!) but it's fun and will be a popular new piece for your congregations (if you have them) to enjoy. For my money, the album is worth purchasing just for these items alone - experienced and long-standing members will want to check out a lost of contents perhaps prior to making a purchase, but even if you have Parry's Martyrdom and an arrangement of 'I know that my redeemer liveth' in other publications, at least they will be in one album now - AND you will have the four pieces and others, which I am sure are equally praiseworthy. Two other new acquisitions - Martin How's second volume of Gospel Colours - worth a look definitely - (RSCM) and something very different from Roderick Elms - Two Carillons, published by Spartan Press. These need a bit of work (well, they do for me,) but they say something new - the second is based on Happy Birthday - and I really recommend them. I hope we will see a more scholarly review of all these new items in the usual journals very soon - actually the OUP album was reviewed in Organists' Review last time, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 For information, the contents is... C. P. E. Bach: Aus der Tiefe rufe ich J. S. Bach: O Mensch, bewein' dein' Sünde gross David Bednall: Toccata: Aberystwyth Christian Geist: Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir C. S. Lang: Chorale Prelude: Abridge Kenneth Leighton: Aus der Tiefe C. Hubert H. Parry: Chorale Prelude: Martyrdom J. S. Bach: Valet will ich dir geben Alan Bullard: Prelude: Winchester New Max Reger: Valet will ich dir geben J. S. Bach: Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder Johannes Brahms: Herzliebster Jesu Peter Hurford: Chorale Prelude: Caswall Francis Jackson: Meditation: Love Unknown Felix Mendelssohn: Chorale and Variation: Herzlich tut mich verlangen C. Hubert H. Parry: Chorale Prelude: Rockingham Max Reger: Jesu Leiden, Pein und Tod Leo Sowerby: Prelude: Were you there? Percy Whitlock: Song 13 (Orlando Gibbons) Alexandre Guilmant: Paraphrase on a chorus in Judas Maccabaeus (Handel) Naji Hakim: Variations: O filii et filiae G. F. Handel: I know that my Redeemer liveth, from Messiah William H. Harris: Fantasy: Easter Hymn Philip Moore: Variations: Noël nouvelet Charles Villiers Stanford: At Easter-tide Healey Willan: Chorale Prelude on a Melody by Melchior Vulpius J. S. Bach: Heut' triumphieret Gottes Sohn David Briggs: Ricercare: Llanfair David Willcocks: Fanfare: Gopsal Dietrich Buxtehude: Komm heiliger Geist, Herre Gott Richard Popplewell: Chorale Prelude: Down Ampney Malcolm Riley: Chorale Prelude: Hereford Samuel Scheidt: Veni Creator Spiritus Christopher Tambling: Fanfare: Shine, Jesus, Shine Thanks for your post, Martin, as I have been waiting for this to be published since I saw the review in OR. I pointed the Christopher Tambling piece out to one of our more excitable tenors who then became even more excited (he likes SJS)! Suffice to say, its pencilled in for Pentecost before I've even got the book! Did you order direct from OUP? Amazon is still trying to tell me its unpublished. I actually have 10 of these pieces in other volumes, but I shall still be investing in this new volume as I reckon I'll get good use out of it and these OUP volumes are invariably excellent (I have the 'Ceremonial Music' and Christmas versions, both of which are very useful). http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780193386235.do#.UQWkXmcniSo - there are some samples here from the OUP website if you are unsure, including the David Bednall piece, which looks approachable enough to me (unless it gets trickier beyond the end of the sample!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcnd5584 Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Finally, (4) the piece that I had been waiting for - Fanfare: Shine Jesus Shine by a good friend and wonderful composer, Christopher Tambling. I can't imagine what pcnd will think of this (!) but it's fun and will be a popular new piece for your congregations (if you have them) to enjoy. AAK....ARRGHHH....HAACK.......YURGHHH....YAKK....SPURGHHH.... BARF ....um....that is what pcnd thinks of the last item. Why would anyone write a fanfare on THAT? Seriously - some of the rest of the content does look slightly interesting, particularly the Bednall. But the Kendrick/Tambling....? (Are you sure that there is not a typographical error in the title, Maritn? I have an idea that one of those letters should be a 't' instead.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Cooke Posted January 27, 2013 Author Share Posted January 27, 2013 I have an idea that one of those letters should be a 't' instead. No, really - I assure you that the Tambling element of it is delightful and very well worked. And, what's more, there are moments marked clearly with an asterisk saying 'If performing this work at Wimborne Minster, the party horn may be used at this point.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Cooke Posted January 27, 2013 Author Share Posted January 27, 2013 Did you order direct from OUP? I did! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcnd5584 Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 No, really - I assure you that the Tambling element of it is delightful and very well worked. And, what's more, there are moments marked clearly with an asterisk saying 'If performing this work at Wimborne Minster, the party horn may be used at this point.' Ha - you imagine that I should squander my wondrous chamade on this....?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 I did! I have also done so, in the hope that this will be the quickest way for it to arrive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Having ordered late Sunday evening (OK, more like early Monday morning!) this arrived today. I shall certainly have a crack at the Bednall - whether I have enough time to do it justice this year I'm not sure (curse the early Easter and therefore early Lent!) but the patterns seem to be repeated so hopefully it won't be too hard. Two others caught my eye - an interesting looking set of variations on 'Noel Nouvelet' by Philip Moore, and the David Briggs piece based on 'Llanfair' (when I saw his name I thought it could be fiercely difficult but it looks far from it) which puts the tune in the pedal and instructs it to be played on a Chamade! Maybe this will tempt pcnd! I shall certainly have some fun tomorrow when I go in church and all the stuff I should be looking at gets shunted aside! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJJ Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 My copy arrived yesterday. The Bednall Toccata is quite splendid and will (if I practice) work nicely during my summer hop over to France. The Briggs Ricercare also works well (despite lacking chamades) and I am looking forward to learning the Francis Jackson Meditation which as ever with this composer hits the proverbial nail right on the head. I also quite liked the Shine Jesus.. piece, there is more Tambling about it that Kendrick and all in very good taste. As with the OUP Christmas set it is good to have all these pieces under one cover in such a nice edition. A . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcnd5584 Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 My copy arrived yesterday. The Bednall Toccata is quite splendid and will (if I practice) work nicely during my summer hop over to France. The Briggs Ricercare also works well (despite lacking chamades) and I am looking forward to learning the Francis Jackson Meditation which as ever with this composer hits the proverbial nail right on the head. I also quite liked the Shine Jesus.. piece, there is more Tambling about it that Kendrick and all in very good taste. As with the OUP Christmas set it is good to have all these pieces under one cover in such a nice edition. A . Some of these sound interesting. I wonder if I can purchase this volume without the Tambling ? (Alastair's comments notwithstanding.) If David Briggs' piece requires chamades, then it must be good.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveBarker77 Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 I ordered mine from the RSCM online shop on Monday evening and it arrived today. Now I just need to finish these Year 9 reports so that I can have a play through! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 My copy arrived yesterday. The Bednall Toccata is quite splendid and will (if I practice) work nicely during my summer hop over to France. The Briggs Ricercare also works well (despite lacking chamades) and I am looking forward to learning the Francis Jackson Meditation which as ever with this composer hits the proverbial nail right on the head. I also quite liked the Shine Jesus.. piece, there is more Tambling about it that Kendrick and all in very good taste. As with the OUP Christmas set it is good to have all these pieces under one cover in such a nice edition. A I couldn't resist a hop down to church to play through a few of these tonight. AJJ is absolutely right about the Tambling - there is not as much SJS in it as I was expecting perhaps, but enough to amuse the folk in the pews. Go on pcnd, you know you want to! I stand by my recommendation of the Philip Moore Variations, quite a nice set with some real contrasting colours (everything from pp to fff) and a good dance-like feel in the middle. The Bednall is indeed excellent and does have a bit of a French feel to it in style, and it would be wonderful to let rip with 32' Bombardes on the reprise! I think its just at the right level for me - it will make me work but certainly isn't impossible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcnd5584 Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 I couldn't resist a hop down to church to play through a few of these tonight. AJJ is absolutely right about the Tambling - there is not as much SJS in it as I was expecting perhaps, but enough to amuse the folk in the pews. Go on pcnd, you know you want to! ... Are you sure....? However, the Bednall sounds interesting.I might see if any of my colleagues here have a copy which I can peruse. This way I can avoid something nasty in the organ loft. I still worry that you are all trying to lull me into a false sense of security here; and actually, on opening the book at the Tambling, there will be a large colour pop-up picture of Graham Kendrick, and the book will automatically start to perform a tinny rendition of Shine, Jesus, Shine. Or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjgrieveson Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 Are you sure....? However, the Bednall sounds interesting.I might see if any of my colleagues here have a copy which I can peruse. This way I can avoid something nasty in the organ loft. I still worry that you are all trying to lull me into a false sense of security here; and actually, on opening the book at the Tambling, there will be a large colour pop-up picture of Graham Kendrick, and the book will automatically start to perform a tinny rendition of Shine, Jesus, Shine. Or something. I'm not scared. Just ordered it from Allegro Music for £17 post free (until 14th feb). Hope there is something in there I will be able to manage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Fairhurst Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 Clearly the book is finding an audience - I went into Blackwells Music this afternoon and they'd already sold out. There were none on the shelves at the OUP bookshop, either, but the checkout staff found a copy hidden round the back somewhere... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbarber49 Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 My copy arrived very promptly from Allegro (I had pre-ordered it). I played the Tambling Fanfare on “Shine, Jesus, shine” on Sunday as we had that for our All-age Candlemas service. Good fun, if a little light-weight for an “Oxford Book of………” Lots of interesting pieces, but not as useful to me as I’d hoped, I must say. Some of the Lent and Holy Week preludes (the likes of Parry, Whitlock and even Jackson seem too “comfortable” to make Lent sombre enough. And much as I like the Bednall Toccata on Aberystwyth, I don’t play flashy toccatas in Lent. For Palm Sunday the 3 pieces are all are based on hymns for the Liturgy of the Palms rather than the Liturgy of the Passion which is the 2nd and main part of the service. Yet they seem more suitable for post-service voluntaries, though I certainly wouldn’t play the ebullient Prelude by Alan Bullard after a Palm Sunday service. The Hakim and Moore variations look good (especially for recital use). Not sure about the Briggs. I won’t throw away my copies of Trevor’s “Seasonal Choral Preludes” and Marsden-Thomas’s “The Church’s Year” just yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolsey Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Just the sort of review I needed, Stephen. Many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Newnham Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Hi I ordered a copy a couple of days ago. Just hoping that enough of the contents will be playable on the small organ we have, and appropriate for the church. Every Blessing Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcnd5584 Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Just the sort of review I needed, Stephen. Many thanks. Indeed - this was useful in helping me to decide not to bother just yet. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Cooke Posted February 7, 2013 Author Share Posted February 7, 2013 Indeed - this was useful in helping me to decide not to bother just yet. Thank you. Pah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjgrieveson Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 I daresay those with shelves groaning with music may already have a lot of the contents of the book. I'm still collecting. My music skills must be worse than I feared because I couldn't hear SJS in the Toccata, and I played each voice separately to make sure. It'll probably hit me one day. One quibble I have, (and it's the same with the Christmas music book from the same stable) is that the thing won't open flat; I've bent the book right round and it still tries to close itself. Even with the prongs on the organ music stand, I'm sure the book will fall off when I try to turn the pages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcnd5584 Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 ... My music skills must be worse than I feared because I couldn't hear SJS in the Toccata ... I had understood that it was in a fanfare - this may be why. I do not think that it was in the Bednall Toccata. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjgrieveson Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 I had understood that it was in a fanfare - this may be why. I do not think that it was in the Bednall Toccata. Oops! hadn't got the book with me to check - whatever I was playing I'm sure it had SJS somewhere in the title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveBarker77 Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 My music skills must be worse than I feared because I couldn't hear SJS in the Toccata, and I played each voice separately to make sure. It'll probably hit me one day. Not by any means an exhaustive analysis, but bars 1-9 are based on the opening melody of the verse 'Lord the light of your love...', bars 9-17 the end of the verse, with the 'shine on me' being bars 14-17. Then the refrain is hidden in the quavers of the right hand 18 onwards. These themes are then repeated, developed etc through the rest of the piece. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Newnham Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Hi I've not had time to look properly, but the SJS piece really has snippets of the melody - I don't think it's stated in full. Looks like fun - but until I look properly, I'm not sure if it will work on the organ here. Every Blessing Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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