Who We Are

A Farewell Concert by Grant Hellmers

Celebrating over 30 years of faithful service and ministry.

Download a printable copy of the program notes here.

Concert Program

Music from Germany and the Netherlands, 17th & 18th Centuries

Praeludium in G major, BuxWV # 162
Dieterich Buxtehude (c. 1637-1707)

The Danish-born composer Dieterich Buxtehude became Organist at St. Mary's in Lübeck, one of the most prestigious posts in north Germany. The young Bach walked 200 miles to hear the renowned Advent ‘Abendmusiken' evening services for which Buxtehude composed much vocal and choral music, and to hear Buxtehude play the large organs in that vast church. Presumably Bach also took the opportunity to study with Buxtehude while there. He overstayed his month-long leave granted by his church in Arnstadt, returning three months late from Lübeck! His employers were not pleased with this, nor with the new ideas which he brought to the accompaniment of hymns in his Arnstadt church.

In this piece the Principal (Diapason) stops of the organ - those seen in the organ case and others inside of the same shape and timbre - will be played singly and in various combinations. The Principals are the most important stops in an organ. The bells of the Cymbelstern stop will be added to end the piece.

 

 

Variations on Mein junges Leben hat ein End
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562-1621)

Dutch organist and composer Sweelinck had many students from northern Germany, and thus became known as "The Maker of German Organists". This lineage continued down to Buxtehude and Bach. This popular set of variations uses a secular song as its theme. The text of stanza one reads:

My young life is ending, also my joy and my suffering;
may my poor soul quickly leave my body.
My life can no longer stand; it is weak and must pass away;
it departs (along with) my suffering.

For these variations you will hear some of the many beautiful flute stops of the Rosales organ, singly, and combined in different registrations. The flutes are the second most important organ stops and often provide the widest variety of individual colors.

 

 

Partita on Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten
George Böhm (1661-1733)

(If thou but trust in God to guide thee)
(Text can be found in the Hymnal, # 635)

Böhm was organist at the important Johanniskirche in Lüneburg, the city to which the teenage Bach moved to attend St. Michael's Church school on a scholarship awarded him for his outstanding gifts as a singer; he sang in St. Michael's Choir. It has just recently been learned that Bach took the opportunity to study with Böhm. His compositional influence on the young Bach's music has been known for a long time.

For this set of variations you will hear a further variety of colors of the organ, including some of the reed stops (Oboe, Vox Humana) in combination with principals and flutes.

 

 

Toccata and Fugue in D minor (‘Dorian’) BWV # 538    
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

J.S. Bach is considered the greatest composer for the organ of all time, both in the quantity of organ works he produced, and in their overall quality.  The nickname ‘Dorian’ is a misnomer, added by someone after Bach’s time; Bach and his contemporaries used one flat fewer in minor key signatures than is modern practice. For D minor no flat appears for the key signature, and thus it looks like the ancient church mode, the Dorian mode. 

The Toccata shows the influence of Italian concerti grossi with their dialogue between the full orchestra and a small group of solo instruments, here represented by the full Principal chorus sound of the main manual of the organ (the Great) and the lighter sounding Principal chorus of the secondary (Positive)
manual, all underpinned by the pedal representing the cello and bass line of an orchestra. The lively, motoric rhythm characteristic of Italian music of Bach’s time is almost continuous through this movement.

In contrast, the Fugue is based on a most noble sounding theme which has roots in 16th century style counterpoint.  It rises confidently by leaps through an octave, and then haltingly descends by step back to its starting note.

 

 

French Music of the 18th through Early 20th Centuries

Sonata I for Violin and Continuo     
Michel Corrette (1707-1795)

(Alexander Lee, violin)
Adagio; Corrente - Allegro; Allegro

French composer Michel Corrette was a prolific composer of music in many genres including organ works for use at Mass, concertos for various instruments (including the organ), chamber music, ballets and other stage works, and sacred vocal works.  This Sonata was written in the Italian style, the first movement being an expressive aria, the second a lively dance (the Corrente was a ‘running’ dance), and the third again lively, with Vivaldian rhythms and melodic sequences.

 

 

Cantabile    
César Franck (1822-1890)

Belgian-born, later a French citizen, César Franck was the first person to hold the post of Titular Organist at the newly constructed church of Ste. Clotilde in Paris.  He was a brilliant pianist, and a great improviser on the organ.  His music changed the course of French organ composition from the lightweight and operatic as was the fashion in the 19th century – to our ears it can often sound comical or circus-like! – to music which was of much greater substance and stronger structure. 

Cantabile, as the title implies, is a song-like piece, here using the Swell Oboe and Trumpet stops combined for the solo line of the first theme.  The central section is a canon (a musical structure beloved by Franck) between the right hand and feet, the music building in dynamic.  The opening theme returns, played on the Oboe stop, the piece coming to a gentle close.  This was a favorite organ work of the late Mary Tyler Cheek McClenahan, a long-time St. Paul’s member.

 

 

Berceuse    
Louis Vierne (1870-1937)

The legally blind organist Louis Vierne was in the organ class of Franck at the Paris Conservatoire, and in Widor’s class following Franck’s death.  He was appointed Titular Organist of Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris in 1900, a post he held (apart from an extended absence while undergoing surgeries to improve his eyesight) literally until his death; he died at the console while nearing the end of his 1750th organ recital there, thus fulfilling his wish to die at the console of this great organ.  This Berceuse (Lullaby) is based on a popular French children’s song, “Do-do, l’enfant do”.  The Swell string stops and the exquisite Flûte harmonique stop (a copy of 19th century French examples) are used in this piece, the Flûte being heard alone briefly in the center section of the piece.  Berceuse ends with the lovely, gentle Swell flute stop called Stopped Diapason.  This piece is a favorite of the Wofford family; I played it at the memorial service for their daughter Caroline (1987-1997).

 

 

Two choral works and an organ work    
Herbert Howells (1892-1983)
                                          
Howells is considered the quintessential composer of Anglican music in the 20th century.   His output of choral music for the Anglican Church is considerable:  anthems, many settings of the canticles, several Communion Service settings as well as other works for church and for concert use. Some of Howells’
hymn tunes can be found in the Episcopal Hymnal 1982.  His church music has been described as being “music of incense, not of sermons”.

Anthem:  Like as the hart   (Soprano semichorus:  Julie Campbell, Sally Godsey) 
This setting of Psalm 42: 1-3 is a favorite of St. Paul’s Choir. 

Organ solo: Master Tallis’s Testament 
Among the influences on Howells’ distinctive compositional style is music of the Tudor period, including that of the great 16th century composer Thomas Tallis.  In this modal, quasi-variations form piece Howells pays tribute to Tallis.

Canticle:  Nunc dimittis (Collegium regale)    (Tenor solo:  Michael Kotrady)
From a set of canticles commissioned for the world-famous choir at Kings College, Cambridge, England, this Nunc dimittis belongs to one of the three greatest settings of Magnificat and Nunc dimittis Howells composed, the other two being for St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, and for Gloucester Cathedral. The reverberant sound of Kings College Chapel invites gentle yet soaring choral singing; this characterizes Howells’s music written for this chapel and its choir.  The ‘Gloria Patri’ (‘Glory be to the Father…’) conclusion to this canticle is one of the most glorious and awe-inspiring ever composed.      

Music from Spain

Tiento de mano derecha y al medio a dos tiples 1º tono    
Pablo Bruna (1611-1679)

Old Spanish and Portuguese organs are unique in their timbres.  Most had just a single manual with stops divided into bass and treble, allowing one hand to play with a colorful solo registration while the other hand accompanies.  In this work the right hand starts with a single voice solo (played on the Spanish style Cornet stop on this organ); later two solo treble voices intertwine.  The solo voices color will later change to a Trumpet stop, and the piece will end with the full blaze of manual Trumpet stops played all together.

Music composed for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Richmond

Suite franglaise    
Grant Hellmers (b. 1950)
(Anglo-American hymn preludes in homage to the French Classic composers)

These short pieces arose from the liturgical needs for music to accompany Gospel processions, and for interludes in hymns sung at entrance processions. The Rosales organ at St. Paul’s, among many other musical languages, speaks with a French accent extraordinarily well.  Using Anglo-American hymn tunes, I have set them using organ registrations and musical styles typically used in French late 17th-18th century organ music, adding some 21st century twists to the harmony and rhythm.

For Dundee the tune is played in long notes on the pedal Trumpet stop against the grand and refined Principal chorus stops of the manuals. 

Azmon is a playful duo between two contrasting registrations including the spicy overtone Tierce stops.

Hollingside has the hymn tune in the left hand played reflectively on the Cromorne (here using the Clarinet). 

Duke Street uses the stronger Trumpet stops in the bass range for a bold yet majestic setting appropriate to movements depicting Christ reigning in majesty.

Song 67 is a gentle, song-like piece exploring some of the cross-relation dissonances (e.g. C against C sharp) beloved of English 16th-17th century composers. The Nazard stop adds a nasal color to the flutes used for the solo melody. The piece ends with a subtle jazzy rhythm.

Wareham uses a uniquely French organ registration (flutes of five specific different pitches combined to form a rich, reedy sound) for its tenor range solo, a color often used for music played at the most mystical
moments of the Mass. It is thus most suited to this hymn for the Transfiguration of Christ on the mountaintop.

Antioch uses the strong Trumpet , Cromorne (Clarinet) and Cornet stops (as well as echo Cornet) to conclude the Suite, the registration most often used to end early French organ suites, a full organ sound which is unique to early French organs.  It suggests the sound of wind bands. This piece is a joyful romp with some melodic and harmonic surprises along the way!  The Nightingale stop sounds at the end. 

Prelude on “Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling”    
Grant Hellmers

This piece was composed for the December 5, 2006 funeral of William H. Mann, a life-long member of St. Paul’s. Bill had requested a verse of this hymn be played as the prelude for his funeral service.  Instead of just playing the hymn tune, I composed this quiet, gentle prelude to honor the memory of this gentleman.

Toccata on ‘Fortunatus’(“Welcome, happy morning.” Hymnal # 179)    
Bruce Neswick (b. 1956)

This work was commissioned by St. Paul’s Church for the Sesquicentennial Year (1995) and in memory of Mary Mason (‘Molly’) Holt who had sung in the choir, and was a generous patron of the music at St. Paul’s. Molly was responsible for making possible the purchase in 1988 of the valuable Henry Erben organ (built in 1837) which is in St. Paul’s chapel.  At the time of the commission Bruce Neswick was Organist and Choirmaster at Lexington Episcopal Cathedral in Kentucky.  He is now the Organist and Director of Music at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. 

‘Fortunatus’ (“Welcome, happy morning”) was one of Molly’s favorite hymns; it is sung as the opening hymn every Easter Day at St. Paul’s.  Molly was a great Francophile who often travelled to France.  She was a colorful personality who, to quote a line from her memorial service, “would give you the shirt off her back, then proceed to tell you how to wear it!”

With this thumbnail sketch of who Molly was, Bruce Neswick produced a tour-de-force organ toccata.  Following a brief fanfare-like introduction, the hymn tune appears in the pedal in the right foot - the left foot supplies the bass line - under shifting harmonies reminiscent of the music of 20th century French composer Jehan Alain, yet with a rhythm which suggests perhaps a delightful stroll through the streets of Paris.  The central section has the tune in the right hand (on a Cornet registration) played in rapid, dancing arabesques over sustained chords.  The final section returns the tune to the pedal, with occasional snippets in the manuals, at one point even appearing in canon between the two feet playing simultaneously! 

© Program notes by Grant Hellmers
 

 

 

 

To Feed A Village »

« August Epistle Newsletter