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Can anyone identify these pieces?

Argoth

New member
Hi,

I'm trying to identify two pieces that were played on pipe organ before
the start of my parent's wedding almost 30
years ago. Unfortunately, the organist is now deceased and I have no
way of finding out what these pieces are. In the interest of good computer hygiene, I've uploaded them to
4shared.com (in case you're unfamiliar with it) so that you won't need to download any files onto your computer. Just click on the link and it
will take you to a page, and click the green play button in the little
box on the upper left of the page, and the track will start to buffer and
stream.

Track 1:

Track 2:

[edit: the url's were updated - please see the 10th post in this thread for the new links]

I would very greatly appreciate if someone could help me with this question
that has had me wondering for over 10 years now!
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
Hi Argoth,

Welcome to Magle Int'l Music Forums. I must admit, I've never heard these two pieces before, but perhaps someone else has and can be of more help.

Hope you will become a regular participant in the many discussions here.
 

Argoth

New member
Hi Argoth,

Welcome to Magle Int'l Music Forums. I must admit, I've never heard these two pieces before, but perhaps someone else has and can be of more help.

Hope you will become a regular participant in the many discussions here.

Thanks very much for taking the time to have a listen. This question stumped a couple of experts on another site, who suggested composers ranging from Buxtehude to the German Roccoco period. I am not that well versed with organ repertoire, so hope I can find some help here as well! Thanks
 
Vowles Tracker

Hello I have never heard the pieces before, But the first one sounds Italian and the second one English I would think 18th century in both cases.
 

Soubasse

New member
I concur with the above posts but the first piece is naggingly familiar. I've been going through some of my older compilation volumes but nothing yet. Isn't it annoying when this happens?? Driving yourself mad thinking "I'm sure I should know this ..."

Vowles Tracker - I have a funny feeling I should know who you are given your location and position :) ...
 

Argoth

New member
I concur with the above posts but the first piece is naggingly familiar. I've been going through some of my older compilation volumes but nothing yet. Isn't it annoying when this happens?? Driving yourself mad thinking "I'm sure I should know this ..."

Vowles Tracker - I have a funny feeling I should know who you are given your location and position :) ...

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I got a reply from David Heller, Organ professor at my old University in the States, who said the first reminds him of some Handel Organ Concerti that were transcribed to solo organ, but he doesn't recognise the piece itself, and that the second sounds English but are possibly transcribed for organ if so. I got a lead from someone who knew the organist playing at the service who vaguely remembered him having said something about one or both the pieces having being played for the wedding of Queen Elizabeth (1947). I went through the tracklist in the audio CD recording of the wedding that is available at Amazon, and have come to the conclusion that the second piece is possibly an Organ transcription of a Wedding Fanfare for trumpets, by composer Arnold Bax. Does it sound like a trumpet to organ transcription? Being unable to find any streaming audio of this recording, I'll have to wait a few months 'til I'm back in the USA to purchase this recording.

Until then, I think I'll be driven crazy trying to guess :grin: At any rate, thank you all for the help and do let me know if you find out.
 
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Vowles Tracker

I did have another thought this afternoon Charles Avison (1710-177O) Organist, composer,essayist. A composer of over 60 concerti grossi for strings. or a transcription of Stanley, Greene, Alcock, Stubley, Long, Croft. But I suspect it may be by Annonymous,
 
Vowles Tracker

I concur with the above posts but the first piece is naggingly familiar. I've been going through some of my older compilation volumes but nothing yet. Isn't it annoying when this happens?? Driving yourself mad thinking "I'm sure I should know this ..."

Vowles Tracker - I have a funny feeling I should know who you are given your location and position :) ...


That is indeed possible, I used to be very active with OHTA in SA, but not being a so called 'academic' and also having a wonderful sense of humour, I thought who wants to belong to a club of boring old farts. I cannot help it if God gave me a happy heart. Variation of F.J. Haydn
:eek:
 
Vowles Tracker

Hi Argoth,

Welcome to Magle Int'l Music Forums. I must admit, I've never heard these two pieces before, but perhaps someone else has and can be of more help.

Hope you will become a regular participant in the many discussions here.


I am now learning how to find my way around this site, like being inside the Sydney Town Hall 64' pipe. Speaking of that fantastic organ, did you know when Australia converted to metric measurements they printed the organ specification from feet and inches into millimetres so the 64' would have been 195072mm I think my maths is correct?
 

Art Rock

Sr. Regulator
Staff member
Sr. Regulator
No luck - dno't recognise either. I would be very much surprised if the second one is Bax - does not sound at all like his style.
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
I am now learning how to find my way around this site, like being inside the Sydney Town Hall 64' pipe. Speaking of that fantastic organ, did you know when Australia converted to metric measurements they printed the organ specification from feet and inches into millimetres so the 64' would have been 195072mm I think my maths is correct?

Hmmm, I got 19507.2mm ... still a huge number ... Imagine the confusion if they ever put the stop length in "mm" on the drawknobs or stoptabs. :crazy: :grin: :eek:
 

Argoth

New member
Found it!

With help from Dr. Gerre Hancock at the University of Texas, and Dr. June Nixon at the University of Melbourne, the pieces have been finally identified as the entire overture to Handel's "Athalia."!!!

I listened to a sample at Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/gp/music/wma-...01/ref=mu_sam_wma_001_001/102-6063573-4645743 and it certainly is the first piece, since that seems to be divided into 3 (parts?) I'm guessing that it's all there, now to buy the CD! As for that confusion about Arnold Bax, I'm guessing what the organist meant was that he played these pieces when Queen Elizabeth visited my country, and not that it was played at her wedding, so Arnold Bax has nothing to do with this lol. My thanks to all who helped!
 

Marcroc

New member
Is it Handel?

How interesting! I suggest you listen to the last mocvement of John Stanley's Organ Concerto No.2 in D (Op.10). That is ALSO the first piece you needed to identify!
 

Argoth

New member
How interesting! I suggest you listen to the last mocvement of John Stanley's Organ Concerto No.2 in D (Op.10). That is ALSO the first piece you needed to identify!

Wow really? I will surely have a listen to it. I found an organ transcript of Handel's Athalia Overture at Sibelius http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/cgi-bin/show_score.pl?scoreid=56363

and yes the whole thing is indeed this (though this isn't a great transcription to me, it sounds like there are some wrong notes). It seems Handel has also used the first piece in some of his other concertos. Anyway I will have a listen to the piece you suggested as well.
 
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