Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

These nine short Preludes for pipe organ were composed during the summer of 1994-95, three months before I began a Bachelor of Music Degree at Adelaide University.

They were written as thankyou gift for my very dear friend, organist John Stiller.

The set is titled Die Kleine Langmeil Orgelbüchlein as I spent many hours composing at the organ of Langmeil Lutheran Church in Tanunda of where I was a member at the time. The works were the beginning of a set that I had planned to donate to Langmeil for use in their church services and I had earmarked this first set to be especially dedicated to John in thanks for a 1994 recording that he completed of one of my student pieces.

Many of these works are student compositions, displaying a reliance on sequential procedures, contrapuntal laws and imitative Baroque style. The choice of keys is in part influenced by the structure of Bach's Well Tempered Clavier, as is much of the thematic material for each piece. Preludes eight & nine; Chant in Descent and Prelude for John, were composed during 1996 as exercises for my composition folio that year.

Sadly, John Stiller passed away in 2005 in the Barossa Valley. A copy of this set of organ works was given to him shortly before he died.

Work Details

Year: 1995

Instrumentation: Pipe organ (double manuals and pedals).

Duration: 12 min.

Difficulty: Medium

Contents note: Chorale -- Lament -- Fugue -- Theme & variations -- Dance -- Fugue -- Kyrie -- Chant in descent -- Prelude (for John).

Dedication note: Dedicated to John Stiller

First performance: by Andrew George — 12 Apr 09. Langmeil Lutheran Church, Tanunda, Barossa Valley, South Australia

Suitable for performance as Preludes for church services.