Prelude on "Old Hundredth" (Ten Hymn Preludes, Set. 1, No. 7)

The Canadian Encyclopedia says this about the "early" organ works of Healey Willan (1880-1968): With the music for organ one enters a different world. Here Willan was thoroughly at home and made a significant and lasting contribution. One work stands out: the monumental "Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue" of 1916. The Preludes and Fugues in C minor and B minor and the "Epilogue" are the other major works from this period. While not exploring the possibilities of the instrument as searchingly as his masterpiece, they are idiomatic and very typical of their time. They combine an innate Englishness (with a Stanfordian flavour) and a European chromaticism that can be found in Reger and Karg-Elert.

Born in England, Willan became organist-choirmaster of Toronto's largest church, St. Paul's, Bloor Street, but it was his royalties as a composer which allowed him to leave "low church" St. Paul's in 1921 and to become Precentor of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene (Toronto).

The tune, "Old Hundredth" is by Louis Bourgeois, 1551, and is paired with the text, "O enter then His gates with praise." It is the seventh of "Ten Hymn Preludes, Set One," published by C. F. Peters in 1956.

Willan sets this VERY grandly, as you would expect. It is typical of Anglo-German style, with fine contrapuntal passages, alternating with full chordal phrases.

In this performance, the hymn-tune is played upon the Solo Tuba (the "smaller" of the two), and the work builds up to a splendid climax, with the 32' reed appearing at the end.

The score is attached below, as well as several photos of Healey Willan, and one of the interior of Peterborough Cathedral.

More demos of this sample set, as well as the new Lavender Audio set of St. Mary-le-Bow COMING SOON!