A Career Which Brought Him to Leeds, in December 1840
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www.leedsminster.org The Friends of the Music of Leeds Minster ~ Registered Charity 1055944 present Sounds Seasonal Lunchtime Organ Music the first three Fridays in December 2015 at Leeds Minster Dr Christopher Newton organist All are warmly welcome at Friday Midday Prayers from 12.00 in the Lady Chapel SOUVENIR PROGRAMME You are asked to give generously to the Retiring Collection at each Recital – please complete a Gift Aid Envelope if you are a UK Tax Payer; it helps greatly. All proceeds are devoted to the tuning and maintenance of the Minster’s magnificent organ – a task funded on an annual basis by grants from the Friends of the Music of Leeds Minster. 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & THANKS The Friends of the Music express special thanks to all who generously assist in the presentation of lunchtime organ music in general and this month’s series in particular: The Artist for very generously giving of their services David Hawkin for much help with publicity The Friday “Team” in the Wardens’ Vestry each week offering hospitality and refreshment to our “regulars” Andrew Carter, A J Carter, Organ Builders ~ Michael Vary & Mark Walker, Allfab Engineering The Organ of Leeds Minster The first Organ at Leeds Minster was installed in 1714. Major work on the instrument was undertaken by Greenwood Brothers of Leeds in 1815 – and again in 1841, when the organ was moved to the present building in time for the consecration on 2nd September. Additions were provided by Holt, Hill and Schulze in 1859 and the instrument rebuilt by Abbott & Smith of Leeds in 1883 and 1899, by which time it had five manuals and pedals. The major re-construction of the organ by Harrison & Harrison of Durham in 1913 gave us the organ as we now know it. Further work by Harrison took place in 1927 and, importantly, in 1949. Somewhat unusually for a Harrison, the Leeds organ - though speaking unmistakably with a Harrison voice - incorporates recognisable earlier pipework by other famous hands: Hill, Schulze, Abbott & Smith and, after 1965, by Wood, Wordsworth and Stinkens. The Leeds firm of Wood, Wordsworth & Co undertook a major scheme in 1965 when the pipework of the famous Altar Organ was incorporated into the main body of the instrument. Several new stops were added and the console re-furbished. The character of the original pipework was, in general, carefully maintained up to, and during the programme of restoration recently completed. The major Restoration Appeal of 1994 here at the Minster provided funds for a substantial and thorough restoration of the organ, including re-construction of the Blowing Plant, replacement of the console mechanisms, actions and complete cleaning and overhaul; this work was carried out by A J Carter Organ Builders of Wakefield, which firm has had the care of the instrument for many years. The Blowing Plant works were by Allfab Engineering of Methley. The Consultants to the Vicar and Churchwardens were Dr Noel Rawsthorne of Liverpool [Main Adviser], the Organist and Master of the Music [Dr Simon Lindley] and the Ripon Diocesan Organ Adviser [Mr Anthony J Cooke]. A complete history of the organ is in Parish, Past and Present by Dr Donald Webster [£5] Recordings of the Organ, Choir and Organists are also available from the Visitors’ Centre Special Upcoming Sunday 20 December at 3.00 Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols with the Lord Lieutenant for West Yorkshire, The High Sheriff and the Lord Mayor of Leeds Christmas Services Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 – at 4.00 Choral Evensong, at 11.30 Midnight Mass Christmas Day, Friday 25 – at 9.15 am Prayer Book Holy Communion & Carols at 10.30 am Choral Matins Christmas Sunday [St John’s Day], 27 – at 9.15 & 10.30 Holy Communion at 4.00 Readings and Music for Christmas and the New Year and into the New Year: Sunday 3 January, Services at 9.15, 10.30 & 6.30 Choir Holiday The Feast of the Epiphany – Wednesday 6 January at 7.30 Choral Festal Eucharist 2 Sounds Seasonal! Christopher Newton Friday 4 December Andrew Carter Toccata on Veni Emmanuel Rebecca Groom Te Velde Meditation on Conditor alme siderum JS Bach Allein Gott in der Hoh sei Ehr, BWV 711 Camille Saint-Saëns Rhapsody 1 sur Cantiques Bretons David Blackwell Reflection on Divinum mysterium Francis Jackson Scherzetto Pastorale André Fleury Variations sur un Noël Bourgignon Friday 11 December Camille Saint-Saëns Rhapsody 2 sur Cantiques Bretons Dezső Antalffy-Zsiros Christmas Bells Louis Claude Daquin Noël Suisse Jean-François Dandrieu Noël: Chantons je vous prie Jean Huré Pour la Communion d'une Messe de Minuit de Noël William Thomas Best A Christmas Fantasy Friday 18 December Geoffrey Bush Carillon Jean Bouvard Noël Vosgien Camille Saint-Saëns Rhapsody 3 sur Cantiques Bretons Antonio Vivaldi Largo (Winter – The Four Seasons) Noel Rawsthorne Three Improvisations on Christmas Carols Past Three O'Clock - A Maiden Most Gentle - The Virgin Mary had a Baby Boy Christopher Tambling Prelude on 'Still, Still, Still' David Willcocks Postlude on ‘Mendelssohn’ There are no Recitals on 25 December or 1 January Recitals resume on Friday 15 January The January Recitals will be given by Simon Lindley 3 PROGRAMME NOTES Friday 4 December Although a native of Leicester, Andrew Carter [born 1939] has been very much associated with the musical life of Yorkshire. After graduating from the University of Leeds he joined the choir of York Minster. He was also Director of Music of the nearby St Mary’s Convent Grammar School, and in 1965 he founded the renowned Chapter House Choir. Andrew and his music have also been frequent and welcome visitors to Leeds Minster. Of this Toccata on Veni Emmanuel he wrote ‘Seeing the manuscript on an Oxford editor’s desk John Scott asked to give the first performance in York Minster, albeit in his summer recital. It was, I recall, the hottest and most humid day of a prolonged heatwave, with everyone in short sleeves. As the great pedal tune rolled around the Minster during John’s rehearsal, I overheard a visitor remark to her husband ‘By gum, Christmas is a bit early this year!’ Rebecca Groome te Velde [born 1956 works in Oklahoma, as organist of First Presbyterian Church and as a teacher at the State University. This tranquil Meditation is based on the plainsong Advent hymn Conditor alme siderum – ‘Creator of the stars of night, Thy people’s everlasting light’. The chorale Allein Gott in der Höh sei Her is based on the plainsong of Gloria in Excelsis Deo. Bach [1685-1750] seemed fond of this particular chorale, and his collected organ works contain at least ten settings. This one presents the chorale rather soberly against a lively, dancing bass – maybe representing a conflict between the sacred and secular? Camille Saint-Saëns [1835 – 1921] was Organist of the Church of La Madeleine in Paris from 1858 until 1877, when his finances meant that he no longer had to rely on a church salary. Not long after his appointment he attended the Grand Pardon of Sainte-Anne-La-Palud, one of Brittany's oldest religious days. It is still held each August and attracts thousands of pilgrims. A modern guide describes it as ‘A series of services leading to Sunday's open-air mass and spectacular procession on the sand dunes in honour of the Virgin Mary's mother, Saint Anne.’ One result of his pilgrimage was a set of three Rhapsodies on Breton melodies. The melodies may well have been Christmas carols: their style certainly gives the Rhapsodies a suitably seasonal atmosphere, and gives me enough reason to include the complete set during the course of this month’s recitals. 4 David Blackwell [born 1961] is Head of Music Publishing at the music department of Oxford University Press. His Reflection is based on the plainsong melody which is associated with the hymn Of the Father’s love Begotten. Most of it is indeed reflective, but it has a short, more powerful central section. Scherzetto Pastorale was written by Francis Jackson [born 1967] for a Christmas Album published by OUP in 1956. The composer describes the work as suggesting ‘distant bells on the frosty night air’. Towards the end Good King Wenceslas makes a very brief appearance – although you will need to be alert to spot him! André Fleury [1903-1995]was born near Paris, and was organist of St Augustine, in Paris, for many years. He was an outstanding organist, even in his old age. I recall attending a recital which he gave when he was in his eighties: Despite his age and skeletal appearance he displayed an energetic virtuosity that would have been a credit to a much younger performer. He spent much of his life in Paris, but after the war he spent about twenty years as Organist of Dijon Cathedral in the heart of Burgundy. It was during this time that he wrote these Variations on a Burgundy Carol. After a number of short variations, there is a fugue which leads into a suitably bucolic finale, no doubt inspired by the joys of the local wine. Friday 11 December Dezso Antalffy-Zsiros [1885-1945] was born in Hungary and studied at the Budapest Academy and in Leipzig, where he was a pupil of Max Reger. He became organist of St Stephen’s Cathedral in Budapest, but moved to the United States, in 1921, to take up the post of organist of a rather different establishment – The Radio City Music Hall in New York. He was also invited to teach accompaniment for silent films at the Eastman School of Music. Most of his compositions for organ reflect these American experiences.