Pavane

Francis Alan Jackson CBE (born 2 October 1917) is a British organist and composer. He was the organist and director of music at York Minster for 36 years. He was born in Malton, Yorkshire and received his early education as a chorister at York Minster under his predecessor, Sir Edward Bairstow. He was appointed organist and director of music at York Minster in 1946 and held these positions until his retirement in 1982.
Both nationally and internationally acclaimed, Jackson has given recitals and concerts all over the world, and made numerous recordings.

His extensive output of sacred and secular music includes canticles, anthems, hymn tunes, organ sonatas and other organ pieces such as "Diversion for Mixtures", two acclaimed monodramas - Daniel in Babylon and A Time of Fire, an overture, Brigantia, a concerto, a symphony, and solo songs. Jackson's creative output has continued since his retirement. He is still going strong at the age of 99!

In 1988, Jackson composed "Seven Pieces" and these were published by Banks Publications in York.

I personally found "Pavane" to be absolutely hypnotic. It is a dark, dream-like piece. When I first played through it, an "image" came to mind - a dark, beautiful but nightmarish castle, and a person imprisoned (sounds like a man's song to me), held there in a dream state, his life force being "sweetly" drawn from him by a "witch" who is gradually taking his will, his life, his being from him - and he doesn't even care. He languidly waits for this sweet and hopeless death. He is completely under her spell - and all of this is "observed" by some huge spider, waiting in a massive web high above. Waiting for its own next victim...

Does that intrigue you? Well, listen and see why this image came immediately into my mind...

I dedicate this to our member, rmdostie, who gave me the music for it. THANK YOU, Rick!

There are photos of Francis Jackson attached, as well as of York Minster, the building and the organ.