Malcolm WILLIAMSON (1931-2003)
Peace Pieces (1970-1) [45:57]
Résurgnece du Feu (Paques 1959) (1959) [5:36]
Epitaphs for Edith Sitwell (1966) [5:00]
Little Carols of the Saints (1971-2) [18:20]
Elegy -JFK (1964) [5:25]
Fantasy on ‘This is my Father’s World’ (1975) [4:48]
Mass of a Medieval Saint (1973) [14:15]
Tom Winpenny (organ)
rec. The Church of St John the Evangelist, Duncan Terrace, Islington, London 17-18 February 2016
NAXOS 8.571375-6 [45:57 + 53:25]
The big work presented on this new double CD of organ music
by Malcom Williamson is ‘Peace Pieces’ dating from 1970-1. It
was composed when Williamson held the post of Honorary Fellow and Composer
in Residence at the Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey in
the States. They were dedicated to James Litton, who at that time was the
Assistant Professor of Organ and Head of Church Music. The clue to the musical
content of ‘Peace Pieces’ is in the title: Williamson had much
‘sympathy’ with calls to end war in Vietnam that were prevalent
at that time. Other factors that inspire the work are ‘personal’
peace of mind and spiritual solitude. Concepts explored in Book 1 are ‘Peace
in Childhood’, ‘Youth’ and ‘Solitude’, and in
Book 2, ‘Peace in America’, ‘The Wise Men visit the Prince
of Peace’, and finally, ‘The Peace of God that Passeth All Understanding.’
This massive six movement work is atonal, full of imaginative themes, diverse
moods and inspired registrations. It certainly has echoes of Olivier Messiaen,
though as Peter Hardwick has pointed out, they have political and philosophical
references as well as religious ones. It is a long work, but is one that deserves
to be listened to at a sitting. I do not believe that the recitalist should
play selected sections as ‘everyday’ voluntaries.
A good place to start exploration of the second CD is with the Elegy-JFK (1964)
which was written in response to the assassination of the American President
John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Williamson was one of a number of composers moved
by this tragedy, including Stravinsky, Milhaud, Howells and Bernstein. In
some ways Williamson’s piece is unusual for an Elegy. One almost expects
it to be restrained, sombre and possibly a little introverted. The composer
has given moments like this, but there is also a powerful outburst of anger
and despair. It was written for Alec Wyton, then organist at the Cathedral
of St John the Divine in New York.
Turning to something very different, the ‘Little Carols of the Saints’
are delightful miniatures which are designed to portray musically the ‘human
qualities’ of five well-loved saints. For example, the opening number
is a ‘pastoral’ representing Mary Magdalene in the Easter Garden
not recognizing her Risen Lord. The final carol is a superb toccata that reflects
St Paul engaging Greek pagan religion on Mars Hill. It is full of movement
and supressed energy that finally blazes in triumph. Other saints portrayed
include St Francis of Assisi, St Stephen and St Ignatius. These pieces can
be played individually as voluntaries or recessionals, however there is a
value in hearing them as a suite.
The earliest piece on this CD is the ‘Resurgence du Feu’ (Paques
1959), Resurgance of Fire (Easter 1959). This work is clearly influenced by
Olivier Messiaen. Williamson makes use of bird-song and a highly coloured
palette of registrations and a number of techniques including clusters and
complex trills. The liner notes suggest that this work may have originated
as an improvisation. Certainly, the power and optimism reflects the ‘Paschal
Fire streaking through the Church, outside and beyond.’ It was written
for the congregation of great Anglo-Catholic church of St Peter’s Limehouse
where Williamson was organist at that time.
The ‘Epitaphs for Edith Sitwell (1887-1964) were written for a memorial
concert in 1966. Williamson knew the author and had written an opera based
on her book English Eccentrics. The present work is derived from
a melodic fragment of the ‘adagio’ of Williamson’s Violin
Concerto. This is presented in a number of slow and introverted guises, which
do not really hold my interest.
The Fantasy on ‘This is my Father’s World’ is a lovely workaday
piece that could be used at any church service as an introductory voluntary.
It is based on Malcolm Williamson’s hymn and anthem of the same title.
The last work on the second CD is the ‘Mass of a Medieval Saint.’
This was composed in 1973 for the American hymnologist, musician and patron
Lee H. Bristol, Jnr. It is conceived as an organ mass after the works of de
Grigny and Couperin. This was a baroque concept where the organ would play
more or less continuously during ‘Low Mass.’ Whether this is a
desirable practice in 2016, I will leave the liturgists to decide. As a suite
of music inspired by the life and witness of a great saint (St Bernard), it
is a worthy piece to be played at a recital. Much of the music, including
the Gradual and the Communion sections, is ‘contemplative’. On
the other hand, the Introit is powerful and dignified, the Offertory is a
little skittish and the final Sortie is a tour de force.
The organ at the Church of St John the Evangelist is superb. It was built
by J.W. Walker in 1963 and was designed with the ‘organ reform movement’
or as some would have it ‘back to baroque’ principles in mind.
The instrument was also provided with French style reeds, which makes it more
versatile. It was renovated in 2005-6 by Keith Bance Organ Builders. A full
specification is given in the liner notes.
Tom Winpenny, the Assistant Master of Music at St Alban’s Cathedral,
plays all these pieces with skill and commitment. He has already released
a number of important works by Williamson on Toccata Classics (TOCC 0246)
including the ‘monumental’ Symphony for Organ (1960), the early
‘Fons Amoris’ (1955-6) and Fantasy on ‘O Paradise’
(1976). For those in possession of this Toccata disc and the present Naxos
disc there are only a handful of works missing. In spite of the earlier release
on Toccata, I wonder if this is going to be the first ‘volume’
of the collected organ works of Malcolm Williamson to be issued on Naxos.
Let us hope that Tom Winpenny completes the cycle on this lovely instrument.
John France
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