JMSCD11 - Organ Works by Alec Rowley
Price GBP £16-00
This two-CD set is the most extensive recording project ever devoted to the music of Alec Rowley (1892-1958). It includes a selection of his organ works played by Herman Jordaan on the organ of Albion Church, Ashton-u-Lyne – a four-manual instrument by T. C. Lewis of 1895 which remains tonally unchanged. The profusely illustrated twenty-page booklet includes a specification and history of the organ and notes by Herman Jordaan on the composer and the music.
Herman Jordaan at the organ of
Albion Church, Ashton-under-Lyne
Track Listing - JMSCD11A | ||
Heroic Suite (1921) | ||
| 1. | I Heroic Postlude | 4:52 |
| 2. | II Lament | 4:06 |
| 3. | III Mood Fantasy | 4:27 |
| 4. | IV Triumph Song | 5:26 |
| 5. | Choral Prelude on HOLLINGSIDE (1951) | 3:12 |
Sonata in A Minor (1958) | ||
| 6. | I Allegro | 8:21 |
| 7. | II Andante quasi moderato | 5:09 |
| 8. | III Scherzando | 2:56 |
| 9. | IV Moderato – Allegro ma non troppo | 6:57 |
| 10. | Benedictus (1931) | 5:01 |
| 11. | Toccata – Moto Perpetuo (1951) | 4:11 |
Total | 54:43 | |
Track Listing - JMSCD11B | ||
The Four Winds (1925) | ||
| 1. | North Wind | 3:08 |
| 2. | South Wind | 3:48 |
3. | East Wind | 3:50 |
| 4. | West Wind | 2:39 |
3 Scenes from the Boyhood of Christ (1953) | ||
| 5. | I Mary’s Song | 3:11 |
| 6. | II Jesus, Playmate | 2:04 |
| 7. | III The Little Prayers | 3:19 |
| 8. | Choral Prelude on RICHMOND (1952) | 2:19 |
Symphony No. 2 in B (1959) | ||
| 9. | I [Andante con moto] | 6:56 |
| 10. | II Chaconne | 7:15 |
| 11. | III Finale | 5:28 |
Three Quiet Preludes (1937)* | ||
| 12. | I Modal | 2:33 |
| 13. | II Chromatic | 3:38 |
| 14: | III Diatonic | 2:53 |
| *Recorded at St Albans Cathedral, April 2007 | ||
Total | 53:06 | |
Audio Samples
Excerpt from Triumph Song (1' 09")
Excerpt from Jesus, Playmate (0' 58")
Reviews
Herman's playing is first class – elegant and expressive – and all the performances are very fine. The organ certainly suits the music extremely well.
Tom Winpenny, Assistant Organist, St Albans Cathedral
…this two-CD set is a revelation… The Lewis Albion…is in fine form and presents a wide range of colours and dynamics. Herman Jordaan is a sensitive interpreter and well able to handle the music’s requirements in terms of registration and use of the instrument. Highly recommended.
David Baker (Organists’ Review)
I have particularly enjoyed …the Heroic Suite and The Four Winds, which open CD1 and CD2 respectively, due to the authoritative and technically excellent playing of Herman Jordaan. He is able to communicate the style and character of each piece with great musicianship, but I especially enjoyed being blown away by the depiction of the North Wind, as well as basking in the pomp and circumstance feel of the Heroic Postlude.
I am confident that I will enjoy listening to this double CD set for years after having written this review.
Ian Pattinson, Organist, Lancaster Priory (The Organ Manual)
This most welcome issue contains a rich selection of [Rowley’s] music for organ, ranging over almost forty years… All of these pieces are comprehensively well performed by Herman Jordaan and it is difficult to imagine a finer demonstration of the qualities of this by no means insignificant music…. Such qualities do not warrant fashionable neglect: this genuine composer’s music remains eminently worthwhile, wholly communicative, naturally conceived for the organ. On these very well recorded and presented CDs Herman Jordaan performs the music with complete understanding and artistry; and the price is a remarkable bargain. *****
The Organ