Sonata, First Movement (Op 47)

I first heard this incredible work played by David Leigh during this online recital from St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, Ireland : https://youtu.be/3M5yDl8VvcM - I am not aware of other recordings/performances.

Marked "Grave e maestoso - allegro assai", this stunning first movement follows classic sonata form, featuring two very different subjects and exploring the full tonal palette of the organ: from sweet clarinet solo all the way to a soaring final statement of the second subject on the Tuba Mirabilis. (I look forward to learning the remaining two movements during the year)

This year 2021 marks the 50th year of C.S. Lang's passing. I hope to learn several of his lesser performed works and share them online - I do hope you will follow along on this adventure!

Craig Sellar Lang (13 May 1891 – 24 Nov 1971) was born in New Zealand and was a student of Walter Parratt and Charles Villiers Stanford. He received his Doctorate of Music from The University of Durham. In 1929 he was appointed Director of Music at Christ's Hospital school in Horsham, West Sussex. His instructional works, aimed at students, were highly influential and generations of organists were brought up on these.

Published by Novello in 1947, the Opus 47 Sonata is a lengthy but worthy contribution to the organ literature. In it, Lang showcases his compositional ability through a variety of styles, sounding ever fresh yet characteristically English.