Kenneth Leighton: Burlesque, op.19 (1959)

In the past 30 years, much of Kenneth Leighton’s catalogue has been recorded, including all the organ works, the three symphonies, and choral music. Sadly, there are still gaps in this repertoire. One of the missing numbers is the vivacious Burlesque, op. 19 which epitomises Leighton’s balance of humour and sophistication. Fortunately, a broadcast recording from (probably) the BBC has been uploaded to YouTube, here. Colin Davis conducts the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Kenneth Leighton (1929-1988) was a notable British composer and pianist as well as a professor of music. Born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, on 2 October 1929, he showed early musical talent and became a chorister at Wakefield Cathedral. Leighton studied Classics and Music at Oxford, where he was mentored by Bernard Rose and later by Gerald Finzi. He won the prestigious Mendelssohn Scholarship, which allowed him to study in Rome with Goffredo Petrassi.

Leighton's compositions spanned various genres, including church and choral music, pieces for piano, organ, cello, oboe, chamber music, concertos, symphonies, and an opera. He held academic positions at the Universities of Leeds, Oxford, and Edinburgh, where he was appointed Reid Professor of Music. His opera St Columba and other works reflect his deep love for Scotland's landscape and Celtic traditions. Kenneth Leighton died in Edinburgh on 24 August 1928.

In music, the term "burlesca" (or "burlesque") refers to a work that is light-hearted, playful, and often comic. Originating from the Italian word "burlesco," which means jest or mockery, a burlesca typically incorporates witty, lively, and whimsical elements. It often uses unexpected twists, contrasting themes, and playful rhythms to entertain and amuse the listener. Examples of the genre would include Bartok’s Scherzo Burlesque, Richard Strauss’s early Burleske in D minor for piano and orchestra and the fifth movement of J.S. Bach's third Partita, in A minor, BWV 827.

Kenneth Leighton’s Burlesque for orchestra was written during the Spring-Summer of 1957. On the Wise Music website, the composer is quoted as stating that "There is no programme to it. It sets out simply to express feelings of exuberance and sometimes playfulness with a good deal of orchestral brilliance, as I hope!". The following note then explains that “There are two main ideas, the first is a fast rhythmic motive given out at once by the strings, punctuated by loud brass chords. A brass fanfare contributes a subsidiary idea, and these two themes are immediately given rhythmic development. The second main theme, entering at the peak of a climax on the horns, is a broader tune marked ardente. The piece follows roughly the design of classical sonata form, but there is an extended Coda, in which the second broad theme achieves a final transformation on full brass. There is a good deal of antiphonal treatment in the orchestration.”

The premiere performance was given during a Promenade Concert on 3 September 1959. The BBC Symphony Orchestra was conducted by Leighton. This concert was packed with music. It opened with Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro, before Witold Malcuzynski played Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No.2 in A major. Before the interval Prommers heard Jean Sibelius’s Symphony No.2 in D major. Refreshed, the second half began with Leighton’s Burlesque, followed by piano solos. The concert concluded with Antonin Dvorak’s Carnival Overture. The other conductors that evening were Malcolm Sargent and Maurice Miles. The concert was broadcast on the BBC Third Programme.     

The Daily Telegraph (4 September 1959, p12) critic “J.W.” refers to the Burlesque as a “prom titbit.” Despite the work’s nods to Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra and William Walton’s overtures, Leighton saw that the “the orchestra is put through these hoops with many a crack of the whip.” On the downside, he considered that “jollity without a strong personality behind it has a shadow ring, and it is difficult to feel that this piece has resulted from an over brimming of personal high spirits.” Despite this the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra played “brightly for the composer.”

The score was published by Novello in 1960. Stephen Plaistow (Musical Times June 1961, p.373), reflecting on some recently published scores, suggests that Leighton has avoided any search for his “individual voice.”  In fact, in the Burlesque, he “shelves the problem and gives the impression of marking time as far as individuality is concerned.” This would not be deemed a problem nowadays. Plaistow notes that the piece “owes much to Walton of the Portsmouth Point and Johannesburg Festival overtures” and has “strong, bright colours and exhilarating rhythmic variety.” Finally, he thinks that it has “solid workmanship” and “restrained scoring,” which give it an “engaging unpretentiousness.”

That Sweet City: Music by Kenneth Leighton and Ralph Vaughan Williams

The liner notes succinctly sum up the impact of this new disc: “Both [works] are evocations of the pastoral and bucolic, Leighton’s…celebrates young love in the spring…while Vaughan Williams’s is filled with nostalgia for an idyllic past…”  The two pieces are connected by their link to Queen’s College, Oxford, where they were premiered in the early 1950s.

Kenneth Leighton’s Veris Gratia, op.6 is a celebration of the coming of Spring. To be sure, he wrote two compositions with the same title. The present Cantata was completed in December 1950 and is a setting of classical and medieval verse whilst the second was a Suite for oboe, cello and strings written earlier that year.

The Cantata was inspired by the Latin poet, Catullus and poems chosen from Helen Wadell’s Medieval Latin Lyrics (1933). It was dedicated to his teacher, Bernard Rose, and the Eglesfield Musical Society. The premiere performance was given at Queen’s College, Oxford by the dedicatees on 8 June1951. The title Veris Gratia can be translated in many ways: the ‘Grace/Beauty of Spring’ or ‘For the sake of spring,’ or as Wadell translated it “O Spring most fair.”

The Cantata opens with a short instrumental Prelude, suggesting dawn and the break of day. The first chorus, Aubade is a panegyric of praise, to love, and to the arrival of summer. This is followed by a setting of Catullus’s Lament on the death of his mistress, Lesbia’s sparrow. The two thousand years after this poem was penned has not diminished the words’ pathos, as well as revealing an incipient eroticism. It is sympathetically sung by the tenor solo. A short instrumental Elegy leads to the Eclogue for choir. This is an adaptation of Leighton’s Coventry Carol. It is a meditation for chorus and solo soprano, considering the coming of the muse with a “sweet melody” and observing various birds in the countryside, which are parodied by the solo flute. An “earthy and energetic” Paean follows which is the most dramatic part of the cantata, with nods toward Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana whilst the Hymn to Cypris is a gentle, lilting Arcadian idyll for women’s voices. The next movement, Erotikon, is the saddest part of the cantata, where the tenor soloist laments unrequited love. Finzi’s vocal style is apparent here. An orchestral Nocturne is “brooding and impassioned.” Here some of Leighton’s future development may be glimpsed. The cantata has travelled the whole swing of the day, with the last chorus, an Epilogue, providing a long summation of the foregoing thoughts. It evokes “Diana’s crystal lamp [which] rises at dusk,” leading to the “Blessed…antidote of sleep.” Yet not before the peroration where the choir “applaud the novelty of things” and gives thanks that “Happy is he who is loved/And has achieved his welcome desire.” The music used here also appears in the glorious Veris Gratia Suite, op.9.

It is fair to say that it is the last of Leighton’s works to explicitly exhibit his debt to Vaughan Williams, Edmund Rubbra and Gerald Finzi.

It does not state on the CD cover that this is a premiere recording of Veris Gratia, op.6, however, I was unable to find any reference to an earlier edition. It is a major contribution to Leighton’s discography.

Ralph Vaughan Williams’s An Oxford Elegy is an appealing choral composition that brings together elements of narration, choir, and a small orchestra. This was written between 1947 and 1949, taking its text inspiration from two poems by Matthew Arnold: The Scholar Gipsy (1853) and Thyrsis (1865).

It reflects both nostalgia and acceptance, evoking the spirit of Arnold’s time and place. The first poem examines the life of a young scholar who leaves his studies at Oxford University to seek wisdom and truth beyond conventional education. The titular character, the Scholar-Gipsy, encounters a group of Romani who possess their own unique way of learning and understanding life. Amongst other things, Arnold examines the fast-paced, fragmented nature of modern life in the Victorian period. He portrays the Scholar-Gipsy’s rejection of the “sick hurry” and “divided aims” then (as now) widespread in society. There is a sense of weariness about the verses. Thyrsis is an encomium for the poet Arthur Hugh Clough. Both poems vividly celebrate the beauties of the landscape.

An Oxford Elegy was given a private performance at RVW’s home, White Gates, Dorking on 20 November 1949, with its public premier at Queen’s College, Oxford, on 19 June 1952. The narrator was Steuart Wilson, and, like the Leighton, the Eglesfield Musical Society was conducted by Bernard Rose.

Listeners will associate Rowan Atkinson with a variety of persona. One thinks of the recent sadly truncated Maigret series, or with one of the incarnations of Blackadder. Children of all ages will love Mr Bean. Johnny English, a parody on the spy genre, was deservedly popular. And then there was the satirical Not the Nine O’clock News which ran from 1979-1982. Atkinson’s alma mater was Queen’s College, Oxford, so the connection is clear. It was with great interest that I listened to his performance of An Oxford Elegy. His diction and timing are perfect. Atkinson’s style is tentative and intimate, rather than declamatory. He is suffused with wonderment with the Scholar’s story and the Oxfordshire landscape. It is beautiful, often bringing a tear to the eye. The singing by the Choir of the Queen’s College is not intrusive but acts as a perfect foil to the narration. Where necessary, they can be expansive, but typically they create an impressionist ‘take’ on “all the live murmur of a summer’s day.”

The liner notes by Owen Rees provide a major essay with detailed analysis of each piece’s progress. All texts and translations are included. There are the usual resumes of the performers.

The recording is splendid and well balanced, especially between the narrator and the choir in The Scholar Gypsy.

Listeners of a certain vintage will recall the John Westbrook narration of An Oxford Elegy, ably accompanied by the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, the Jacques Orchestra, under the watchful eye of David Willcocks. This was released in 1970 on HMV ASD 2487. Since that time there have been several recordings made of this work, with narrators including Jack May, Simon Callow, Gerard Killebrew, and Jeremy Irons. I guess that lovers of this composition will have their favourite.

For me, Westbrook’s was the first recording I heard of An Oxford Elegy, and it will always be my go-to version. That said, I can highly recommend this present recording, with its sense of tenderness and reflection. And the fact that it is coupled with Kenneth Leighton’s outstanding Veris Gratia makes it a must buy for enthusiasts of British Music.

Track Listing:
Kenneth Leighton (1929-88)
Veris Gratia, op.6 A Cantata based on Medieval Latin Lyrics (1950)
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
An Oxford Elegy (1947-49)
Rowan Atkinson (narrator), Nick Pritchard (tenor), David Cuthbert (flute), Alaw Grug Evans (soprano)
Choir of the Queen’s College Oxford, Britten Sinfonia/Owen Rees
rec. 22-24 September 2023, SJE Arts, St John the Evangelist Church, Oxford
Texts included.
Signum Classics SIGCD917

With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published. 

Organ Masterworks IV: Kenneth Leighton’s Prelude, Scherzo and Passacaglia, op.41

I cannot remember where or when I first heard Kenneth Leighton’s Prelude, Scherzo and Passacaglia, op.41. I think it must have been in the early 1970s when I was learning to play the organ. However, I do recall buying a copy of the score in Biggar’s’ music shop in Sauchiehall Street. It was published by Novello in their International Series of Contemporary Organ Music and was still issued in the buff-coloured cover. I knew that it was beyond me at that time. It is still in my library, read, but unplayed.

Despite being a Yorkshireman, Kenneth Leighton is often regarded as an “honorary” Scottish composer. Born on 2 October 1929, he was a pupil at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, and chorister at Wakefield Cathedral. In 1947, Leighton read Classics at Queen’s College, Oxford, before including music in his fourth year, studying under Bernard Rose. He relocated to Rome in 1951 to study with the Italian composer, conductor and academic Goffredo Petrassi (1904-2003). Petrassi introduced him to several stylistic tools, including neoclassicism, Bergian serialism and some post-Webern ‘avant-garde’ techniques. Yet, Leighton was not a “method” composer: to each technique he brings his own unique imagination. He taught at the universities in Leeds and Oxford before he was appointed as Reid Professor of Music at Edinburgh University in 1970. Kenneth Leighton died in Edinburgh on 24 August 1988.

Leighton’s catalogue is wide-ranging and includes three symphonies, various concertos, the opera Columbia, chamber music, piano pieces and many church anthems and services. His contribution to the organ loft is significant. He is best recalled for his Fanfare in Easy Modern Organ Music, Book 1 (OUP, 1967) and the Paean in Modern Organ Music, Book 2 (OUP, 1967). Larger scale works for that instrument include Et Resurrexit (Theme, Fantasy, and Fugue) op. 49 (1966), and the Six Fantasies on Hymn Tunes, op. 72 (1975). Significantly there is also an Organ Concerto, op.58 (1970) and the large-scale solo, Missa de Gloria, op. 82 (1980).

For choir leaders looking for interesting anthems and services, there is Give me the wings of faith (1962), What Love is this of thine? (1985) and the Missa Brevis, op.50 (1967). Lovers of the British pastoral school of orchestral music as exemplified by Gerald Finzi and Ralph Vaughan Williams will find Veris Gratia for cello and orchestra, op.6 (1950) hauntingly beautiful.

Kenneth Leighton’s music is typically approachable, sometimes challenging, but nearly always with an underlying romanticism and deeply felt lyricism. Major influences on his style include Bach and Brahms, as well as Bartók, Dallapiccola and Hindemith. The latest edition of the British Music Society’s British Composer Profiles (2012) has well summed up his achievement: “it bears a highly distinctive hallmark…often deeply religious, always sincere…never sombre, it can exhibit a wildness of spirit or express exuberance and merriment without ever loosing dignity, it can be passionate, austere, granitic or gentle, but displays an unerringly faultless craftsmanship…”

The Prelude, Scherzo and Passacaglia, op.41 was commissioned by Dr Bryan Hesford, the then organist of Brecon Cathedral and was premiered by him at Norwich Cathedral on 24 October 1963. Lasting for more than twenty minutes it is based on the development of a simple melodic motif which is expressed in the opening bars of the Prelude. The Scherzo is essentially a baroque gigue that juxtaposes edgy music with something that is inherently playful. The Passacaglia, which is based on a twelve-note theme, creates a darker and more intense mood than the preceding scherzo. It is used, twisted, and then turned back on itself. The entire work is a clever balance of traditional contrapuntal devices and more contemporary harmonic language. The overall impression is of a work of consummate skill, responding to all the possibilities of the medium. It is hard to believe that this was Leighton’s first essay for the organ.

Organist and musicologist John Henderson (A Directory of Composers for Organ, 1996) has concisely described the Prelude, Scherzo and Passacaglia as “A fine piece which has stood the test of time well, the prelude is chromatic and neurotic, the scherzo is impish though demonic, and the passacaglia builds up to a dramatic conclusion.”

I agree with Arthur Milner, (Musical Opinion, October 1964), that this is “the finest composition for organ by an English composer of the last thirty years.” (i.e. from the 1930s to the 1960s). For me, it is Leighton’s organ masterwork.

With thanks to the Glasgow Diapason where this essay was first printed. 

Adrift: Music for clarinet, cello and piano

The most significant (and longest) work on this CD is Kenneth Leighton’s Fantasy on an American Hymn Tune, op.70, completed in 1974. The tune that forms the basis of the Fantasy is the hymn The Shining River, written by Pastor Robert Lowry during a typhoid and cholera epidemic in Brooklyn. The sentiment of the words is straightforward – “We are parting at the river of death: Shall we meet at the river of life?” Lowry’s words and tune preface Leighton’s score. They give a message of “universal hope and consolation transcending personal sadness.” The Fantasy is in six linked sections which progress towards a satisfying “clarification and glorification” of the found melody. It balances reflection, “driving rhythmic passages” and jazz infused episodes. The present recording opens with the hymn tune and words sung unaccompanied by unnamed singers. It is given a dynamic performance by the Delphine Trio.

The liner notes do not mention that it was premiered on 8 July 1975, during the Cheltenham Festival. The soloists were Gervase de Peyer, William Pleeth and Peter Wallfisch.

Émigré composer Robert Kahn escaped from Germany in 1939, aged 73 years. He settled in the South of England. The present Serenade seems to exist in several incarnations: originally for oboe, horn and piano, but with alternatives for nine different instrumental combinations. The listener will enjoy this serene, occasionally melancholic, post-Brahmsian work which presents no challenges. It is presented in a single movement but subdivided into sections. Serenade was completed in 1923, whilst Kahn was living in Berlin.

John Psathas’s Island Songs is an attractive three-movement piece that explores traditional Greek dance music seen through the eyes of the composer. The liner notes explain that these include the “zeibekiko” and the “sirto.” There is an overall impression of “latent energy” even in the thoughtful slow movement. Various traditional Greek instruments are emulated, including the dulcimer and the stringed outi. It was originally written in 1995 for the Kadinsky Ensemble. It has been re-scored for string trio.

Astor Piazzolla’s Oblivion has been arranged for multiple combinations of instruments. The present version for clarinet, cello and piano was realized by Roelof Temmingh. It was devised for a performance of Pirandello’s Enrico IV (1984). The liner notes do not explain this, but apparently it is a slow milonga, which was a predecessor of the tango. It is melancholic from the first note to the last.    

Robert Delanoff is a new name to me. He was born in Trappau, Germany in 1942. He specialises in chamber music for “unusual instrumental combinations.”  The present Trio, dating from 1965, explores an eclectic stylistic range. There are nods to Debussy, Hindemith and not a few hints of jazz. The liner notes are correct in pointing out the sense of humour in the final movement, a Scherzo. Yet the heart of the Trio is the melancholic, but extremely beautiful Nocturne.

I am always delighted to see a work by Mátyás Seiber featured on a new disc. His Introduction and Allegro was originally scored for cello and accordion. It is undated. The present arrangement, for clarinet, cello and piano was made by the composer. It displays all the excitement and vivacity exhibited by Seiber’s native Hungarian folk music.

The CD liner notes are adequate, however more details of each number would have been helpful. Dates of the works typically are not given.

The Delphine Trio features three musicians “from opposite ends of the globe”: Australian clarinettist Magdalenna Krstevska, Dutch cellist Jobine Siekman and Roelof Temmigh from South Africa. Their performances are outstanding throughout and they are clearly sympathetic to the repertoire. It is enhanced by a crisp, balanced recording.

This is an excellent debut album that serves its purpose by shining a light “on [some] beautiful hidden gems of the clarinet trio repertoire.”

Track Listing:
Kenneth Leighton (1929-88)
Fantasy on an American Hymn Tune, op.70 (1974)
Robert Kahn (1865-1951)
Trio Serenade, op.73 (1923)
John Psathas (b.1966)
Island Songs (1995)
Astor Piazzolla (1921-92)
Oblivion (1982) (arr. Roelof Temmingh (b.1946))
Robert Delanoff (b.1942)
Trio (1965)
Mátyás György Seiber (1905-60)
Introduction and Allegro (undated)
Delphine Trio: Magdalenna Krstevska (clarinet), Jobine Siekman (cello), Roelof Temmingh (piano)
rec. 26-29 June 2023, Studio 1, Muziekcentrum van de Omroep, Hilversum, Netherlands
TRPTK TTK0113 SACD
With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published.

Kenneth Leighton (1929-88) Fantasy on an American Hymn Tune (1975)

Kenneth Leighton is one of those composers whose music has always appealed to me. Since hearing his Symphony No.1 at the City Hall in Glasgow on 2 February 1974, I have discovered a wide range of his work, including organ, concerted, choral and chamber music. It has never failed to please me. In 1969 Leighton won the Cobbett Medal for services to chamber music. So, it may be unsurprising that his Fantasy on an American Hymn Tune (1975) meets the requirements of Walter Wilson Cobbett’s once prestigious Phantasy competitions – in virtually all except the spelling of the title. 

The tune that forms the basis of this work is the hymn ‘The Shining River’, written by Pastor Robert Lowry during a typhoid and cholera epidemic in Brooklyn. The sentiment of the words is straightforward – “We are parting at the river of death: Shall we meet at the river of life?” Lowry’s words and tune preface Leighton’s score. They give a message of “universal hope and consolation transcending personal sadness.”

The formal structure of the Fantasy is slow-fast-slow-fast-slow. The rapid sections are intense and have been rightly described as “straining at an imaginative and emotional leash.”  I must admit that the original tune is not obvious as the work progresses. In fact, it is not heard in its entirety until near the end. The mood of the music is tense from the first note to the last, with some, but not a lot, of consolation appearing in the final bars. On occasion, the ‘American’ connection if made apparent through ‘jazz riffs and breaks’ which lends excitement and pizzazz. This is balanced by some Ivesian slow sections that seem to have the music’s progress enveloped in mist. In the only recording of this work, the choristers of Wakefield Cathedral sing Lowry’s hymn before the work begins. It is a subtle and moving touch.

The Phantasy has been recorded on Prima Facie’s English Phantasies (PFNSCD019) played by the Tritium Trio. Other works on this album include clarinet trios by John Ireland, John McCabe and Giles Easterbrook.

Kenneth Leighton: Burlesque for orchestra, op.19

Kenneth Leighton’s enjoyable Burlesque for orchestra, op.19 was composed during the spring and summer 1957. Other important works around this time included the magisterial Passacaglia, Choral and Fugue, op.18 for orchestra and the String Quartet No.2, op.33. The first performance was during a radio broadcast by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Colin Davis.  I have been unable to identify the date of this broadcast.

Burlesque was first publicly performed at the Promenade Concerts on 3 September 1959. The BBC Symphony Orchestra was conducted by the composer.

The programme notes, written by the composer states: ‘The work has no programme, but sets out simply to express feelings of exuberance and sometimes playfulness rather in the manner of a concert overture. There are two main ideas; the first is a fast, rhythmic motive given out at once by the strings. A brass fanfare contributes a subsidiary idea and these two themes are immediately given rhythmic development. The second main theme, entering at the peak of a climax on the horns, is a broader tune marked ‘ardente.’ The piece poses no problems and roughly follows the design of sonata form. But there is an extended coda in which the broad second theme achieves a final transformation on full brass.’

The Times (4 September 1959) critic was impressed. He pointed out that the novelty in the previous evening’s Promenade Concert was ‘home grown and unpretentious…[written] by the 30-year-old Yorkshire composer…’  He felt that the title of the work, ‘Burlesque’ was ‘a bit misleading, for though the piece was energetic and often exuberant it was certainly not tongue-in-cheek or humorous in style.’ The reviewer picked up on the fact that Leighton had used ‘sonata form’ as the basis of this piece – ‘the working out of the material left no doubt whatsoever of his academic background.’ Presumably in this instance, this was a compliment rather than any suggestion of pedantry. The scoring was examined: it placed Leighton in the ‘Brahms camp’ rather than the ‘New Romantic school of Wagner and his associates, had he [Leighton] lived a century earlier.’ In conclusion, the critic felt that the work was ‘a good substantial piece of traditional thinking rather than an ear-tickler [in the] burlesquing tradition.

The Daily Telegraph reviewer (4 September 1959) heads their comments with ‘Jollity with a shallow ring: Prom Tit-Bit.’ The writer insists that Kenneth Leighton ‘is a knowledgeable and efficient composer, and these qualities have stood by him in the new Burlesque which he conducted at last night’s Promenade concert.’  It suggests that the composer’s models included Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra and William Walton. The orchestra was ‘put through the hoops with many a deft crack of the whip’. The reviewer stated that ‘no more is required of a prom tit-bit…’ Nevertheless, at ‘jollity without a strong personality behind it has a shallow ring.’ Unfortunately, the piece does not result from ‘an over-brimming of personal high spirits.’

Stephen Plaistow reviewing the score for The Musical Times June 1961 felt that ‘Kenneth Leighton, in his recent orchestral Burlesque, shelves the problem [of advancing his style] and gives the impression of marking time as far as individuality is concerned. Certainly, his piece owes much to the Walton of the Portsmouth Point and [the] Johannesburg Festival overtures, with its strong, bright colours and exhilarating rhythmic variety. But it is little the worse for this, and its solid workmanship and restrained scoring (especially in the kitchen (percussion) department) give it an engaging unpretentiousness. Virtuoso orchestras are going to love it.’ Burlesque was published by Novello and Co. in 1961.  

Kenneth Leighton’s Burlesque has been uploaded to YouTube. It is played by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Colin Davis. I wonder if it is the original broadcast?

Kenneth Leighton: Concerto for String Orchestra, op. 39. Part 3 of 3.

Records and Record Reviews

There are only two recordings of Kenneth Leighton’s Concerto for String Orchestra in the record catalogues, one of which has been long-deleted. The first was released on LP by Pye in 1967 (TPLS 13005). The present work was coupled with John McCabe’s Symphony [No.1] (Elegy) op.40 (1965) and Adrian Cruft’s Divertimento for String Orchestra, op. 43 (1963). The London Philharmonic Orchestra was conducted by John Snashall. Fortunately, the Leighton piece has been uploaded to

Malcolm MacDonald (The Gramophone, January 1968) was impressed by the entire disc. He felt that the ‘symphonic style [apparent in the McCabe] is also much in evidence…in Kenneth Leighton’s concerto.’ He notes that, like the McCabe work, ‘three movements…constitute the whole, and again something of an elegiac quality is in evidence towards the beginning of the work.’ MacDonald concludes by suggesting that ‘the mind is gripped by the quality of the music, rather than by any specific instrumental character it has – even though it is certainly exceedingly well written for the strings.’

A brief mention of the Concerto is given in Peter Pirie’s review of the album in the Musical Times (April 1968): ‘The Leighton is very well written, academic in the best sense, and would make more impact in less formidable company…’

Between 2008 and 2010, Chandos Records issued a three-volume retrospective of [some] of Kenneth Leighton’s orchestral works. I am not sure if the series was suspended mid-way, as there are several other orchestral works by Leighton that demand our attention. It should be remembered that Chandos had previously released ‘Veris Gratia’, the Symphony No.3 (Laudes musicae), op.90 (1984) and the Cello Concerto, op.31 (1956). Other CDs have included a survey of the piano music and selected choral music and chamber works.

‘Volume 1’ (CHAN 10461) of the series featured the Concerto for String Orchestra: Richard Hickox and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales also included the Symphony for Strings as well as the Organ Concerto, op.58 (1970). It received excellent reviews. 

Writing for MusicWeb International (June 08) Hubert Culot explained that ‘…I have always had a soft spot for the Concerto for String Orchestra…simply because it was the very first work by Leighton that I have ever heard.’ Comparing this work to the earlier Symphony for Strings, he felt that it was ‘a considerably more mature work.’ Much of this maturity was down to the opportunity for study with Goffredo Petrassi. Culot suggests that ‘Petrassi…introduced Leighton to dodecaphony and serialism and, more importantly, taught him how to use these techniques in a supple way in order to meet his personal expressive and formal needs; Petrassi was never a strict serialist.’ 

Rob Barnett builds on this discussion in his subsequent review for the same website (January 2009). He writes: ‘[Leighton’s] exposure to the music of the Second Viennese School has added a deep patina of Bergian stress.’ Other influences noted by Barnett include the ‘flighty-fantastic pizzicato central Toccata to provide contrast but its fury from time to time recalls Herrmann's Psycho music’ and ‘Shostakovich is certainly a presence and appears unmistakably in the finale with the grim and gritty redolence of the first movement of the Sixth Symphony.’

The Chandos CD was also reviewed by Fanfare and the American Record Guide.  In the former (November 2008) Paul A. Snook considers that Richard Hickox ‘…with the assistance of Chandos's expanded acoustic, easily improves upon the earlier recordings, offering much more clarity and insight into Leighton's sedulous and deliberate knitting together of motifs while suffusing the whole with a high degree of tension, intensity, and even an atmosphere of fatalism.’

Mark L. Lehman writing in the American Record Guide (September/October 2008) understood that the Concerto for Strings is ‘… [more] acidic, knotty, dark, biting, and tense’ than Leighton’s early Symphony which exuded ‘effusive romantic warmth’.  Lehman notes the ‘slow, chromatically unwinding lines in sinewy counterpoint pay[ing] homage to Bartok's spectral Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celeste’ in the opening movement, whilst the ‘short central scherzo, played entirely pizzicato, is light on its feet but still restless and uneasy.’ The finale is ‘a sombre and heavy-treading double-dotted march diverted into a brisk, active, sharply accented fugal development.’ It is an excellent summary of this important work.

Like so much British music one feels that if Kenneth Leighton’s Concerto for String Orchestra, had been written by a foreign composer (e.g. Bartok or Shostakovich) it would have had multiple recordings. On the other hand, it is good to have these two fine recordings available to listeners. I feel that both Snashall and Hickox do the work full justice. They provide a splendid account of a work that successfully balances a ‘gritty’ intensity with the composer’s fundamentally lyrical style and romantic warmth. 

Kenneth Leighton: Concerto for String Orchestra, op. 39. Part 2 of 3

Performance and Score Reviews

Kenneth Leighton’s Concerto for String Orchestra op.39 was first p
erformed at the Wigmore Hall, London on 19 June 1962. Harvey Phillips conducted the Harvey Phillips String Orchestra. The first section of the concert also included a Concerto for Strings by John Stanley, edited by Gerald Finzi. This was followed by Sir Edward Elgar’s ‘delightful’ Serenade for Strings in E minor, op.20 (1892). After the interval, Jennifer Ward-Clarke (1935-2015) was the soloist in Boccherini’s Cello Concerto in B flat.  The concert concluded with a performance of Jean Françaix's (1912-97) urbane Symphony for String Orchestra (1948). Françaix had celebrated his fiftieth birthday during the previous month.

The Times (20 June 1962) suggested that Leighton’s Concerto for String Orchestra ‘made a distinctly favourable impression.’ The unsigned reviewer (possibly William Mann) considered that the ‘grave beauty of its opening movement generates a throbbing rhythm which rises to an impassioned climax’, followed by ‘the scherzo-like middle movement [which] is played pizzicato throughout’ and the ‘finale, beginning in slow march time’ and presenting ‘much strenuous but rewarding contrapuntal writing.’ He concluded by noting that it was ‘refreshing to hear a work by a comparatively young composer in which strong feeling is expressed with skill.’  The ‘youth’ of the composer is overstated: Leighton was 32 years old when the work was composed.

R.L.H. writing in the Daily Telegraph (20 June 1962) was less-than-impressed with the general performance by the Harvey Phillips String Orchestra: ‘…[the] full, warm string tone’ was ‘…[usually a] feature of the orchestra, however he considered that ‘they rarely made full use of this basic strength.’ The playing was marked by ‘faulty ensemble’ and a ‘lack of rhythmic precision and a failure to shape the music constructively.’ The reviewer considered that the ‘orchestra played…most convincingly in [Leighton’s]…sombre, passionate Concerto…’

The Edinburgh-based newspaper, The Scotsman (20 November 1964) reported on a performance of the Concerto for String Orchestra on 19 November 1964 at the Reid School of Music, Edinburgh. Conrad Wilson states that the work was ‘refreshingly clear cut, laying out its argument sharply, concisely, and with impressive effect’ and considered that it was ‘a stirring, powerful piece.’ Apparently, the work was repeated at the same concert.  Interestingly, Wilson states that the work was dedicated to Harvey Phillips. This is not supported in Carolyn J. Smith’s Bio-Bibliography of the composer (2004), the Chandos (CHAN 10461) liner notes or the thesis on Leighton’s early music by Adam Binks (2007).

The score of Kenneth Leighton’s Concerto for String Orchestra was published by Novello in 1965: it was reviewed by Hugh Ottaway in the Musical Times (July 1965). He considered that the work displayed ‘…a fine professionalism’ and specifies the ‘…excellent handling of resources…’ He remarks that although Leighton is ‘not a composer of immediately striking individuality [he] has a keen imagination of a kind that imparts relevance and force to each successive step his music takes.’ Ottaway concludes his review of the score by noting the combination of the ‘closeness of composition with an expansive energy that sweeps the music forward surely and vigorously.’

To be continued…

Kenneth Leighton: Concerto for String Orchestra, op. 39. Part 1 of 3

Introduction

Kenneth Leighton (1929-88) was one of the most important voices in British music during the latter half of the twentieth-century. The latest edition of the British Music Society’s British Composer Profiles (BMS, 2012) has pithily summed up his musical achievement: ‘it bears a highly distinctive hallmark…often deeply religious, always sincere…never sombre, it can exhibit a wildness of spirit or express exuberance and merriment without ever loosing dignity, it can be passionate, austere, granitic or gentle, but displays an unerringly faultless craftsmanship…’

Leighton’s music is approachable whilst often being challenging: there is nearly always an underlying romanticism and deeply felt lyricism.

Composition and Analysis

Beginning with the Festival Overture in 1946, Kenneth Leighton produced a succession of orchestral works. The earliest ‘masterpiece’ is the Symphony for Strings, op.3 composed in 1949. This can take its place beside the great string compositions of Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Tippett and Berkeley. Leighton’s hauntingly beautiful ‘Veris Gratia’: suite for oboe, cello and strings, op.9 was composed in 1950: it remains a personal favourite of mine. Succeeding years  witnessed several orchestral works including symphonies, concertos, suites and overtures. 

The Concerto for String Orchestra, op. 39, originally entitled Concerto for Large String Orchestra, was composed between 1960 and 1961: it received its first performance the following year. Other works produced at this time included the Concerto No.2 for piano and orchestra, op.37 (1958-60), and the Festive Overture (1962).  There were also some anthems, the cantata Crucifixus pro nobis, op.38 (1960-62) and the Missa Sancti Thomae, op. 40 (1962).

Most commentators point up the difference between the early Symphony for Strings and the present work as being one of maturity and increased ‘grittiness.’ This is (largely) laid at the door of Kenneth Leighton’s period of study with the Italian composer, conductor and academic Goffredo Petrassi (1904-2003).  Petrassi introduced Leighton to several compositional and stylistic tools, including neo-classicism, Bergian serialism and some post-Webern ‘avant-garde’ techniques.

The structure of the Concerto for String Orchestra is satisfying. The three movements have considerable rhythmic diversity and changes of tempi. The first movement, ‘Lento sostenuto’ is followed by a rapid scherzo – ‘Molto ritmico’. The finale, ‘Adagio maestoso - allegro precipitoso - più largo e molto sostenuto’, is a microcosm of plan of the entire concerto - slow outer sections, with a faster middle.

Gerald Larner (sleeve notes, Pye TPLS 13005) has noted the strong thematic unity across the entire piece.  He cites the example of the ‘germ of the entirely pizzicato second movement…is plainly to be heard on the plucked lower strings just after the centrally placed climax of the pyramid-shaped first movement.’  The same motive ‘prominently adds rhythmic impetus to the gradually accelerating middle section of the last movement…’. The conclusion of the work has a thematic reference to the opening movement. 

The Concerto is characterised by an increase in dissonance over the earlier Symphony for Strings, but not overbearingly so, considerable use of contrapuntal techniques and a wide-ranging use of chromaticism and thematic manipulation. For example, the opening movement deploys three contrasting themes which are presented contrapuntally, and use all twelve tones of the chromatic scale. 
To be continued...

Kenneth Leighton: The Complete Organ Works Volume 2-3

This new 3-CD set from Resonus includes the previously released Volumes 1 and 2 of Kenneth Leighton’s Complete Organ Works. To this has been added a final Volume 3, which I understand has not been issued separately. I have previously reviewed Volume 1 for MusicWeb International, so will not repeat myself in these comments. I was unable to find any appraisal of Volume 2 listed on MWI.

The second CD gets off to a great start. The ‘Festival Fanfare’ was composed for the 1968 West Riding Cathedrals Festival held at Sheffield. The event included the ‘massed choirs’ of Sheffield, Bradford and Wakefield Cathedrals and was held during 1 and 2 November. Interestingly, the splendid cathedral of Ripon was in the West Riding at that time, before the reckless county boundary changes of 1974: I wonder why they were not invited?

The ‘Fanfare’ was personally requested by Sheffield organist Graham Matthews. It lasts for about six minutes and is in Leighton’s usual jubilant, flamboyant, dance-inspired style, ideal for ceremonial music. Making use of limited musical material it is well-structured, and technically challenging. ‘Festival Fanfare’ was premiered by Matthews (other sources suggest it was Percy Saunders) at the Festival Evensong and again at a concert, both in Sheffield Cathedral.

Kenneth Leighton insisted that ‘Et Resurrexit’ (Theme, Fantasy and Fugue) op.49 is ‘…purely abstract in design, [however] the work attempts to give musical expression to the individual’s struggle for belief in the miracle of the resurrection…’ The massive canvas is developed from a minimum of musical material. Despite the work’s formal division into three movements, it is easier to understand as a kind of continuous variation or constant transformation. The mood of the work is changeable, balancing emotions that are deeply felt, moving and often euphoric. It places considerable technical demands on the organist, especially in using the colours available through registration, as well as simply playing the notes. It is dedicated to Robert Munns who gave the premiere on 16 November on the organ of Brompton Parish Church, London.

‘These are Thy Wonders (A Song of Renewal)’, op.84 was commissioned by the tenor Neil Mackie to celebrate the 70^th birthday of Peter Pears in 1980. It is a setting of the poem ‘The Flower’ by George Herbert.  I am never quite sure how well solo ‘song’ works with an organ. In this case, I guess Leighton has created a through-composed work of considerable lyricism and ‘luminosity’ which gives an effective balance to voice and instrument. It is brilliantly sung on this CD by Nicky Spence. The work was first performed in the beautiful St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall, Orkney on 21 June 1981. This was 364 days after Pears’ actual 70^th birthday.  

The short ‘Veni Creator Spiritus’ was written the year before the composer died. It was commissioned for the Dunfermline Abbey Festival of 1987 and was first performed there on 21 June by the Abbey organist, Andrew Armstrong.  Although this finely-wrought work is entitled a ‘prelude’ it is really a meditation on the ancient plainsong tune for Whitsunday. The music follows the text in a restrained manner, gently acknowledging references to the ‘living fire’, God’s promise to instruct his flock, the perils for which we need God’s protection and the security of His divine love.

I remember buying a copy of the sheet music of Leighton’s ‘Prelude, Scherzo and Passacaglia’, op.41 in Biggar’s music shop in Glasgow around 1975. It was issued in the buff coloured Novello International Series of Contemporary Organ Music edition. It just appealed to me. I never could play it, and never will play it, but it seemed like a good investment: I still have it in my music library. The work was commissioned by Bryan Hesford of Brecon Cathedral, and was first performed by him in Norwich Cathedral on 24 October 1963.

Lasting for more than 20 minutes it is based on the development of a simple melodic motif which is expressed in the opening bars of the Prelude. The Scherzo is essentially a baroque gigue that juxtaposes edgy music with something that is inherently playful. The Passacaglia, which is based on a 12-note theme creates a much darker and more intense mood than the preceding scherzo. The theme is used, twisted and then turned back on itself. The entire work is a clever balance of largely traditional contrapuntal devices but also utilises a more contemporary harmonic language. The overall impression is of a work of consummate skill, written by a composer who fully understands all the possibilities of the medium. It is hard to believe that this was his first major work for the genre.  I agree with Arthur Milner (Musical Opinion, October 1964) that this is ‘the finest composition for organ by an English composer of the last thirty years.’ For me, it is Leighton’s organ masterwork.

The third disc opens with Kenneth Leighton’s most ‘popular’ organ work ‘Paean’ (1966) with five recordings currently listed in the Arkiv catalogue, and many more in the lists of deleted LPs, cassettes and CDs.  It is a justifiably popular piece that is full of rhythmic energy, extrovert gestures and surprising lyricism. It celebrates perfectly the thanksgiving (and possibly triumph) suggested by the title.  It was commissioned by Oxford University Press (OUP) for the second volume of their successful Modern Organ Music series (Red Cover). The first performance was given at the Royal Festival Hall on 25 January 1967 by Simon Preston. This was part of a celebration of 40 years of the Organ Club.

OUP’s competitors Novello commissioned the ‘Elegy’ as one of the numbers included in their Music Before Service album, issued in 1965. This was the second of Leighton’s organ pieces and was completed in April 1965. This work is composed in an ‘arch’ form, beginning and ending quietly, with a considerable climax in the middle. Although the ‘Elegy’ is approachable and completely satisfying, it is hardly the sort of piece one expects to hear at St Swithuns-on-Irwell on a Sunday morning before 1662 Prayer Book Matins.

The short Ode was yet another commission for an album of organ music: A Second Album of Preludes and Interludes-Six Pieces by Contemporary British Composers published by OUP in 1979.  The music is an exercise in the building up of tension and increasing dynamics on a very limited canvas. The work ends, conventionally, with a powerful C major chord.

If I am honest, Fantasy on a Chorale (Es ist genug), op.80 (1979) just does not do it for me. I feel the combination of violin and organ is not judicious. It is the only piece where the composer has attempted this instrumentation. The chorale appeared in Bach’s cantata ‘O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort,’ BWV 60. Enthusiasts of Alban Berg’s Violin Concerto will recall the composer’s use of the tune in his celebrated Violin Concerto.

The Fantasy is written in a single continuous movement, albeit divided into five sections. I find that it is typically uninspiring from the first note to the last. At 26 minutes in duration it seems just a wee bit too long. I am sure that other listeners will heartily disagree with me.  One feels guilty in not enjoying or appreciating this piece, as it was written ‘in memoriam’ for Leighton’s father. The Fantasy was commissioned by the American violinist Jean Harmon and was first performed in the Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC on 4 May 1980.

The short chorale prelude ‘Rockingham’ is a beautiful, restrained sicilaino-like meditation on the well-loved hymn tune used with the words ‘When I Survey the Wondrous Cross’. It first appeared in the collection Chorale Preludes on English Tunes published by OUP c.1977.

The relatively ‘easy to play’ Fanfare was included in Volume 1 of  OUPs Easy Modern Organ Music published in 1967. Peter Hardwick in his British Organ Music (2003) suggests that the work has ‘an engaging pervasive brightness and rhythmic forward thrust’ which is achieved by the ‘symmetrical phrases that begin on weak beats.’ It is certainly a good place for aspiring organists to begin their study of Kenneth Leighton’s organ music.

‘Veni Redemptor’ (A Celebration), op.93 is based on the eponymous chant published in the Sarum Antiphoner. The piece was written for the North Wales International Music Festival at St. Asaph in 1985, and was first heard there on 20 September of that year. It was performed by the dedicatee John Scott (1956-2015). The composer’s own words sum up the powerful effect of this music: ‘[It is] a celebration of Christmas which gives expression to awe and majesty as well as to joy and brightness.’ From its quiet opening, followed by a skittish section, then building up to a glorious peroration, this is a perfectly constructed piece of organ music.

The final work on this third CD, ‘De Profundis’, op.76, is not for organ: it is the only piece that Kenneth Leighton composed for the harpsichord. It was written during August 1977, and had its premiere on 7 June 1978 in that great repository of keyboard instruments, the St Cecilia’s Hall in Edinburgh. The composer was the soloist.

Leighton has described the work as ‘…a set of constant variations…it tries to use for the most part the lyrical and contrapuntal potentialities of the harpsichord…’ The liner notes suggest that ‘De Profundis’ was composed at a time of unhappiness for Leighton. This mood permeates much of the work, yet the vibrant rhythms of some of the faster sections seem to be positive, whilst the darker moments certainly suggest sadness. I must admit that I found the piece a little hard going: it is not my favourite work by the composer. On the other hand, it is good that it has been given this splendid recording.

The work was crafted to be played on a historic instrument. In the present recording, Stephen Farr uses a Pascal Taskin instrument built in 1769, which is now housed in the St Cecilia’s Hall. This was presumably loaned to St George’s Church, Chesterton, Cambridge from St Cecilia’s Hall (see recording details) for this performance.

The liner notes, written by Adam Binks, who is currently writing the first biography of Kenneth Leighton, are near-dissertation length, and give a splendid overview of the composer and his organ music. Each piece is discussed in some detail. Biographical information is given about the performers. Organ specifications are included for all three instruments: the 1992 Rieger Organ at St Giles Cathedral, the Klais Organ at the Symphony Hall, Birmingham and the Henry Willis instrument in St Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge, London. The text of ‘These are thy wonders’ by George Herbert is printed in full. 

The performance of all this music is ideal. I thoroughly enjoyed most pieces (see above for caveats) and felt that Stephen Farr, John Butt, Chloë Hanslip (violin) and Nick Spence (tenor) have done a splendid job in performing this important repertoire. Clearly, the lion’s share of these three CDs has fallen to Stephen Farr. It is a stunning achievement. The sound quality of the recording is perfect: it makes the listener feel they are present at the venues. No better compliment can be paid.

Track Listings:

Kenneth LEIGHTON (1929-1988)

CD2

Festival Fanfare (1968)

Et Resurrexit (Theme, Fantasy and Fugue) op.49 (1966)

These are Thy Wonders (A Song of Renewal), op.84 (1981)

Veni Creator Spiritus (1987)

Prelude, Scherzo and Passacaglia, op.41 (1963)

Nicky Spence (tenor, These are Thy Wonders), Stephen Farr (organ)

Rec. The Klais Organ of Symphony Hall, Birmingham 27-28 August 2014

CD3

Paean (1966)

Elegy (1965)

Ode (1977)

Fantasy on a Choral (Es ist genug) for violin and organ, op.80 (1979) [26:03]

Rockingham (1975)

Fanfare (1966)

Veni Redemptor (A Celebration) op.93 (1985)

Improvisations ‘De Profundis’, op.76 (1977)

Rec. St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh on 20 April 2016, The Henry Willis Organ of St Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge, London, (Fantasy) on 1 October 2015, St George’s Church, Chesterton, Cambridge 18 June 2016 (Improvisations)

RESONUS RES10178 

With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published. 

Kenneth Leighton: The Complete Organ Works Volume 1

I originally wrote my review of this CD in 2014. It was published on MusicWeb International on 14 July of that year. This was a review of a download. In recent weeks, I have received a three CD set of the ‘Kenneth Leighton: The Complete Organ Works, which I have reviewed for MWI. For completeness on the blog I have republished the text for Volume 1, with review for Volumes 2 & 3 in a subsequent post. I found no reason to change my views on this present CD. My thoughts in CD2 & 3 will be appear in my next post. 

I do not know the organ works of Kenneth Leighton (apart from the often-performed Paean) and have never heard ‘The Complete Organ Works’ played on the organ of St. Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh by Dennis Townhill (PRCD326) which is the main competition to this new ‘download’ from Resonus.

The twentieth-century produced four major British composers contributing sizable catalogues of music for the organ:  Herbert Howells, William Mathias, Francis Jackson and Kenneth Leighton. Leighton’s organ music is not in the trajectory of Howells, in spite of there being some fingerprints of the elder composer in the pages of these scores. He has looked to Europe for inspiration rather than the organ lofts of English Cathedrals. Paul Hindemith would appear to have an important influence on Leighton’s sound-word: influences from Flor Peeters and Hendrik Andriessen have been remarked on.

Leighton’s first major composition for organ was the ‘Prelude, Scherzo and Passacaglia’ Op.41 written in 1963. His last work was the ‘Veni Creator Spiritus’ which was composed in the year before his death.

The present collection opens with the thought-provoking Six Fantasies on Hymn Tunes, Op.46 and dates from 1975. These are not dry-as-dust ecclesiastical numbers designed to cover up the none-too-hushed conversations of congregations before the minister arrives in the pulpit, but are a fascinating and many-coloured exploration of these relatively four-square, popular hymn tunes. They are full of interest, inventiveness and imagination. 

Also using a hymn tune is the Martyrs: Dialogues on a Scottish Psalm-tune, Op. 73 which is written for organ duet. Interestingly (and mind bogglingly) both performers are required to play pedals in this piece!  It is divided up into three sections and is preceded by a statement of the original hymn-tune. The work proper opens with a dark meditation which builds to a ‘thunderous’ climax. The second section contrasts a double-fugue with toccata-like figuration. It concludes with a ‘gigue-like’ passage followed by a powerful restatement of the tune ‘Martyrs’.

The Improvisation in Memoriam Maurice de Sausmarez uses the familiar arch-structure favoured by Herbert Howells. The composer wrote that this deeply-introverted piece is conceived in ‘... a mood of mourning and protest symbolised in the conflict between lyrical counterpoint, and an ostinato (subject to variation) consisting of three chord clusters which persist throughout the piece. The clusters reach a climax of intensity in a chord containing all the notes of the chromatic scale’.

Kenneth Leighton’s largest achievement for solo organ is his Missa de Gloria (Dublin Festival Mass), Op. 82 which was written in 1980. It is considerably longer than his fine Organ Concerto written some years previously.  The work is divided into six sections which reflect the traditional divisions of the Mass – Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and the Agnus Dei. The finale is a toccata based on ‘Ite, missa est’ – ‘Go, the Mass has ended’. Leighton has made use of a plainchant melody derived from the ‘Proper’ for Easter Day in the 12^th century Sarum Liturgy in most of the sections of this work.  The composer claimed that it was he first of his work to be ‘almost entirely inspired’ by plainsong.

This is a huge, powerful work that sometimes haunts the same musical world as Messiaen’s earlier organ music.  

This is the first download that I have reviewed. Like the transition that many listeners made some 30 years ago from vinyl to CD, I have had my reservations about the media.  Yet progress is always inevitable.

The present download is available in four different formats – MP3, AAC, FLAC 16-bit and FLAC 24-bit. The latter requires a large amount of data storage with a single album requiring up to 1GB of memory.

One of my big issues with some ‘record’ companies is that the liner-notes are not available for download or cut and paste. Chandos, Hyperion and Naxos all have good access to these important documents on their webpages. Alas, a number of other producers do not provide these as part of the download: certainly, Amazon does not include them in purchases. So I was delighted to find that there is a set of freely available documentation available on the Resonus website as part of this download – including a well-produced ‘booklet/liner notes’ in .pdf format. There are also a number of photos of the artists, the advertising ‘flyer’ and a scan of the ‘cover.’ This allows the listener to evaluate the release before purchase.

Biographical notes are given on the organists Stephen Farr and James Butt. Farr is the main performer on this download and is currently organist at St Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge as well as having a busy concert career.

The music is performed on the Rieger Organ in St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh. This was installed in 1992 and is justly famous. The liner notes give the specification for this impressive three-manual instrument, however there is no history of its concept and construction – for example the effective reuse of two pedal stops from the old Willis organ (1940). All this kind of information would be of profound interest to organ-music enthusiasts. 

I am grateful to be able to explore a new facet of Kenneth Leighton’s music. He is a composer that I have always been able to do business with: his balance of modernism and tradition is ideal. I thoroughly enjoyed this new download from Resonus and look forward to reviewing the second volume in this projected series.  

Track Listings: 

Kenneth LEIGHTON (1929-1988)

Six Fantasies on Hymn Tunes, Op. 72 (1975)

Helmsley; Aus der Tiefe (Heinlien); Lumetto: Little canonic variations on

‘Jesus bids us shine’; St Columba (Erin); Veni Emmanuel; Toccata on Hanover

Martyrs: Dialogues on a Scottish Psalm-tune, Op. 73 (1976) for organ duet

Improvisation in Memoriam Maurice de Sausmarez (1969)

Missa de Gloria (Dublin Festival Mass), Op. 82 (1980)

Stephen Farr (organ) John Butt (organ)

Rec. St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh on 9-10 September 2013

Reviewed as download

RESONUS LIMITED RES10134 

With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published.