Novello's International Series of Contemporary Organ Music

Another list. This time for organ music published between 1958 and 1971 by Novello and Co. in their important International Series of Contemporary Organ Music series. These pieces are much more virtuosic than those published in the Novello’s Organ Music Club Series. Unfortunately, very few have gained a secure place in the organists’ repertoire. I note that nearly half of these pieces have been recorded: I have indicated this next to each work. This information was derived from World Cat and it may be the case that there are recordings of the other works lurking on vinyl, CD online.

I have some of these scores in my ‘music library’: these are mainly for reference, as in my wildest dreams I never imagined being able to play any of them, no matter how much practice.

It is good to see that Arthur Wills, Paul Crunden-White, Derek Healey, John Joubert and Peter Naylor are still going strong.

Once again, I owe thanks to the Cumbrian Society of Organists, where these listings were originally published in .pdf format. I have used this list as a cross check to WorldCat and the published lists by Novello on the rear covers of their organ music publications.

1 Jean Langlais (1907-91) Triptyque for organ (1958) CD

2 Anthony Milner (1925-2002) Rondo Saltato for organ (1955)

3 Richard Tynsky (1909-74) Phrygian Toccata for organ (1960)

4 Camil Van Hulse (1897-1988) Christmas Rhapsody, op.103, no.2 for organ (1958)

5 Brian Brockless (1926-95) Prelude, Toccata and Chaconne for organ (1959) CD

6 Ivan Langstroth (1887-1971) Theme and Variations for organ (1961)

7 Karel B. Jirák (1891-1972) Five Little Preludes and Fugues for organ (1960)

8 Camil Van Hulse (1897-1988) Seven Preludes and Fugues for organ (1961)

9 Arthur Wills (b. 1926) Introduction and Allegro for organ (1961)

10 John Gardner (1917-2011) Five Hymn-Tune Preludes, op.44 for organ (1962)

11 Paul Crunden-White, (b. 1937) Theme & Variations for organ (1962)

12 John Joubert (b.1927) Passacaglia and Fugue for organ (1963) CD

13 Arthur Wills (b.1926) Five Pieces for organ (1963) CD/LP

14 Jos de Brabanter (1918-2006) Sonata: for organ (1964)

15 Richard Dirksen (1921-2003) Prelude on ‘Urbs Beata’ for organ (1964) CD

16 Derek Healey (b.1936) Introduzione, Aria e Passacaglia (1965) (Originally written in 1962 as ‘Voluntary VI’, op.15c) for organ

17 Kenneth Leighton (1929-88) Prelude, Scherzo and Passacaglia for organ (1964) CD

18 Lotte Backes (1901-90) Improvisation on an Original Theme for organ (1964)

19 Robert Cundick (1926-2016) Divertimento: for organ (1964) CD

20 Robert Cundick (1926-2016) Sonatina for organ (1964) LP/CD

21 Arthur Wills (b.1926) Prelude and Fugue for organ (1965)

22 Lotte Backes (1901-90) Praeludium and Toccata for organ (1965)

23 Arthur Milner (1894-1972) Diptych for organ (1965)

24 John McCabe (1939-2015) Sinfonia (1961) for organ (1966)

25 Malcolm Williamson (1931-2003) Fons Amoris for organ (1965) CD

26 John McCabe (1939-2015) Johannis-Partita (1964) for organ (1965)

27 Peter Naylor (b.1933) Movement for organ (1967)

28 Christopher Steel (1938-91) Fantasy on a theme of Purcell for organ (1965) CD

29 John McCabe (1939-2015) Elegy (1965) for organ (1967)

30 Malcolm Williamson (1931-2003) Organ Symphony (1971) LP/CD

30 Arthur Wills (b. 1926) Variations on ‘Amazing Grace’ and Toccata for organ (1979) CD

31 Brian Brockless (1926-95) Introduction, Passacaglia and Coda for organ (1966) CD/Stream

32 Kenneth Leighton (1929-88) Et Resurrexit: Theme, Fantasy and Fugue for organ (1967) CD

33 Arthur Wills (b. 1926) Variations on a carol, ‘I sing the Birth’ for organ (1967)