Passacaglia on a Cambrian Bass

Philip Frederick Wright James (May 17, 1890 – November 1, 1975) was an American composer, conductor and music educator.

James was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. At an early age he began piano, violin and theory lessons, and served as choirboy in several New Jersey churches. From 1904 to 1909 he studied organ with J. Warren Andrews and in 1907 began advanced harmony and counterpoint lessons with Homer Norris. He also studied composition with Rubin Goldmark, Elliott Schenck, and Rosario Scalero, as well as organ with Joseph Bonnet and Alexandre Guilmant in Paris.

In World War I James played in and subsequently became bandleader of the American Expeditionary Forces Headquarters Band.

In 1922 he co-founded and became the first conductor of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and in 1923, began a long teaching career at New York University, serving as head of the music department from 1934-1956.

Though he remained active as a composer until his death in 1975, James' larger-scale compositions were infrequently played after the mid-twentieth century. However several of his early sacred compositions, including "Meditation a Ste. Clotilde" for organ and the anthem "By the Waters of Babylon" remain in the sacred repertoire.

His first important job was at St. John's Episcopal Church, only about a mile away from where I live.

"Passacaglia on a Cambrian Bass" was published by Carl Fischer Inc. in 1962. It is superb piece that should became one of the major 20th-century organ passacaglias. It is an amazing work which is at times almost modal, and at other, staggering in the complexity of the dissonance.

This is a major work.

It is dedicated: "To Ifor Jones". Jones (1900-1988) was a Welsh conductor and organist, who made much of his career in the US.

For information on the theme, see the First Comment.

For a score, please send me a DM.


Several photos of Philip James, one of the dedicatee, Ifor Jones, and some of St. John's Church in Jersey City are attached below.