Saraband Processional

Sir William Henry Harris (28 March 1883-6 September 1973) was born in Fulham, London and died in Petersfield. He was a chorister of Holy Trinity, Tulse Hill. At the age of 14, he took up a "flexible" position as Assistant Organist at St David's Cathedral in Wales, followed at 16 by a scholarship to the Royal College of Music where he was Professor of Organ and Harmony from 1921 to 1955. He was organist at St Augustine's Church, Edgbaston from 1911 to 1919 and concurrently of Assistant Organist at Lichfield Cathedral followed in 1919 by becoming Organist successively at New College and in 1929 Christ Church, Oxford, moving to St. George's Chapel, Windsor in 1933. He was affectionately named "Doc H" by his choristers.

Harris is best remembered for his Anglican church music, though his main achievements were as a choir-trainer. His most famous works are the anthems "Faire is the heaven" (1925) and to a lesser extent "Bring us, O Lord God" (1959), both for unaccompanied double choir, and "Strengthen ye the weak hands" (1949) for choir and organ. He wrote a number of significant organ works such as the "Sonata in A Minor," and the "Fantasy on Campion's Tune - By Babylon's Streams", but these are rarely heard. His most famous organ works is "Flourish for an Occasion" which he wrote while at Windsor.

"Saraband Processional" is a noble movement that was composed for the annual St. Cecilia's Day Festival Service at St. Sepulchre's Church, Holborn on November 22, 1949. It was published by Novello in 1951.

Harris, like many other leading organists of his day had a great interest in the revival of earlier music, and this shows in this piece. Just after the fanfare and climax, there is a wonderful "Tudor-like" cadance, with its signature "cross relationships."

This piece didn't really "need" the full organ, so, I chose to do it on the "partial" Hereford.

Hopefully, this will speed up the arrival of the FULL instrument!