Twelve Chorale Preludes on English Hymns by Brian Joyce Organ Solo - Digital Sheet Music

SKU: A0.836704

For the most part these preludes all fit within the established tradition of organ chorales despite the occasional harmonic or rhythmic quirks. In those moments when they might stray a bit from the respectably beaten path, they at least remain within sight of it! In keeping with my polystylistic bent, these preludes range from something resembling the stylus phantasticus of Buxtehude and Bach to something more at home in the sound world of Ernst Pepping and Hugo Distler. Players familiar with those languages will have no trouble with these pieces. Several of them have the cantus firmus in the pedal.

When I call these "English" preludes, I am primarily concerned with the hymn tunes themselves - I wanted them to be the work of composers who lived and worked in England, be they native born or "foreign imports," as was the case with William Daman, born in Lucca, Italy and brought to England as a servant. I was less strict with the hymn texts. The authors are mostly English but there are some Americans and Irish among them.

The hymns in this set are as follows (note that DANBY takes you into a little Christmas grouping in the middle and KINGSFOLD brings you back out again):

I. DARWALL (Join All the Glorious Names) -- II. DIADEMATA (Crown Him With Many Crowns) -- III. WINDSOR (My God, How Wonderful Thou Art) -- IV. DUKE STREET (Jesus Shall Reign) -- V. DANBY (‘Tis Winter Now, the Fallen Snow) -- VI. IRBY (Once in Royal David’s City) -- VII. FOREST GREEN (O Little Town of Bethlehem) -- VIII. REGENT SQUARE (Angels From the Realms of Glory) -- IX. KINGSFOLD (O Sing a Song of Bethlehem) --   X. HANOVER (Ye Servants of God) -- XI. DIADEM (All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name) -- XII. JERUSALEM (And Did Those Feet in Ancient Time)

These preludes are small in scale: most are between 1 and 2 minutes in duration and all but the last one fit on two facing pages, virtually eliminating the need for page turns. The score will print in landscape orientation.