Although you did not win this competition, coming second was a notable achievement (and I see you went on to win the Noël-Spinelli Prize - many congratulations, Ben!). Willan certainly was a remarkable musician. At just eighteen years of age, he passed the Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists examination - the youngest candidate, I think, ever to do so. He went on to receive his diploma from Parry and was heartily congratulated for passing the examination the first time - a rare occurrence. Following his move to Canada, 1914 marked the installation of a new organ for the Church of St. Paul's, Toronto - an enormous cathedral-sized building then under construction. Following its completion, the new Casavant organ was first heard on April 29, 1914. It was a magnificent instrument, boasting 107 stops (one more than the organ at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City!), and probably the finest organ in Canada at that time. It was for this organ that Willan composed his greatest organ work that you performed so brilliantly at the 2021 Canadian International Organ Competition on another Casavant instrument. Over the next several years, Willan's IPF gained tremendous popularity, standing out as possibly the greatest organ work to come from a Canadian-adopted composer. Joseph Bonnet, the noted French organist and composer, stated that Willan's Passacaglia was "one of the most significant since Bach . . . a rare and admirable composition . . . this work does the greatest honour to the organ literature of our time." Many scholars consider Willan to be one of the last Romantics, a conservative composer who found himself in the middle of a major musical revolution. While more progressive composers were moving in new directions, Willan chose to stay with what he knew (at the premiere of his 1946 opera, he was heard to say that he regarded himself as "a musician who rather likes to compose - and has a good time doing it."). In the fifty-two years that remained of his life after IPF, Willan never again attempted to compose such a large-scale work for the organ. Perhaps, having expended so great an amount of energy and skill in the structuring of this work, he hesitated to make another attempt on such a demanding level. Even so, it can be argued that this monumental work (incorporating as you remarked, Ben, stylistic elements and compositional procedures from German organ music into the English organ legacy), was never equaled by any of Willan's English contemporaries.
Great performance, especially the fugue.
Good choice, Willan in Canada! Very well done, Ben.
Nice to read the history of the piece/composer, which we didn't get at the time of the competition. I can't believe that it's two years 👏👏
That is one hell of an organ Ben
One of the great organ pieces! ❤
Although you did not win this competition, coming second was a notable achievement (and I see you went on to win the Noël-Spinelli Prize - many congratulations, Ben!).
Willan certainly was a remarkable musician. At just eighteen years of age, he passed the Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists examination - the youngest candidate, I think, ever to do so. He went on to receive his diploma from Parry and was heartily congratulated for passing the examination the first time - a rare occurrence. Following his move to Canada, 1914 marked the installation of a new organ for the Church of St. Paul's, Toronto - an enormous cathedral-sized building then under construction. Following its completion, the new Casavant organ was first heard on April 29, 1914. It was a magnificent instrument, boasting 107 stops (one more than the organ at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City!), and probably the finest organ in Canada at that time. It was for this organ that Willan composed his greatest organ work that you performed so brilliantly at the 2021 Canadian International Organ Competition on another Casavant instrument. Over the next several years, Willan's IPF gained tremendous popularity, standing out as possibly the greatest organ work to come from a Canadian-adopted composer. Joseph Bonnet, the noted French organist and composer, stated that Willan's Passacaglia was "one of the most significant since Bach . . . a rare and admirable composition . . . this work does the greatest honour to the organ literature of our time."
Many scholars consider Willan to be one of the last Romantics, a conservative composer who found himself in the middle of a major musical revolution. While more progressive composers were moving in new directions, Willan chose to stay with what he knew (at the premiere of his 1946 opera, he was heard to say that he regarded himself as "a musician who rather likes to compose - and has a good time doing it."). In the fifty-two years that remained of his life after IPF, Willan never again attempted to compose such a large-scale work for the organ. Perhaps, having expended so great an amount of energy and skill in the structuring of this work, he hesitated to make another attempt on such a demanding level. Even so, it can be argued that this monumental work (incorporating as you remarked, Ben, stylistic elements and compositional procedures from German organ music into the English organ legacy), was never equaled by any of Willan's English contemporaries.
Fantastic performance! ... and much more knowledgeable people _also agree_ ... 🥈. Are you aiming for *2024* ?
Ah, Casavant, I knew him well. Did you win?
A fine performance 👌 nice one fella 🎉
Nice