Toccatina

Hugh Blair (25 May 1864 – 22 July 1932) was an English musician, composer and organist. Born in Worcester, he was the son of Rev. Robert Hugh Blair, who founded Worcester College for the Blind in 1866. A chorister at Worcester Cathedral and a pupil at The King's School, Worcester, Blair was organ scholar at Christ's College, Cambridge, graduating B.A. 1886, Mus.B. 1887, M.A. 1896 and Mus.D. 1906.

He was Organist of Worcester Cathedral from 1895 to 1897, having been Acting Organist before that time. Edward Elgar dedicated his cantata "The Black Knight" to Blair, who was conductor of the Worcester Festival Choral Society.

Worcester Cathedral Library contains copies of Blair's compositions, and his splendid Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in B minor for double choir is in the repertoire of every cathedral choir, and is still often performed and recorded.

I found many interesting things at Rousseau Media Music: http://rousseau.shp.media/

There you can read more about Hugh Blair and his troubled life.

"Toccatina" was published by Winthrop Rogers Ltd. in 1906, the same year that Blair received his doctorate from Cambridge. It is dedicated: "To F. S. Garton." I believe that Garton was Organist of St. David's Cathedral in Wales.

From the first notes to the last chord, this piece explodes in a sunburst of C Major, with flying passagework. The harmonies are strong, and the entire piece will give you a workout with it's rapid scales, rhythmic addition of stops, octaves for the Solo tuba and an extended trill in the Pedal.

All-in-all, there's a LOT going on here, and the brevity of the movement only adds to the effectiveness.

The score is attached below, as well as several pictures of Hugh Blair, and one of Worcester Cathedral.