Peter Racine Fricker: Pastorale for organ (1959)

Peter Racine Fricker’s delightful ‘Pastorale’ (1959) for organ has long been regarded as ‘entry level’ for this ‘difficult’ British composer. I guess that this is a little unfair, as much (not all!) of Fricker’s music is perfectly approachable to all but the most sensitive ears. Certainly, compared to the contemporaneous avant-garde Darmstadt movement with which he was once involved, Fricker is typically lyrical and conservative in both form and sound.

It is not necessary to give a detailed biography of the composer in this essay, nevertheless a few notes about his career may be of interest. Peter Racine Fricker was born in London on 5 September 1920. He was descended from the French playwright Jean Racine. Fricker studied at St Paul’s School and then the Royal College of Music (RCM) where his tutors were R.O. Morris for composition and Ernest Bullock for organ. He had further lessons with the Hungarian emigré composer Mátyás Seiber at Morley College. He completed five years of war service between 1941-46.

Two early successes were his Wind Quintet, op 5 (1947) and the Symphony No.1, op.9 (1949). The latter gained the Koussevitzky award and was premiered at the 1950 Cheltenham Festival.  The following year Fricker won the Art’s Council Festival of Britain prize for his Violin Concerto. He accepted the headship of music at Morley College (1952-64) and later Professor of Music (1955-64) at the RCM.

In 1964, Fricker was visiting professor of music at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and in 1970 he became Chair of the Music Department there. Peter Racine Fricker died in Santa Barbara on 1 February 1990.

The Pastorale for organ was composed between 22-30 August 1959 (Fricker Catalogue) specifically for the Elizabethan Singers Concert series.  It was duly published by Schott in 1961. It is one of the few works by the composer to have remained in the repertoire. This is an easily assimilated piece that is reflective and less dissonant than some of Fricker’s contemporary pieces. It may be based in a tone row (or series) but this constructive scaffolding in not evident to the listener as the work progresses.

On the other hand, anyone looking for a ‘cow and gate’ countrified piece needs to search again. What Fricker has achieved is a reworking of the old idea historically associated with ‘shepherds abiding in the fields.’ The rustic nature of this music is increased by the repetition of phrases (often varied) and the inherent feeling of improvisation. The solo double-reed stop plays a wayward shepherd’s pipe tune which is accompanied by a ‘rippling figure. The bass provides the drones of mediaeval instruments such as the shawm, musette, bagpipes and hurdy-gurdy. Harmonically, the mood could be described and ‘tangy’ rather than dissonant. Certainly, the music presents a ‘dreamy atmosphere’ that is strangely impressionistic (especially from Fricker’s pen). The piece is simply structured being written in ternary (three-part) form.

Whether Fricker’s Pastorale has biblical inspiration, or the secular Theocritus and his Idylls, it is really does not matter, although the fact that it was premiered a few days before Christmas may suggest a Christian association.

The premiere of Peter Racine Fricker’s Pastorale for organ was given during a concert at All Souls Langham Place, London on 7 December 1960. The Elizabethan Singers were conducted by Louis Halsey with the organist was Richard Popplewell. The wide-ranging programme included music by Orlando Gibbons and Henry Purcell as well as several motets and organ works by twentieth century composers.

Amongst these latter, were three numbers from Bernard Naylor’s Nine Motets for five-part unaccompanied chorus (1952). These consist of texts drawn from the Church of England’s lectionaries. The programme also featured John Joubert’s ‘Tristia secla priora’ from the ‘Pro Pace’ Motets, op.32. Joubert has described this adventurous vocal work as 'a lament for man's intransigence and a protest against the making of weapons'. It received its premiere performance here. 

The organ music at this concert included Richard Drakeford’s Four Quiet Pieces and Fricker’s Pastorale. The Musical Time (February 1960) explained that Drakeford 'attempted to combine stylistic elements used in recent continental music with an English lyricism'. It is a work that seems to have disappeared from the organist’s repertoire. The reviewer (H.R.) suggested that Fricker’s piece ‘has much in it to engage both minds and fingers.’

I was delighted to see that Toccata Classics have released a wide-ranging survey of Fricker’s organ music (TOCC 0518). This is played on the magnificent Bridlington Priory three-manual organ by soloist Tom Winpenny. The album includes the Intrada, op.64 (1971), Five Short Pieces, op. 83 (1980), Toccata Gladius Domini, op.55 (1968/9),  Choral (1956), Praeludium, op. 60 (1969), Trio (1968), Recitative, Impromptu and Procession, op.92 (1985) and the Ricercare, op.40 (1965).

At least three recordings of the Pastorale have been made in the past:

Francis Jackson, The Organ of York Minster, Alpha Records, AVS 014 (SAGA 5326) (1964)
Donald Hunt, Music from Leeds Town Hall, Abbey Records, LPB 738.
Robert Weddle, The Organ of Coventry Cathedral, Vista Records, VPS 1021 (c.1973)