| Description: | Purcell James Mansfield (1889-1968), the transcriber of these works, was the son of the organist, Dr. Orlando Mansfield. He was an accomplished organist and pianist by an early age, and had a long and distinguished career as organist, composer, adjudicator and conductor. He held a number of important posts, including the position at Park Parish Church in Glasgow, which was considered to be one of the most desirable posts in Great Britain at the time.
"Prelude on 'Crimond'" was published by W. Paxton & Co. Ltd. in 1958. It is dedicated: "For Herrick Bunney, Esq., B. Mus., FRCO, Organist of St. Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, and Organist to the University of Edinburgh." It is paired with Op. 130, No. 2, "Postlude on "Cwm Rhondda".
It is based upon the well-known (in the UK, but not in the US) hymn-tune composed by Jesse Seymour Irvine (1836-1877), arranged by David Grant (1833-1893), and paired with the words, "The Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not want", written by Francis Rous (1579-1659).
Mansfield has produced a sort of mini-tone poem in this work. It is more or less continuous, but it falls into several sections.
The first is a brief intro, followed by a flowing section played upon the Swell strings, ending with a passage played upon the Solo clarinet. This leads to a more chromatic "verse," that finds the melody played upon the Swell 8' & 4' stops with tremulant, and a counter melody played in the left hand upon the Great small open diapason. This leads into a more dramatic phase, with much chromaticism and the feeling of "death's dark vale." This gradually melts away, but there is still some "turbulence," which continues to subside. The coda features the clarinet again, this time against a hurrying chromatic part in the right hand, but this too finds rest and repose in the final hushed chord with the soft 32'.
Attached are photos of Mansfield, Francis Routh, text author, & St. Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh.
Also is a photo of their Rieger organ... :-( |
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