SKU: HL.49045437

ISBN 9790001162715. UPC: 841886029088. 9.0x12.0x0.168 inches.

On the occasion of the quincentenary of Reformation Day in 2017, the composer Enjott Schneider thoroughly studied Martin Luther the individual and all his contradictions. The result is a brilliant, demanding organ symphony which is perfect for concerts on the subject of Reformation and Martin Luther.The composer describes the five movements of the symphony as follows:'1st movement:Wir glauben all an einen Gott with its quintuplet-like beginning is very Gregorian in style, outlining the range of Lutheran emotionalism between the Middle Ages and the modern era. The irrationality of faith ultimately has priority over any thought and evidence. At the beginning of the movement, sounds of knocking on wood remind of the nailing of the Ninety-Five Theses to the doors of churches in Wittenberg. The chorale melody sometimes hides with an almost rough medieval saltarello, referring to Luther's robustness and vitality with which he knew to carry away even common people.2nd movement:In 1530, the electoral prince of Saxony presented to Luther at Coburg Castle the golden signet ring with the Luther rose which became the symbol of his theology of grace. A white heart with black cross is fixed on a five-petalled rose. To him, white is the colour of angels and ghosts, black stands for the pain of crucification: The just shall live by faith, but by faith in the Crucified. But the fact that the rose and the heart are the dominating symbols shows how Catholic Marian piety remained an ingredient of Luther's spirituality throughout his life. In line with the dominant five-petal structure of the rose, this movement was composed, to a large extent, in accordance with the floating, lyrical rhythm in 5/8 time.3rd movement:The omnipresence of death and dying - from the plague and war to the never-ending dangers of daily life - was an essential part of the world view of that time. Fears ensued that might heighten into the grotesque, e.g. in the pictures of Hieronymus Bosch. The Danse macabre was a popular motif in those years. Luther's chorale Mitten wir im Leben sind / mit dem Tod umfangen from 1524 (Enchiridion from Erfurt) is based on the Gregorian chant Media vita in morte sumus created in France around 750 and, with its idea of transience, inspired a simplistic air.4th movement:The famous confession delivered at the Diet of Worms in 1521, I stand here and can say no more. God help me. Amen, are not Luther's words but the version later used as text for a pamphlet. However, it represents quite plainly the straightforwardness and inevitability of his mission. Musically, it was made into a perpetuum mobile, i.e. a dogged, ostinato and never-ending musical air.5th movement:The Mighty Fortress, on the other hand, is one of the great symbols of Martin Luther which, with its shining C major key, embodies the Protestant ideology and willful nature of the Reformation unlike any other song. Heinrich Heine called it the Marseille anthem of the Reformation, Friedrich Engels the Marseillaise of the Peasants' Wars. This disputability is not thought through to the end but rather interrupted: With a jubilant birdcall version of the melody, the finale shows a rather chamber-music-like side of the ideals of freedom of Christians.'.

SKU: LO.70-2138S

ISBN 9780787763534.

Angela Kraft Cross's career as a church musician, touring recitalist, and teacher has resulted in numerous organ compositions. Five striking works have been selected to form her first published collection. The pieces employ a variety of styles and moods: two in a contemporary style inspired by the classic English trumpet voluntaries, a delightful pastorale, a deeply expressive Kyrie eleison, and the powerful passacaglia Tree of Life inspired by the seasons of the year and our faith. Kraft Cross's stunning writing is sure to make a strong impact in recital or as service voluntaries.

SKU: HL.14024513

UPC: 884088488635. 9.0x12.0x0.049 inches.

The Fountain Reverie features soft, rippling arpeggios with a contrasting middle section. As with the Festival Toccata, published at the same time, the brilliance of Fountain Reverie disguises the fact that one does not need to be a virtuoso to play it well and effectively, and it plays well on many different Organs.Percy Fletcher was an English composer, conductor and Orchestrator of prodigious output who made his career in the lively world of the London music theatre of the years of the late 19th and early 20th century. He was music director at many theatres, including His Majesty's Theatre for the last seventeen years of his life. He was the Orchestrator and conductorfor the big budget spectacular theatre piece Chu Chin Chow which ran for five years, a record that remained unbroken for forty years. In addition to his myriad works of light music, Fletcher also wrote a serious church cantata, The Passion of Christ, as well as the delightful children's work, The Walrus and the Carpenter.

SKU: HL.49045554

ISBN 9790001165884. UPC: 841886032262. 9.0x12.0x0.069 inches.

An essential feature of attitudes prevailing in the days of Luther was the ubiquitous concern with death and dying, assailed by plague, wars and the never-ending dangers of daily life. The associated fears sometimes escalated to the grotesque, as in paintings by Hieronymus Bosch, and the 'dance of death' was a popular motif in those years. Luther's chorale of 1524 In the very midst of life / we see death all around us (the Erfurt Enchiridion) is based on the Gregorian Media vita in morte sumus that emerged in France in about 750, evoking thoughts of mortality in its outline form.