Muriel Murrill

[Finzi4ever]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Kennedy_Andrews
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Oakeley

I should have remembered HK Andrews, but always know by his initials. I can still just about hum his D major setting. Famously died 'at the wheel' so to speak at his inaugural recital at Trin. Coll. Oxon.

[mopsus]

The only other piece I know by him is Murrill in E, still cropping up on cathedral music lists, but less frequently than 30 years ago.

There's an Anglican chant by him that is still in the repertoire.

[Braunschlag]

There's an Anglican chant by him that is still in the repertoire.

And there's his Carillon which is a fun piece if you have nifty feet. Always fondly remembered from that EMI King of Instruments LP played by Simon Preston

[Pulcinella]

And there's his Carillon which is a fun piece if you have nifty feet. Always fondly remembered from that EMI King of Instruments LP played by Simon Preston

I once could (just about) play it!
The Preston recording made it into this French EMI 2CD set, available ridiculously cheaply (used): well worth it!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grandes-Toccatas-Orgue-Johann-Sebastian/dp/B000025019

[Braunschlag]

I once could (just about) play it!
The Preston recording made it into this French EMI 2CD set, available ridiculously cheaply (used): well worth it!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grandes-Toc.../dp/B000025019

I just about managed it in more balletic days! Isn't this the set with the Rawsthorne Duruflé Toccata with that 'original' ending? Whatever, he does a fantastic job and the articulation is wonderful in Liverpool Cathedral, you really can hear every note very cleanly played. It might not be the last word in 'French' style, certainly not in sound but, by 'eck' it's a belting rendition.

[Pulcinella]

I just about managed it in more balletic days! Isn't this the set with the Rawsthorne Duruflé Toccata with that 'original' ending? Whatever, he does a fantastic job and the articulation is wonderful in Liverpool Cathedral, you really can hear every note very cleanly played. It might not be the last word in 'French' style, certainly not in sound but, by 'eck' it's a belting rendition.

It's certainly got Rawsthorne playing the Duruflé Toccata.
I didn't know (or, perhaps worse, hadn't noticed ) that there were original and revised endings; must compare with the other two recordings I have (Scott and Latry) to spot the difference!

[Braunschlag]

It's certainly got Rawsthorne playing the Duruflé Toccata.
I didn't know (or, perhaps worse, hadn't noticed ) that there were original and revised endings; must compare with the other two recordings I have (Scott and Latry) to spot the difference!

If you have real 'eagle ears' you might also spot that, in the last pedal triplet figures, John Scott hits a wrong note, just the once and I never noticed until someone else pointed it out. Makes no difference to a superlative performance though. Latry takes it at a fair lick too, another great performance. The first time I heard the 'new' ending was from a Simon Preston recording broadcast from Christ Church Oxford on their new Rieger. I don't think the old ending exists now in a modern publication. Room for both.

[Dafydd y G.W.]

Why though did Herbert alter Walton's opening rhythmic figure? And why didn't OUP object? It should be semiquaver-qhaver-semiquaver...which is the way I always play it. Did Herbert think that organs couldn't repeat the note fast enough? Or that organists couldn't do it?

Not quite. It's SQ SQ SQ_rest SQ with an accent on the first semi-quaver.

But certainly odd that Murrill should change it, but perhaps it was to achieve an effect similar to that of an accent on the start of the figure. If one were to attempt an agogic accent by lengthening the first note, given the shortness of the note values it would run into the second and thus produce a quaver.

?????

[Keraulophone]

The only other piece I know by him is Murrill in E...

Tenebrae dir. Nigel Short included Murrill's attractive and chromatic 'Two Songs from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night' in their recent 'Path of Miracles' tour programme in the south west. Well worth hearing.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/tracks/n4dzgr

Also on their CD of part songs 'Music of the Spheres'.