Prelude on "State Street" (Preludes and Meditations No. 14)

About two months ago, Carson Cooman asked if I would be interested in recording a set of new works by Raymond H. Haan. I am always pleased to be invited, so I said that I would be glad to do them.

My first instincts was to be put off by the registrations, as they seem to be for a large Allen or Rodgers. However, when I stop prejudging and working on them, I found some REALLY BEAUTIFUL MUSIC in them!

I used Salisbury, trying to use it more like an "American organ," and I am very pleased with the results.

What I found to be especially satisfying is that Carson sent the recordings to the composer, and he was overjoyed. As a performer, that is something very gratifying.

The fourteenth work is "Prelude on 'State Street,'" the tune being composed by Jonathan C. Woodman, and paired with the words, "This is the day of Light." Here again, the tune is unfamiliar to me, but with it's sincere melody, feels like I know it well.
The piece itself is very "involved," as there are many changes of registrations, playing on two manuals at once (with one hand), and other details too numerous to mention. If you play only music that is more "classic" in its approach, you can not begin to imagine that in a piece like this, I'd say about 85% of the effort goes into managing the stops and the swell/solo boxes.

Published in "Raymond H. Haan: Preludes and Meditations" by Lorenz Publishing.

https://www.lorenz.com/search-results/preludes-and-meditations

A native of Michigan, Raymond H. Haan (b. 1938) is a graduate of Calvin College and the University of Michigan. In addition to an extended career in education teaching middle and high school English, Haan was
Director of Music at Cutlerville East Christian Reformed Church for more than fifty years. As a composer he has published extensively, and his body of more than 500 works includes music for organ, choir, handbells, and other solo instruments.

I found these pieces really "refreshing," and I hope that you will as I did.