Pentecost 17 - Sunday 23 September 2012

• Organ Prelude: Adagio (from Sonata 3) – Alexandré Guilmant 
• Opening Hymn 577 “God of grace and God of glory” 
• Psalm 1 
• Solo: O Praise the Lord – Maurice Greene (Fiona Strachan, soprano) 
• Offertory Hymn 184 “My song is love unknown” 
• Final Hymn 500 “Sister, let me be your servant” 
• Organ Postlude: Sketch in D flat – Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

MUSIC NOTES

Alexandré Guilmant (1837-1911) was a French organist who was famous internationally as a concert artist in the latter part of the 19th and early 20th centuries. He played no fewer than 40 recitals during the St. Louis Exposition of 1904 on the instrument that is now located in the Wanamaker store in Philadelphia, and for 30 years was organist of the Paris church known as La Trinité. Guilmant composed mainly organ music, including 8 sonatas which are still performed regularly.

Maurice Greene (1696-1755), an 18th century English musician, was organist at St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Chapel Royal in London and later professor at Cambridge University. He composed a great deal of both sacred and secular music, but his best known work is the wonderful anthem “Lord, let me know mine end” which the St. Barnabas’ Choir has sung often.

Robert Schumann (1810-1856) is not remembered for organ music, but mainly for his songs (lieder) and orchestral/other instrumental works. In fact, the four Sketches were composed in 1845 for pedal-piano, an instrument (a piano with foot pedals like the organ) that has a curious sound to modern ears, though it resembles the organ with its sustaining sonorities. The Sketches are most often played now on the organ.