Prelude and Fugue on "Adeste fideles"

Stanley E. Saxton (1904-2002) was professor emeritus of music at Skidmore College. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from Syracuse University; he also studied organ with Marcel Dupre and Charles Marie Widor at the American School in Fontainbleau in France, as well as composition with Nadia Boulanger. He held his first church organist job at the age of 12, formed his own orchestra as a college freshman, and toured Europe with Paul Whiteman’s Collegians. A member of the American Guild of Organists, Saxton designed and built many pipe organs in the eastern U.S. He also pursued research in indigenous folk music as source material for compositions, and composed many published works for organ, piano, voice, and chorus.

"Prelude and Fugue on 'Adeste Fideles'" was published by Brodt Music Co. in 1964.

Like many of Saxton's scores, it's very fussy, and will need "fiddling around" to make it work. It's probably because of my registrational approach, but the way many of these pieces are written just don't work, at least to my way of thinking. :-)

Despite all that, the piece is interesting, achieving a variety of dynamics, colors, textures, and all coming together for a grandiose conclusion.

THANKS to Carson Cooman for these very rare scores.

A photo of Stanley Saxton is attached below.