Over 20 years ago, I received this Symphony from composer friend Daniel Gawthrop. It was his first organ symphony, written in response to a commission by Graceland University in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the installation of their Casavant pipe organ in the Shaw Performing Arts Center.
The piece is titled "O Jerusalem, A Symphony for Organ", and each movement is preceded by a scripture quotation. This first movement, Allegro, has this passage from the book of Isaiah
66:15:
"For behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire"
Various off-beat meters (7/8, 10/8, etc) give us the first theme, followed by a quieter 6/8 more flowing section. then a return to the agitated feeling of the beginning, again followed by a contrasting softer section. Once more, the opening material appears, building relentlessly to a fiery conclusion, which ends in a pedal cadenza and a final full-organ chord.
Daniel has written 2 further symphonies, and I hope to feature those as well, eventually.
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