The Oxford Book of Organ Music by Women Composers presents a comprehensive survey of historical organ pieces by women composers alongside six newly commissioned works. The music is stylistically varied and encompasses secular and sacred repertoire from a range of periods. In addition to original organ repertoire, the collection also contains several organ transcriptions in new arrangements for the instrument. ? 42 pieces for manuals and pedals, in a variety of musical forms, suitable for use at church services or as recital repertoire ? Original music for the instrument, spanning the sixteenth century to the present day, including compositions by Amy Beach, Clementine de Bourges, Nadia Boulanger, Jeanne Demessieux, Cecilia McDowall, Clara Schumann, and Ethyl Smyth, plus commissions from Kristina Arakelyan, Miriam Carpinetti, Ghislaine Reece-Trapp, Isabelle Ryder, Amy Summers, and Rebecca Groom te Velde ? Standalone miniatures, movements from organ sonatas and symphonies, transcriptions of piano, harpsichord, and flute pieces, and an orchestral opera overture ? A variety of difficulty levels, from ABRSM Grades 2-3 through to Diploma standard, with a graded index provided

4 Interludes-The music of small forms was what the French composer Gabriel Fauré (1845 1924) focused on. In 1874 after many years spent in the 'provinces' the teacher of Camille Saint-Saëns took the position of organist in Paris; later he not only worked as a church musician but also as a teacher.In the summer of 1887 Fauré wrote his Pavane Op. 50 originally intended for a concert providing light entertainment which soon gained wide popularity as an orchestral setting with and without the chorus added by Fauré. The romantic slightly melancholic melody is a catchy tune which thanks to the present arrangement can now also be performed soloistically with piano accompaniment.

The reputation of the Bohemian composer Zdenek Fibich (1850-1900) has always been somewhat overshadowed by that of Bedrich Smetana and Anton n Dvorák. This is a pity for Fibich though he died young made an equally important contribution to the emerging Czech national styl with his wide range of compositions. After starting piano lessons with his mother as his first teacher the boy went on to music school in Prague and then to the Leipzig Conservatoire where he learned his craft as a composer. He spent a few months teaching piano in Paris and then continued his studies with Vinzenz Lachner in Mannheim. Prague was eventually to become the centre for Fibich'smusical activities: as his dream of a post at the Conservatoire remained unfulfilled his main employment was giving private music lessons and as a composer Zdenek Fibich wrote works for many musical genres: vocal and chamber music piano pieces and orchestral works operas stage music and melodramas literary recitals with orchestral accompaniment to which he gave a new lease of life. There are biographical traces to be found in the 376 piano pieces of the collection 'Moods Impressions and Reminiscences' Op. 41 written in 1892-98: this tells of his love for his pupil Anezka Schulzová in the form of a 'piano diary'. Its four volumes were frequently a source of material for other works such as the symphonic poem 'In the Evening' Op. 39 (also known as 'A Summer's Evening' and 'At Twilight') written in 1893. For his second subject in this 'Idyll' Fibich used the minature no. 139 entitled 'Lento' from his collection of piano pieces. The violinst Jan Kubel k played the melody from 1908 onwards with the title 'Poème' and the work is still known today under this title: its easy charm has made it a favourite tune in the classical repertoire. This arrangement is based on the orchestral version from which other material was adapted for the Prelude.

3 Organ Chorales - In Memoriam Kjartan Hoydal was composed by Sunleif Rasmussen in 2016 based on melodies by Jógvan Waagstein. 'This is the only published work for solo organ by Rasmussen though an earlier piece (A Light is Lit 1993) is scored for organ with electronics. As with all his music the titles of these three ‘chorales’ (perhaps better described as fantasias) – Breaking Waves Flying Storm and Summer Morning – suggest a strong connection with the landscape of his native Faeroe Islands. Spectral harmonies combine with rushing manualfigurations to create exciting virtuosic music that is satisfyingly characterful'.  

Born in 1946 Giles Swayne started composing at an early age and in his teens was helped by the advice and encouragement of his cousin Elizabeth Maconchy whilst studying the piano with Gordon Green. After leaving school he attended Guido Agosti's piano classes at the 1964 Accademia Chigiana summer school in Siena and that autumn went up to Trinity College Cambridge where he studied the piano with Phyllis Hepburn-Lee and composition with Nicholas Maw. In 1968 he won a composition scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music.