Serenade

Harry Rowe Shelley (June 8, 1858 – September 12, 1947) was an American composer, organist (church and concert), and professor of music. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Shelley studied at Yale College, and with Dudley Buck and Antonín Dvořák in New York, and completed his musical education in London and Paris. According to his New York Times obituary, Shelley "penned church music that won him wide popularity. For sixty years a host of English-speaking peoples throughout the world sang his hymns."

While still a boy, Shelley played the organ at Center Church on the Green in New Haven. Although he entered Yale, he did not complete his freshman year. He was organist at the Church of the Pilgrims in Brooklyn and died at age 89 in Short Beach, Connecticut.

In his day, Shelley was as major figure in the American organ world. His music is very much "of his time," and well some of his works are overly sentimental, there are some solid and even brilliant works, particularly the "Fanfare" and the "Marche Militaire", both of which were composed while Shelley was organist of the Fifth Avenue Baptist Church in New York City.

"Serenade", along with several other works, was published by G. Schirmer in 1887, so Shelley was 29 when he composed this. To put this in "historical perspective," these pieces were published one year before the terrible appearance of Jack-the-Ripper in the autumn of 1888.

In the key of A minor, this is certainly more of a "salon piece" instead of a "church work," but I wouldn't hesitate to use this is a prelude. It fits nicely into my "Summertime Dream Series."

The melody and texture is darkly hypnotic, but it mesmerizes without threat! The central section is in F, and more chorale-like, fitting nicely the return of the opening.

I have to say that the final "cadence" really "kills it" for me, but I've tried to make the best of it. What do you think?

The score is attached below, as well as photos of Shelley and churches at which he served.