Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott: III - Aria - Noel Rawsthorne, completed by Ian Tracey

At the time of his death, Noel Rawsthorne left two Choral Fantasies, the first dedicated to Ian Tracey, and the second to Gordon Stewart, which, until now, have remained unpublished.

The Second Chorale Fantasia, [of which this is the third movement], was dedicated 'a mon ami Gordon Stewart' but was unfinished at the time of his death in 2019. Having been his assistant for some five years and Organ Scholar before that, and sitting at the console with him as he improvised on these and other chorale melodies, Ian Tracey has completed the piece and gave its first performance at the 94th Anniversary Recital in 2020. The piece again takes the form of five variations on the Lutheran chorale, harmonised by J S Bach and used in his Cantata 80 of the same name. The fanfare motif employed in the final variation appropriately quotes from his Blackburn Service commissioned by the Dean & Chapter of Blackburn Cathedral in 1996.

It is published by Church Organ World and can be ordered from here: https://sheetorganmusic.co.uk/product...

This recording was made on a Johannus Live III AGO organ, using the sample of the fine Hill organ in the church of the Holy Name, opposite the University of Manchester on Oxford Road, Manchester. The sample sets can be heard from four positions: console, front of the church, centre of the church, rear of the church. This recording uses the rear of the church position, affording the most generous recording of the wonderful acoustic in this fine building.

Steven Maxson is well known as an organist, conductor, composer, and arranger. To support his work, please leave a tip at: https://tip.wearetipjar.com/t3s/music