Reign of Christ - November 21, 2010

• Organ Preludes:
  • Intermezzo (from ‘Petite Suite’) - Gerald Bales;
  • Ave Maria - Victor Togni
• Anthem: Judge Eternal, Throned in Splendour - Malcolm Archer
• Organ Postlude: Trumpet Tune in D - Henry Purcell

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• Music Notes

The composers of this morning’s organ preludes were both Canadian. 

Early in his career Gerald Bales (1919-2002) was organist at St. Anne’s Anglican on Gladstone Ave. and St. Andrew’s Presbyterian on King St. in Toronto, then at churches in Calgary, Minneapolis and Ottawa, where he also taught at the University of Ottawa. Bales’ “Petite Suite” is his most often performed organ piece. Victor Togni (1935-1965), born in East Africa to Swiss parents, was a brilliant organist who emigrated to Canada as a young adult, first to Pembroke and Ottawa, and later, in 1960, to Toronto where he was organist at St. Basil’s Church. In 1963 Togni became organist at St. Michael’s Cathedral, but his life was cut short tragically at the age of 30 by a car accident in the spring of 1965. He was the father of well-known CBC broadcaster and Halifax-based musician/composer, Peter Togni. 

Malcolm Archer is a prolific composer of both choral and organ music. Born in England in 1952, he became organist of Wells Cathedral and later, from 2004 to 2007 at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. He is now Director of Music at Winchester College. “Judge Eternal, Throned in Splendour” is a ‘catchy’ setting of the well-known hymn, the words of which can be found at #594 in our hymnbook; it is an apt text for today’s celebration of the feast of Christ the King.