Organ & Piano
Chorale Prelude and Toccata on Thaxted
These two organ pieces are both based on the noble melody from the Jupiter movement of Gustav Holst's The Planets. The thaxted tune also appears as a hymn in many hymnals. These two movements are not necessarily meant to be performed together. The shorter prelude is suitable for an offertory, and the toccata is suitable for a postlude,
Recording Available Soon
Gesangvoll: Variations on a Theme by Beethoven
for organ and oboe
This piece appears on the Heavy Pedal II compilation by Navona Records. It is a set of variations is based on the third movement of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 30--a movement which is itself a set of variations. It can be appreciated on its own, but a familiarity with Beethoven’s sonata will greatly enhance one’s encounter with this work. The title comes from Beethoven's marking: "Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung" [filled with song, with deepest expression]. I became enamored with that word, “Gesangvoll”: it rolls off the tongue, and it so perfectly sums up the spirit of the work – an all-consuming lyricism that over the course of the sonata climbs its way into something approaching a transcendent state.
Prelude on Lauda Anima
This Chorale prelude is based on the hymn tune Lauda anima, which appears in a variety of hymnals with celebratory texts such as "Praise My Soul the God of Heaven." One version uses solo saxophone, and in the other version, the melody line can be covered by the organist using a solo stop.