Pachelbel's Famous Canon

[innate]

As it says. I have to play this for the entry of a bride in a couple of weeks on an, I imagine, fairly typical late C19 village church organ and I don't yet have a copy. I'd like something that is playable but also relatively faithful to the original, if possible.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Michael

[Vox Humana]

It is at moments like this that I feel an irrepressible urge violently to deprive the happy couple of a convivial life together. Because of the way the three violin parts range and intermingle, there is just no way this piece can ever sound effective on an organ, expect possibly played as a duet on a three-manual.

 

There's this free one: http://icking-music-archive.org/scores/pac...l-CanonD-RL.pdf

 

I'd avoid this one: http://www.free-scores.com/download-sheet-...c.php?pdf=13865

 

I have, however, seen an easier version, probably from Mayhew, and, frankly, I'd run with that if you can trace it.

 

Or you could always try making your own arrangement from the original: http://icking-music-archive.org/scores/pachelbel/kanon.pdf

[contrabordun]

The one in The Organists Wedding Album (Cramer) is pretty straightforward.

[pwhodges]

I have, however, seen an easier version, probably from Mayhew, and, frankly, I'd run with that if you can trace it.

Mayhew's "The Essential Organist, for Manuals" (link) has a pretty bare arrangement by Colin Hand which would doubtless serve.

 

Paul

[mgp]

As it says. I have to play this for the entry of a bride in a couple of weeks on an, I imagine, fairly typical late C19 village church organ and I don't yet have a copy. I'd like something that is playable but also relatively faithful to the original, if possible.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Michael

There's a respectable, playable version in the OUP Book of Wedding Music for Manuals (arr M Archer) -.

[innate]

There's a respectable, playable version in the OUP Book of Wedding Music for Manuals (arr M Archer) -.

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I played through the one in the Cramer Wedding Book yesterday and I think it will serve!

[contrabordun]

Your biggest problem is going to be the length (or otherwise) of your aisle.

[mjgrieveson]

Your biggest problem is going to be the length (or otherwise) of your aisle.

 

Exactly.

 

I don't mind riding roughshod over playing this authentically, but the difficulty of ending it after just 30 seconds has stopped me considering this as an entrance piece.

 

Anyone care to reveal how they accomplish it with a short aisle and a brisk bride?

[innate]

Exactly.

 

I don't mind riding roughshod over playing this authentically, but the difficulty of ending it after just 30 seconds has stopped me considering this as an entrance piece.

 

Anyone care to reveal how they accomplish it with a short aisle and a brisk bride?

It's a quite small village church, family (groom and minister), proper rehearsal. Should be able to work out a way of it timing out, I think.

[Colin Harvey]

I find Pachebel's Canon is quite a common choice for the entrance of the Bride these days.

 

I use ... the Kevin Mayhew Wedding Collection for Organ (manuals and pedals). Although I steal myself to say it, it's actually a pretty good book - the Noel Rawsthorne transcriptions and many of the others are very good. Overally, I think the arrangements are generally slightly more straightforward than those in the Oxford Book of Wedding music and there's a good choice (including the Grand March from Aida and Wedding Day at Trolhagen) which suits me just fine.

 

When I play the Pachelbel Canon to herald the entrance of the Bride, I start with the first 2 or 3 trio-texture variations over the ground bass on an 8' Open Diapason on each manual with the Pedal Bourdon and 8' Principal. I find it's best to play them as a trio as this creates the right sort of idiomatic texture for this music. I'm very lucky to have an organ with matching (and very lovely) Open Diapasons on both manuals, with a matching 8' Pedal Principal, and it's always a pleasure to use them in this manner. I then make a huge cut to the last 2 variations, which are 3 or 4 parts on the manuals, adding the Principal for a bit of brightness and sense of climax. It gives a good impression of the piece and is about the right length for our church nave, as well as being quite satisfying. I find it is possible to make some pretty huge cuts in this piece successfully as it is just a series of variations over a ground bass. When I started, I thought this piece was unsuited to the entrance of the bride because of the build-up but now I think it is pretty satisfying.

[justinf]

The Canon does take a bit of time to crank up, which could be problematic with a short aisle. I just played a wedding where we used the Canon for the bridal party, then switched over to Jeremiah Clarke for the bride. If your bride is amenable, perhaps you can use the Canon for the lot, keeping a lid on your registration until she is ready to go. Segue if necessary to the point where F#m is swapped out for D/F# with that decending minor seventh to G and it could be a nice finish to the piece.

 

Justin

[Nigel Allcoat]

Most musicians know the correct source/instrumentation of this evergreen classic. However, for organists craving a very similar work (and still in D major) from the same composer that was expressly written for harpsichord/organ and not therefore needing to be 'arranged' (other than deciding when you would like to use pedals), shoot to the Ciacona in D. Like most works from that time the final variation can be inserted at almost any point to round things off should a necessary truncated version need to be used. Furthermore it makes a wonderful recital piece with the player able to show off the multi-various sonorities of an instrument in about 10 mins or so. This is the the work that brides should be shown as a far grander sort of composition. People need a little education now and again and they should thank you for it.

 

Best wishes,

N

[mrbouffant]

Talk to the bride. Tell her to send her bridesmaids down to the quiet bit and to set off when it livens up a bit. Brides like to be told what to do.