The Sunset Hour (Reverie)

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/

There you can read more about Hugh Blair and his troubled life.

"The Sunset Hour (Reverie)" was published by Paxton in 1924. It is dedicated "To my old friend, William Wolstenholme,Esq." Wolstenholme was a famous blind organist and composer.

Beneath the title, Blair states that this piece was "Suggested by the "Alpine-glow." Grindalwald, 1923." It's quite clear that he is depicting the brilliant colors of a blazing sun set in the Alps (see attached photo). It's also quite clear that this is really a "salon piece" for solo violin and piano.

However, the piece makes full use of the solo colors (Violin solo), rising all the way up to a thunderous climax, and then dropping back and melting away into darkness, with just a slight "shimmer" left on top.

The BIG decrescendo was achieved with 7 pistons (4 divisionals, 3 generals) pushed in rapid succession!

The score is attached below, as well as photos of Blair, Wolstenholme, Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone (London), Blair's final position, AND an Alpine sunset!