Prelude (1961)

Humphrey Clucas (b. 1941) — Prelude (1961) for organ

British composer Humphrey Clucas (b. 1941) was educated at King’s College, Cambridge and pursued a career as a teacher of English while also remaining active as a professional choral singer. After 27 years, he retired from teaching and became a Lay Vicar in the choir of Westminster Abbey, from which he retired in 1999. He has composed many works, primarily music for chorus and organ. Clucas is best known for his set of Responses, composed when he himself was a student. His large number of organ works range from small preludes (and especially many works based on plainchant) to a large-scale organ symphony. He has also published several volumes of original poetry, a collection of Catullus translations, a book of essays on A. E. Housman, and a memoir.

Though not published until 1994, this brief piece is Clucas’s earliest published work, dating from a year before (1961) even his ubiquitous Responses (1962). It was composed while he was an undergraduate at King’s College, Cambridge. The language is very English, in its sweetly dissonant idiom filled with false relations.

Published by Fagus-Music.com in “Two Easy Pieces”