VCHpresents: Organ - Pipes de Deux

MON 4 NOV 2019 VICTORIA CONCERT HALL SPONSORED BY

PROGRAMME ANTONIO SOLER (ARR. E.P. BIGGS) The Emperor’s Fanfare

3 mins

J.S. BACH Gigue Fugue in G major, BWV 577

3 mins

ALFRED HOLLINS Maytime Gavotte

4 mins

DAN LOCKLAIR “... and thanksgivings may follow” from Rubrics (A Liturgical Suite for Organ)

3 mins

FRANZ SEYDELMANN Sonata No. 1 in C major for 4 Hands: Allegro

4 mins

WILLIAM MATHIAS Fanfare

3 mins

LOUIS VIERNE Sicilienne from 24 Pièces de fantaisie, Op. 53, No. 2

4 mins

GUY BOVET Salamanca from Trois Préludes Hambourgeois

6 mins

CHARLES E. CALLAHAN Ragtime, Op. 49

6 mins

JOHANN GEORG ALBRECHTSBERGER Prélude and Fugue in C major for 4 Hands

5 mins

EVELYN LIM, ORGAN Evelyn Lim is a full-time faculty member at the Methodist School of Music as well as adjunct instructor at Dulwich College and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. Having performed both as a soloist and collaborative musician with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Choruses, as well as at concerts both regionally and internationally, she is no stranger to the scene. The University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) graduate is also Pipe Organ Master at the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, and Dean of the Singapore Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

JOANNA PAUL, ORGAN Having spent over 32 years in the UK, Joanna continues her career as organist, singer and tutor. She has worked with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra as principal organist on numerous works such as the Scriabin Symphonies and Resphighi’s Fountains of Rome and Pines of Rome. She has also worked with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra several times, including a recital with oboist Joost Flach. She is currently Music Director at St. George’s International Church and tutor at Dulwich College.

PROGRAMME NOTES The Emperor’s Fanfare ANTONIO SOLER arr. E.P. Biggs.

The Emperor’s Fanfare is an adaptation of an excerpt from Antonio Soler’s Concierto VI for two organs, arranged by E.P. Biggs. Written with a gallant, festive air and the battery of sound of the Spanish organ, Biggs’ arrangement brought new popularity to the piece. Believing in maintaining the historical accuracy of musical pieces, Biggs was at the forefront of the mid-20th century’s renewed interest in organ music.

Gigue Fugue in G major, BWV 577 J.S. BACH A standalone Fugue which lacks a prelude, Bach’s Gigue Fugue in G major has a unique musical character — opening with an energetic dance rhythm, the piece then moves into a virtuosic four-voice segment where the theme is also played by the pedals.

Maytime Gavotte ALFRED HOLLINS Written in 1927, Maytime Gavotte is one of numerous organ works written by Alfred Hollins. A distinguished organist and composer, Hollins was blind from birth. Opening with a bright melody that follows with more chromatic variation, this is a charming dance which evokes images of the English countryside. “…and thanksgivings may follow” from Rubrics (A Liturgical Suite for Organ) DAN LOCKLAIR The third movement of the Rubrics (A Liturgical Suite for Organ), “and thanksgivings may follow” is written in a trio style, with a dance-like trumpet tune. The work was written in 1988 as a commission from the Organ Artists Series of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for their tenth anniversary celebration. The pentatonic scale gives an oriental flavour to the movement.

Sonata No. 1 in C major for 4 hands: Allegro FRANZ SEYDELMANN The esteemed German composer Franz Seydelmann (1748-1806) is remembered for his diverse output, comprising operas, oratorios, concert arias, masses and piano works.

Fanfare WILLIAM MATHIAS William Mathias, founder of the North Wales Music Festival at St Asaph Cathedral and house composer with Oxford University Press since 1961 made significant contributions to twentieth-century organ music. The Fanfare was written in 1987.

It is flamboyantly regal, jubilant and arresting, which perhaps reminds us of the thrilling and feisty improvisations of the great organist, Pierre Cochereau. It is a great favourite of the British organ repertoire of cathedral and church organists. The fanfare was commissioned for the Inuagural Concert for the Christie organ at the Memorial Hall, Barry in Wales.

Sicilienne LOUIS VIERNE This Sicilienne is from Louis Vierne’s ‘24 Pieces de Fantasie’, a collection of four sixmovement pieces for Organ. It is the second piece of the second suite, dedicated to his American friends who helped him on his tour to America. The Sicilienne is written characteristically, in a minor key, in 6/8 time, with dotted rhythms, loosely associated with Sicily. It evokes a pastoral and rustic mood, with the use of a drone like shepherd’s bagpipe or musette.

Louis Victor Jules Vierne (1870-1937) was the Principal organist of Notre-Dame de Paris from 1900 till his death in 1937. Almost blind at birth, he suffered much personal loss, and had terrible physical, emotional and spiritual trials in his life which is reflected in his music.

Salamanca from Trois Préludes Hambourgeois GUY BOVET Salamanca is one of three pieces from the collection of ‘Trois Preludes Hambourgeois’ for Organ. The popular theme from the Spanish countryside was submitted by the caretakers of the Spanish Cathedral for Guy Bovet’s close-ofconcert improvisation. He originally thought the tune was about a donkey, but it was later revealed that it was about a woman with a bad reputation. Guy Bovet uses the organ here with great imagination, expression, adventure and bravura. As they were originally improvisations, it exudes fun, freedom and spontaneity. Salamanca is sectional with each expressing the story as it unfolds. Look out for the ‘donkey’ appearing with drums in the first section and the woman praying in the second section. The next section shows her forgiven and rising with joy before building up gradually to a huge celebration in bolero-like dance rhythms in the streets of Salamanca.

Ragtime, Op. 49 CHARLES E. CALLAHAN Composed by Charles E. Callahan and premiered in 1987, Ragtime, Op. 49 is a slow, relaxed duet for 4 hands and pedals. Callahan is an award-winning member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. He has also been honoured by the American Guild of Organists in 2014.

Prélude and Fugue in C major for 4 Hands JOHANN GEORG ALBRECHTSBERGER Johann Georg Albrechtsberger composed a vast range of works from 1772 onwards, including 278 keyboard compositions. Both sacred and secular in nature, his works helped to bridge the earlier and later polyphonic styles of composition.

Programme notes by Lynnette Chng Visit www.sso.org.sg/klaisorgan to learn more about Victoria Concert Hall’s Klais organ, Singapore’s only fully mechanical organ.

The Klais Organ

2019/20 Season

CHAMBER

SUPPORTED BY

FRENCH CONNECTIONS 14 NOV, 7.30PM

CHAMBER

LOVE AND LONGING 10 NOV, 4PM Long Long, tenor Tengku Irfan, piano

Lynnette Seah, violin Gulnara Mashurova, harp Musicians of the SSO

In association with the 2019 Voilah! Festival

ORGAN

INTIMATE MOMENTS

FROM WEST TO EAST 21 NOV, 7.30PM

PIPE UP! II 16 DEC, 12.30PM

Zhang Si Jing, violin Musicians of the SSO

Issac Lee, organ Samuel Armstrong, trombone

sso.org.sg/VCHpresents SUPPORTED BY

PATRON SPONSOR

OFFICIAL HOTEL

ORGAN CONCERTS SPONSORED BY