Greg Lewin Music: New Titles

William Felton: Organ Concertos op.1

William Felton (1715-1769) was a vicar-choral at Hereford Cathedral and a virtuoso performer on the organ and harpsichord. He published thirty two concertos for 'organ or harpsichord' and two sets of suites for harpsichord. This first set of six concertos includes the air and variations known as 'Felton's Gavotte' said to have been performed as the troops of the Young Pretender left Manchester. 'Felton's Gavotte' was later turned into the song 'Farewell Manchester' .
OM131 is an edition of the organ part. As is often the case, the original publisher included sufficient of the orchestral material to allow the concertos to be performed by the organ alone. An edition of the instrumental parts is nearing completion and will be available shortly.
Modern edition by Greg Lewin. Spiral Bound.

John Keeble: Select Pieces 3

Six more multi-movement pieces. Interesting, high quality music. Interesting, high quality music. After duty as a choirboy at Chichester Cathedral, Keeble went to London where he studied composition with Dr. Pepusch (the composer of The Beggar’s Opera). In 1737 he took over the duties of the mentally unstable Thomas Roseingrave at St. Georges, Hanover Square. From 1742 he was also organist at Ranelagh Gardens. His compositions show him to have been a fine craftsman who produced some very attractive organ music. The 'Select Pieces' are actually extended voluntaries, each with several contrasting movements. While many of these show that Keeble was comfortable in the 'Galant' style, his Preface makes it clear that he was also well aware of the value 'of the older stile of writing, which consists of Fuges, Inversions, Canons, Double Descant'. Examples of these types are to be found in the 'Select Pieces', with each point of imitation identified and numbered.
Modern edition by Greg Lewin. Spiral Bound.

Matthew Camidge: Six Concertos for the Organ or Grand Piano Forte. (London [c.1815])

Matthew Camidge (1764-1844) was the son of John Camidge, composer and organist of York Minster. After time as a chorister of the Chapel Royal under James Nares, he returned to York where he lived the rest of his life. In 1799 he succeeded his father as organist of York Minster.
He played an active part in the musical life of York, appearing as a soloist in piano and organ concertos and promoting music festivals in York Minster. After his retirement in 1842, his son, John, succeeded him as organist.
Camidge published several works, mostly of practical material written for his work as a church musician and teacher. He published some anthems and service settings in Cathedral Music, Hymn and psalm tunes, an edition of Henry Lawes' Psalmody for a single voice, Instructions for the Piano forte or Harpsichord and some songs.
The Six Concertos were probably written for the performances which Camidge regulary gave at the assembly rooms between 1780 and 1822. The published version is for keyboard alone but one does not have to look too hard to see evidence of original accompanied by an orchestra.
Modern edition by Greg Lewin. Spiral Bound.

John Alcock (Jun): Eight Easy Voluntaries for the Organ (London 1775)

John Alcock jun (1740-1791) was a chorister under his father at Lichfield Cathedral. He took his BMus degree at Oxford in 1766. He was Organist and Master of the Song School at Newark from 1758-1768 and organist of St Matthew's church, Walsall from 1773.
Modern edition by Greg Lewin. Spiral Bound.

John Marsh: Eighteen Voluntaries for the Organ (London 1791)

John Marsh (1752-1828) was a prolific amateur composer. A solicitor by profession, much of his considerable energy was devoted to music (though he also published two books on astronomy). As a musician he was largely self-taught. He was a violinist in the subscription concert orchestras in Salisbury and later directed the subscription concerts in Canterbury and Chichester.

The Eighteen Voluntaries may be seen as part of Marsh's campaign for improving the then low quality of church and cathedral music. Besides the eighteen voluntaries (which are useful and not too difficult), he includes a long introduction aimed at young organists in which he describes the use of the various stops of the organ, how to combine stops, what combinations are appropriate to different types of service music etc. This introduction (included in the present edition) also acts as a useful guide to the modern organist who wishes to understand the practices of the late eighteenth century.
Modern edition by Greg Lewin. Spiral Bound.

John Alcock: Ten Voluntaries for the Organ or Harpsichord (London 1774)

John Alcock (1715-1806) was a contemporary of Boyce in the St. Paul's Cathedral Choir. He was later apprenticed to the organist John Stanley. He worked in several provincial cities before becoming organist at Lichfield Cathedral in 1750. He seems to have left this post c.1765 after disagreements with the choir and with the cathedral authorities. He then became organist at the parish churches of both Sutton Coldfield and Tamworth - posts which he held simultaneously for twenty years.
Modern edition by Greg Lewin. Spiral Bound.

Henry Heron: Ten Voluntaries for the Organ or Harpsichord (London c.1765)

Little is known of Henry Heron beyond the details given in the title page of these voluntaries. He was organist of St Magnus, London Bridge by 1745 and seems to have stayed there until the appointment of his successor in 1795. The voluntaries were first published in 1760 in an edition 'published for the Author'. They were later reissued in the edition used here in about 1765. His other published works hint at further musical activities; they include volumes of songs for Marylebone and Vauxhall pleasure gardens and church music for the 'Orphans of the Asylum' and the 'Charity Schools in London and Westminster'.
Modern edition by Greg Lewin. Spiral Bound.