Aria

By Paul Manz

I first heard Manz play this live at a Hymn Festival in 1992 when I was a high school student and beginning organist. It captured my attention then and I soon purchased a copy of the score and began to play it for worship when appropriate. It follows and A...

-B-C-B-A pattern; the C section is a short fugue and the A and B sections are similar aria-like melodies. This is a great piece for showing off the tonal quality of a good pipe organ. It is ideal to have 2+2/3 and 1+3/5 flute stops on the organ it's being played on in order to perform the piece with the ideal registrations. It's not too difficult to learn and makes for fine preservice music.

This piece came to my attention in a list of the prelude music for Ronald Reagan's funeral at the National Cathedral, Washington DC. - Played by Erik Wm Suter, cathedral organist. It is lovely, introspective, but a bit rambling for my taste. Nevertheless useful as a quiet prelude.