Meditation in F

Hugh Blair (25 May 1864 – 22 July 1932) was an English musician, composer and organist. Born in Worcester, he was the son of Rev. Robert Hugh Blair, who founded Worcester College for the Blind in 1866. A chorister at Worcester Cathedral and a pupil at The King's School, Worcester, Blair was organ scholar at Christ's College, Cambridge, graduating B.A. 1886, Mus.B. 1887, M.A. 1896 and Mus.D. 1906.

He was Organist of Worcester Cathedral from 1895 to 1897, having been Acting Organist before that time. Edward Elgar dedicated his cantata "The Black Knight" to Blair, who was conductor of the Worcester Festival Choral Society.

Worcester Cathedral Library contains copies of Blair's compositions, and his splendid Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in B minor for double choir is in the repertoire of every cathedral choir, and is still often performed and recorded.

I found this, and many other interesting things at Rousseau Media Music: http://rousseau.shp.media/

You can read more about Hugh Blair and his troubled life there, as well as finding many interesting musical scores of lots of composers.

"Meditation in F" is the quintessential English "evensong voluntary," that would be perfect at the opening or close of service - although nowadays, Evensong seems to always end (well, usually end) with a loud French toccata...

The elegant effect is typical of Blair's writing, and reminds me of some of Edward Elgar's "Vesper Voluntaries."

The score is attached below, as well as a photo of Hugh Blair, c. 1892, and several photos of Worcester Cathedral.