Toccata [Alf:98-EP73749]

The Toccata originated as a much shorter piece, written it must be admitted under some friendly duress for a wedding (and a severely limited instrument). A year earlier I had completed the two hour cyclic Passion Symphony Christus, and it had seemed reasonable to assume that I had said my piece in terms of the organ for some time to come. However, later freedom from the constraints of the wedding organ lent the embryonic toccata a more willing life of its own, resulting eventually in the present work, which perhaps understandably revisits some of the rhythmic features of Christus but generally lends them a more straightforward optimism.The Toccata's broad introduction consists of a declamatory statement followed by a quieter passage. The dynamic level suddenly escalates to launch the toccata 'proper' (originally the opening of the piece). Employing irregular rhythms, a rhapsodic exposition leads to a more melodious secondary subject which shares its material with the introduction. Subsequent free development leads through a series of rhythmic paragraphs, sometimes punctuated by brief silences, to an energetic recapitulation. The second subject is heard again in the pedal part beneath fairly conventional toccata figuration before a headlong coda. Despite a mildly idiosyncratic approach to tonality and chromatic harmony, the listener may feel B minor as the prevailing tonic. However, the conclusion reveals the introduction's hints of another key to have been significant, and the piece ends on an unequivocal chord of F sharp, like its more imposing cousin, Christus.In its definitive form the Toccata received its first London performance from Gerard Brooks. It has been played widely since in the U.K., the U.S.A., Scandinavia, Australia, and the Czech Republic by James O'Donnell, Matthew Martin, Jeremy Filsell, Graham Barber, Robert Quinney, Christian Wilson, Gerard Brooks and a number of other distinguished organists.--- Francis Pott (2017)This product is Printed on Demand and may take several weeks to fulfill. Please order from your favorite retailer. 98 EP73750 98-EP73750 TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK 9790577024257 0577024256 0-57-702425-6 9790577024257 979-057-702-4257 Exceeding Glad Conductor Score SATB SATB Choir Choral Song - Sacred By Roderick Williams Edition Peters Advanced English MUS037030 16 .100 0 5.50 Available from Alfred worldwide EXCEEDING GLAD Exceeding Glad was commissioned explicitly to reflect my personal experience of the Coronation of King Charles III in May 2023. I was extremely fortunate in being asked to perform at the event as well as to contribute some music. In the week leading up to Coronation Day, I was staying in the Westminster area, close to the Abbey, and was able to soak up the extraordinary, almost unreal atmosphere. It was in marked contrast to the air of dignified solemnity that had accompanied the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II the previous year; the Coronation was to be a celebration on a grand scale and spirits were high.King Charles took a personal, close interest in the music for the whole occasion and commentators noted the breadth and diversity of his choice. The Ascension Gospel Choir made a memorable contribution to the service and certainly added to the joy of the occasion. This sense of joy was present in the noise and brilliance of the amalgamated musicians that day, also in the pealing of the Abbey bells. On the one hand, the day was a showcase for pageantry, precision, and expertise; on the other it was one huge party.A month to the day after the coronation, I was invited to a concert, to be attended by King Charles, at which the four Handel Coronation Anthems were performed. I was seated close enough to observe the King listening to this music and I couldn't help but wonder how the biblical texts, immortalized by Handel's genius centuries ago, would strike the present King. Might he also, as he listened again to "Zadok the Priest," have been taken back to the moment of his anointment in Westminster Abbey one month previously? How the texts of these anthems must have resounded in his head, possibly in something of a blur. And how strange it felt for us in the audience to have the text and music of these four anthems focused so powerfully on one human being, present right in front of us.All these reflections are contained within this short choral piece, which seeks to capture some of that joyous atmosphere."--- Roderick Williams, February 2024