Toccata (Salve Regina)

Everett Titcomb (1884-1968) spent his entire career in the greater Boston Massachusetts area. He was born in Amesbury, and studied organ and composition with Samuel Whitney, organist and choirmaster of The Church of The Advent, Boston. Titcomb’s compositional inclinations lean strongly toward the music of High Church ritualism (Anglo-Catholic), and beginning in 1910 he was able to give full vent to them. That year he was appointed to The Church of St. John the Evangelist, Beacon Hill, the
and The New England Conservatory of Music. He served St. John’s until he died in 1968.

Titcomb's organ music consists mostly of small works, with a few larger ones thrown in. This work, "Toccata" was published in 1953 by H. W. Gray as part of the well-known "St. Ceclia Series". It is dedicated "To George Faxon, FTCL" (Organist of the Church of the Advent in Boston) and is based upon the theme of the Gregorian chant, "Salve Regina".

It is a quickly moving, but expressive piece that begins quietly, but expands to fuller chordal passages with an ever-increasing tonal level.

A grandiose passage follows the "fast" section, before a grandiose conclusion.

Titcomb makes no provision for use of the tuber, but I played this "alla English cathedral", and it appears briefly in a few chords on the last page.

I was looking for something else and found this piece yesterday afternoon. I hadn't played it since 1997, but still "remembered" it, so, I hope you like the results! ;-)