Solemn End (from Organ Symphony No. 18) (2020

Bernard Heyes (b. 1951) — Solemn End (from Organ Symphony No. 18) (2020)

The composer has written: “Perhaps I’m asking a question by creating the ambiguity of having a piece referring to the end in the middle of the symphony? This movement uses a melody which is accompanied with a variety of harmonizations and is interjected with a fanfare progression. The coda is comprised of a two part fugato and ends with the final statement of the fanfare.”

English composer Bernard J. D. Heyes (b. 1951) was born in Kent and began his musical studies at age 21. As a composer, he has focused particularly on music for the organ, most especially his extensive cycle of 20 organ symphonies. Heyes’s musical style draws on a variety of influences and diverse sources of inspiration including the natural world (especially gardens and trees), states of transcendence, ancient Greek philosophy, world cultures and places, life, death, and subatomic physics. The result is music of large scale that connects to the organ’s traditional repertoire while also speaking with a profound and individual voice.

Published by Heyes Music (bernardheyes.org.uk)