Mulet : Carillon-Sortie : D'Arcy Trinkwon

Henri Mulet (1878-1967) wrote this ever-joyful Carillon-Sortie in 1911: it was published as No.8 in a series ‘Parnasse des Organistes’. It displays a powerful sense of joy – as well as the French fascination with carillons and bells. Born in Paris, he set out on his musical path as a cellist, and by the age of 15 had won some notable prizes. However, ‘Music’ herself had different plans for him (as, so often she does for us all) and he was lured to the organ – probably as a result of the inevitable influence and inspiration of the towering talents of Widor and Guilmant, those fathers of the French virtuoso school, who both taught him at the Conservatoire. Mulet himself was later to teach the organ at the École Niedermeyer and at the Schola Cantorum. From 1922 to 1937 he was organist at St. Phillippe du Roule. Sadly, his life ended in penury – a fate that has befallen so many gifted musicians throughout history. Overcome by a financial crisis in 1937, he set about destroying many of his manuscripts and chattels: he and his wife then left Paris to settle in Draguignan, where, despite their efforts to make some money, poverty continually loomed over them until they were forced to retreat to a convent, dying penniless and in ill-health. How very sad. I first played - I fear probably more attempted - this joyful piece when I played it at a family wedding when I was 15: I hope I play it better these days! This version was the voluntary on Sunday 5 May 2024 when I deputized at St Martin of Tours in Epsom. There is never much time to get used to an unfamiliar instrument when ‘helping out’ - it can really be a case of grab the stops and get on with it – but the organ is unusually splendid, as is the church. I hope this upload may bring the church some very moderate and deserved publicity: they are a very nice lot - plus they strive for excellent music - something under constant threat these days... The church’s organist, Iain Macfarlane, is to be noted: he offers the church the most fantastic repertoire of voluntaries of all periods – a selection that would surely be in contrast some more hallowed places…