| Description: | (Hubert) Leslie Woodgate (1902-1961) was organist of several London churches and at to the Alexander Orphanage, and was later chorus master to the BBC.
Most of his compositions are choral, but he did publish several organ compositions, including "Impromptu," which was published by Ascherberg, Hopwood and & Crew, Ltd. in 1948.
The opening section, marked to be played "Moderato marziale" begins in D minor, and his elements of the "ceremonial" about it. This opening section is quite brief, and it moves directly into the wonderful and more extended central section in D major, and marked "Meno mosso." This lovely movement is actually an "accompanied" canon at the octave, and really forms the heart of the piece.
I suppose you could play the central section alone if you wanted to, and it's nice enough to do so, but it fits in the middle so nicely, that you really should do the entire piece.
The opening material returns, somewhat varied, with a fine ending in the major. The entire piece is not only very attractive, but it's so perfectly concise, that it would be hard to find something more "successful" than this unknown gem!
The score is attached below, as well as several photos of Leslie Woodgate, as we well as a photo his autograph. |
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