The Organist Entertains

[Barrie Davis]

Hi

I listened to part of this last night and heard Gordon Stewart playing an amusing piece I think it was called "Handel in the Strand". Does anyone know this music and where I can obtain a copy?

Barrie

[Colin Pykett]

Barrie - it's by Percy Grainger, originally for piano duet (I think).   It's wonderful to hear it played that way as he was such an empathetic pianist and piano composer himself.  Don't know where the sheet music would be obtained from, though it would likely be the piano version.  As it's so well known I would be slightly surprised if it was hard to obtain.  Try the 'sheet music warehouse' on the web?  That's where I got my copy of Watling's "Minuet Antique" from recently, and that's far less well known.  They have some great stuff and give excellent service.  Bit pricey though.  You could also try setting a watch on ebay maybe?

I have the piano duet version on a CD and it's marvellous, especially when played at realistic grand piano volume..  I just keep playing it over and over.  It's been widely recorded.

He also wrote a pastiche piece in similar light hearted vein called "Bach Goes To Town".

By the way, I've just put "Minuet Antique" on my website if you have 5 minutes to waste!

See:

http://www.colinpykett.org.uk/MinuetAntiqueWatling.mp3

Best

Colin Pykett

[Barrie Davis]

Colin, Many thanks I know Bach goes to Town, I will try and get the music from the source you suggested. It seems more fun than the Bach.

Best wishes

Barrie

[Barry Williams]

Percy Grainger's 'Handel In The Strand' is available in an organ arrangement by Wolfgang Stockmeier, published in the Grainger Society Edition under reference BD0454.  (Bardic Edition)

'Bach goes To Town' by Alec Templeton was arranged for organ by William Davies and is in 'The Organist Entertains', published by EMI ISBN 0 86175 135 3.

Both are very easy to play and great fun. 

The 'Minuet Antique' is gorgeous.  Is there any more music like that?

Barry Williams

[Colin Pykett]

My response to Barrie's initial question was off the cuff and contained some errors I'm afraid!  Having looked it all up to refresh my memory, "Handel in the Strand" was not originally written for piano duet as I surmised but for piano and string orchestra, with the duet version brought out many years later by Grainger himself.

Grainger did not write "Bach goes to town", as Barry Williams has quite rightly pointed out.  I'm fairly sure he did write a similar 'Bachian' pastiche though, but cannot recall what it was.

As for "Minuet Antique", thanks for the positive remarks Barry.  As to what else there might be, what I have seen of Watling's output is similarly tuneful, though I only know of four pieces for organ.  There may be more of course, but the problem is that he's scarcely the world's most played composer, which is why I can't even be certain of his dates.  However there are definitely other pieces for other instruments and ensembles because they are on the covers of the organ works I have.  The earliest organ piece I've come across, "Romance in A" (c. 1900), was unknown to Paul Derrett with whom I had correspondence on the matter recently, so I sent him a copy.  As he seems to have some interest in Watling, I'd like to think he might include that in a future CD.

Regards

Colin Pykett

[Barry Williams]

"I'm fairly sure he did write a similar 'Bachian' pastiche though, but cannot recall what it was."

Blithe Bells (after J S Bach) is the Grainger/Bach pastiche to end all pastiches.  It is a rich (and very free) arrangement of "Sheep may safely graze" with every imaginable liberty taken several times.  I think Bach would rather have enjoyed it.

Grainger did a few of of these, including Faure's Apres un Reve and a Dowland item, yet, sadly left us nothing for organ, beyond the Bridal Song, which was arranged for our instrument by Lynwood Farnham.  His organ duet 'Early One Morning' deserves an outing. 

A friend of mine, (now long since past this life), who knew him referred to a Prelude and Fugue for organ, but it is not in the Grainger Society list.  Notwithstanding an unfortunate tendancy in his personal life, he did cheer up the scene rather with cheery music of great freshness.  'Country Gardens' and 'Shepherd's Hey' are part of the national heritage.  There is something immediately attractive about them, as there is in that Watling piece, the tune of which I cannot get out of my head!

Barry Williams

[Colin Pykett]

Many thanks for jogging my memory Barry.  Yes, 'Blithe Bells' is included on the same piano duet CD as 'Handel in the Strand' which I have, played by Penelope Thwaites and John Lavender.

At the risk of veering even further off-topic on the subject of 'Minuet Antique' yet again, I first heard it played while still at school by the music master.  He played it at a concert to demonstrate that the organ need not be serious all of the time.  This was back in the 1960's, and it has taken me all this time to finally track down a copy and play it myself.  Like you, I find the tune has a lasting quality - it must have been in my head all those years.

Colin Pykett