SKU: HL.48184741

UPC: 888680907693. 9.0x12.0x0.16 inches.

Modern French composer, organist and improviser, Jean Langlais (1907-1991) studied at the Paris Conservatoire where he won many prizes. He is best remembered for his Masses and Organ works, Nine Pieces being no exception. Published in 1945, the Nine Pieces for Organ reflect Langlais' compositional uses of Gregorian chant and polymodal harmonies. The Nine Pieces are entitled; 1) Song of Sorrow, 2) Song of Joy, 3) Song of Peace, 4) Heroic Song, 5) In quiet Joy, 6) Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, 7) My soul longeth to depart in peace, 8) Prelude on an Anthem, and 9) Gregorian Rhapsody. All movements of Langlais' Nine Pieces for Organ are highly modern, yet provide an exciting and varied piece for the advanced level organist's repertoire..

SKU: HL.49045437

ISBN 9790001162715. UPC: 841886029088. 9.0x12.0x0.168 inches.

On the occasion of the quincentenary of Reformation Day in 2017, the composer Enjott Schneider thoroughly studied Martin Luther the individual and all his contradictions. The result is a brilliant, demanding organ symphony which is perfect for concerts on the subject of Reformation and Martin Luther.The composer describes the five movements of the symphony as follows:'1st movement:Wir glauben all an einen Gott with its quintuplet-like beginning is very Gregorian in style, outlining the range of Lutheran emotionalism between the Middle Ages and the modern era. The irrationality of faith ultimately has priority over any thought and evidence. At the beginning of the movement, sounds of knocking on wood remind of the nailing of the Ninety-Five Theses to the doors of churches in Wittenberg. The chorale melody sometimes hides with an almost rough medieval saltarello, referring to Luther's robustness and vitality with which he knew to carry away even common people.2nd movement:In 1530, the electoral prince of Saxony presented to Luther at Coburg Castle the golden signet ring with the Luther rose which became the symbol of his theology of grace. A white heart with black cross is fixed on a five-petalled rose. To him, white is the colour of angels and ghosts, black stands for the pain of crucification: The just shall live by faith, but by faith in the Crucified. But the fact that the rose and the heart are the dominating symbols shows how Catholic Marian piety remained an ingredient of Luther's spirituality throughout his life. In line with the dominant five-petal structure of the rose, this movement was composed, to a large extent, in accordance with the floating, lyrical rhythm in 5/8 time.3rd movement:The omnipresence of death and dying - from the plague and war to the never-ending dangers of daily life - was an essential part of the world view of that time. Fears ensued that might heighten into the grotesque, e.g. in the pictures of Hieronymus Bosch. The Danse macabre was a popular motif in those years. Luther's chorale Mitten wir im Leben sind / mit dem Tod umfangen from 1524 (Enchiridion from Erfurt) is based on the Gregorian chant Media vita in morte sumus created in France around 750 and, with its idea of transience, inspired a simplistic air.4th movement:The famous confession delivered at the Diet of Worms in 1521, I stand here and can say no more. God help me. Amen, are not Luther's words but the version later used as text for a pamphlet. However, it represents quite plainly the straightforwardness and inevitability of his mission. Musically, it was made into a perpetuum mobile, i.e. a dogged, ostinato and never-ending musical air.5th movement:The Mighty Fortress, on the other hand, is one of the great symbols of Martin Luther which, with its shining C major key, embodies the Protestant ideology and willful nature of the Reformation unlike any other song. Heinrich Heine called it the Marseille anthem of the Reformation, Friedrich Engels the Marseillaise of the Peasants' Wars. This disputability is not thought through to the end but rather interrupted: With a jubilant birdcall version of the melody, the finale shows a rather chamber-music-like side of the ideals of freedom of Christians.'.

SKU: HL.48024623

ISBN 9781784543907. UPC: 888680940775. 9.0x12.0x0.096 inches.

A major addition to the repertoire of transcriptions for organ, the whole suite or any one of the movements will delight performers and audiences alike. Vaughan Williams's original score for military band of 1923 (orchestrated by Gordon Jacob the following year) was a milestone in the introduction of English folk song to the classical repertory which both he and his friend Holst championed. Over its three contrasting movements (two marches separated by an intermezzo) no fewer than nine folk songs are presented, in both lively and emotive style. Greg Morris, organist at London's Temple Church, has deftly arranged the suite, providing generic registration suggestions for a romantic instrument, but in the hands of imaginative players the score will readily transfer to organs of most styles and eras.