Three Preludes for Passiontide (No. 2)

Gordon Lawson was born in Lenzie, near Glasgow in December 1931 and was educated in Glasgow and later in N. Wales where, during World War 11 his father was working for a government ministry. In 1950, he went up to St. Johns College, Cambridge and gained his MA and B.Mus. In 1954 he joined the R.A. for national service and in 1956, was appointed to Ellesmere College, moving to Malvern in 1962 to become assistant Director of Music and to Brighton in 1966 as Director of Music.

He retired from teaching in 1987 to devote more time to composition, to travel abroad as an examiner for the Royal Schools of Music, to care for an elderly relative and to spend more time in Spain where he has had a property since 1973 and which is now his permanent home. Since 1987, hardly a day passes without putting pen to paper and he has more than 150 compositions to his name, many of which are published.

He is the founder and conductor of the Montgo Chorale, and plays the organ in one of the Costa Blanca Anglican Chapliancy churches.

The "Three Preludes for Passiontide" were published by Fagus Music in 2015. Each of these three pieces are very much in what I'd call the "cathedral manner," and the fingerprints of composers such as Howells and Leighton are very apparent. However, the composer has "personalized" these influences and elements into pieces are spiritual, engaging and deeply moving. There always a sense of the "grand arch" present in these wonderful pieces.

These three pieces were first uploaded by our member, EdoL, and it is through Edo that I have had the good fortune of making Gordon's acquaintance.

As I've said many times for many things, THANK YOU, Edo!

In his notes, the composer writes of the second prelude, saying: "The second could be used during the washing of the feet on Maundy Thursday." It is the grandest of the three, and is a true "cathedral-style" work.

Two photographs of Gordon Lawson are attached below.