Introduction, Passacaglia & Fugue - Healey Willan - David Briggs - Cathedral of St John the Divine

‘Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue’ (1916) - Healey Willan (1880-1968) - David Briggs at the Cathedral of St John the Divine, New York I'm currently spending a lot of time at the beautiful church of St Thomas, Fifth Avenue, where I have the great honour of being an interregnum Guest Organist for 6 weeks. I’m very aware of the continuously omnipresent spirit of my friend, the late (and very great) John Scott, who passed away so young, just over a decade ago. It feels as if he is looking over my shoulder, in a very focussed yet always benevolent fashion! John often used the term ‘big building music’ and surely Healey Willan’s magnificent ‘Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue’ (1916) is a prime example. Healey Willan is widely regarded as the ‘Dean of English Canadian composers’. He earned that title through his nearly forty-year association with the University of Toronto and the Toronto Conservatory, during which time he taught virtually an entire generation of English-speaking Canadian musicians. Willan is one of a very few Canadian composers who have achieved lasting international reputations. His exquisite choral and masterful organ music is performed by choirs and organists the world over. Healey Willan’s famous masterpiece ‘Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue’ is a truly breathtaking piece, composed when Willan was organist at St Paul’s, Bloor Street, Toronto, is totally kaleidoscopic, encouraging the interpreter to explore a panoply of colour, as varied as the full symphony orchestra. He had trained in London, winning prizes in both his ARCO and FRCO, and was Organist at St John's Church, Holland Park, and, judging from this piece alone, must have had a fantastic technique. In 1921 he moved to St Mary Magdalene, Toronto - a church with a remarkable anglocatholic and musical tradition which still flourishes today - and remained an extraordinary 47 years. Often referred to as the 'Dean of Canadian Composers', he was very prolific, composing 14 masses (all inspired by Gregorian Chant and beautifully-crafted), many motets and a wide variety of organ music. The 'IPF' (as organists love to call it) is by far his most well-known and beloved piece. Allegedly he wrote it as a response to the many similar pieces by his German contemporary, Max Reger. Firmly established in the remote key of Eb minor (no less than 6 flats!) it has a uniquely intense resonance which serves to heighten its romantic passion. I recorded this performance at St John the Divine back in December and I very much hope you will enjoy it. It sounds monumental on our great Aeolian-Skinner instrument - and the acoustic certainly adds a fantastic additional dimension to the drama. In February 2017 I had the unforgettable privilege of playing the IPF at Notre-Dame de Paris. The end sounded just like the end of Mahler 8 - it’s in the same key, after all. Interestingly Organiste Titulaire Philippe Lefebvre imparted to me that it was the first time the IPF had ever been played at Notre-Dame. On that instrument, for ‘Tubas’ read ‘Chamades’! One commentator famously said, about Healey Willan: “English by Birth, Irish by Extraction, Canadian by Adoption, and Scotch by Absorption”.