In Moonlight

After all the "raging storm pieces" I've been playing, here's one to calm things down - and it even has chimes and harp. :-)

Ralph Kinder (1876-1952) was born in Manchester, England. At the age of 5 his family moved to Bristol, Rhode Island, and became a chorister at Trinity Church, Bristol. He was a student of Hamilton C. Macdougall, and in 1890 became organist of Trinity Church. He returned to England in 1897, and was a student of Charles William Pearce, Edwin H. Lemare, and Dr. Edward Hart Turpin.

After his return to Rhode Island, he became organist and choirmaster of Grace Church in Providence, and later of Holy Trinity Church, Rittenhouse Square in Philadeplhia, both of which are prime positions. During his time in Philadelphia, he performed over 1,000 recitals.

In 1901 he returned to England to study with Edward d'Evry, and upon returning to America was married, and opened his "Kinder Organ School" in the fall of 1915. He became organist and choirmaster of St. Thomas Church, Whitemarsh, Pa. and in 1941, organist at Trinity Memorial Church in Philadelphia.

His compositions are quite numerous, colorful, and often, as in this case, border on the "theater organ style."

"In Moonlight" was published in 1913 by J. Fischer & Bro. It is dedicated: "To John N. Frazier, Philadelphia."

This could certainly be said to be bordering on the theater organ edge. If you like this style, I think you'll love this!

Either way, it does fit nicely into my "Summertime Dream Series," and I hope you find in soothing in these hectic days in which we live.

If you enjoyed this, you may want to listen to a similar piece by Kinder, "A Summer Morning".

https://www.contrebombarde.com/concerthall/music/30602

The score is attached below, as well as a photo of Ralph Kinder, and some of Holy Trinity Church, Rittenhouse Square, where he served as organist.