Festival March on "St. George" (Come, ye thankful people, come)

Percy Eastman Fletcher, was born in Derby on 12 December 1879 and died on 10 December 1932 at the early age of 52. He took lessons on violin, piano and organ, the former being his most important instrument. Like a number of his composer contemporaries, he made his living as a Musical Director in the London theater world, fulfilling this position successively at the Prince of Wales, Savoy, Daly's, Drury Lane and from, 1915 until his death, His Majesty's Theatre.

His creative activity was however by no means confined to the theater. There were ballads and songs, ad a considerable amount for chorus,as well as sacred works, "The Passion of Christ" (1922), one of the best of those sacred cantatas for small church choirs.

Fletcher wrote a large number of suites for light orchestras, and many fine, now forgotten, orchestral works.

Most of Fletcher's piano music was arranged from orchestral scores, but there are several fine works, originally for piano solo.

He also composed quite widely for organ. An Interlude of 1901 is probably his earliest dated publication, while later works include the two most famous of his organ works, both dating from 1915, "Festival Toccata" and the always exquisite, "Fountain Reverie."

With this VERY lucky, accidental find, I'm pleased to share a piece which I think may be come very popular as a Thanksgiving postlude!

It's on the fine tune, "St. George's Windsor,' composed by George J. Elvey (1816-1893), and was published bu Curwen in 1906. It is straight-forward and fabulously enjoyable, but you'll have to be "creative" in bringing it to life, as it's written on two-staves, and can be played on a small organ, and perhaps without pedals.

In this performance, I "changed" nothing, but I did "fill out" parts as needed, and gave it the grand treatment.

For fans of the Beach Boys, you'll also hear an almost literal quote of "Little Surfer Girl" in the soft part! ;-)

The score is attached below, as well as photos of Eastman and of Elvey.