Wesley, S.S.: Organ Works

Featuring

James McVinnie
Samuel Sebastian Wesley

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Performer Biography

James McVinnie, the organist on this album, has performed in venues and festivals across Great Britain, Europe, the United States, and the Far East as organist to the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge.

Historical Context

Wesley's organ works are historically significant as they bridge two eras of English organ music: the tradition for manuals alone and the new era with obbligato pedal parts and continental 'C' compass.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Wesley's organ music points more to the future than to the past, reflecting his contemporary Mendelssohn and his receptiveness to new sounds in London.

Compositional Technique

Many of Wesley's compositions contain features suggesting an extempore origin, such as unexpected chords, sudden key shifts, or sequential phrases built over a slowly rising bass line, reflecting his skill as an improviser.

Instruments

The organ used for this recording, in the Parish Church of St Michael and All Angels, Tenbury, was installed by Father Willis in 1873 and still sounds as it did then.