Autumn Meditation (Organteq 2)

Autumn Meditation,
composed 11th August 2023

Composer : Henderson John, a retired doctor and now librarian of the Royal School of Church music.
His personal library of 60,000 pieces of organ music supplies source material to many performers and recording companies world-wide.

Genre: Contemporary

Description (by my friend Dave)
John Henderson, probably Swindon's only full-time musicologist, acts as Honorary Librarian and Archivist to the Royal School of Church Music, a post he has held since 1995, and he serves as organist and choirmaster of Wroughton Parish Church. (more info after the piece)

https://forum.modartt.com/uploads.php?f...ion%20.mp3

Henderson was trained at Magdalen College School, Oxford and is a medical graduate of St. John's College in Cambridge. He was formerly the senior partner of the NHS General Practice in Fairford, Gloucestershire. He retired from medicine in 1992 and lives in Old Town, Swindon. He describes himself as a 'train-spotter cum hoarder' of organ music and his personal library of 60,000 pieces of organ music supplies source material to many performers and recording companies world-wide.

John was awarded the ARSCM (Associate of the Royal School of Church Music) in 1996 and named as an FRSCM (Fellow of the RSCM) in 2016.

He is the author/co-author of several books, his most famous being "The Dictionary of Organ Composers".

"Autumn Mediation" was composed at Swindon 11th August 2023". It is dedicated: "For David.”(my friend)

For its motto, the work quotes "Dear Shepherd of thy chosen few, they former mercies here renew; Here to our waiting hearts proclaim the sweetness of thy saving Name."

The work has the feeling of a gentle ostinato, almost a tender dance of quiet joy about it, which sweeps the listener along in an ecstatic but humble journey.

The work also utilizes the famous hymn-tune "Wareham" composed by William Knapp (1698-1768). The melody first appears alone after the first section, combined with various decorations. It is then skillfully combined with the ostinato material to make a joyful but still restrained conclusion.

Thank you David, I am very grateful for giving me this composition, dedicated to you, and description. Your support is valued in many ways.

NOTICE:
It was from John/David I got George Robertson's Sinclair's ”Festal March” which was marked as being lost/unpublished. It is not in any UK libraries but John has a copy and has scanned it for David and I got it from him (among 60.000 pieces!?)…….. ”rare scores" - well it truly is!! I have it uploaded in this forum.
Here link for those who didn’t listen to it, missed it…

https://forum.modartt.com/viewtopic.php?id=9660

All the best, everyone

Stig