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Richard Wayne Dirksen Centenary

Richard Wayne Dirksen Centenary

  • Performing Artist
    • Conductor
    • Accompanist
    • Organist
    • Pianist
  • Composer
    • Catalogue
    • Theater Works
    • Published Works
    • Commissioned Works
    • The Composer’s Workshop
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    • StA / NCS Glee Clubs
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    • The Dirksen Portative Organ
    • Writings & Scholarship
  • Audio / Video Index

Catalogue

Dirksen’s own 1993 Annotated Catalogue is definitive and almost complete. The who, what, when & why for everything is there, and much more besides.

The works are offered here in chronological order adding catalog numbers & additional editorial information along with scores, audio, and videos where available. A special piece or two are called out – most have audio, all have scores.

NOTE Many of Dirksen’s most famous pieces are settings of Canticles (e.g. Christ our Passover). If you can’t find something check there, or use the search function below.

Sacred Choral

Anthems, motets, carols…and two sweet sacred songs: Night (Wm. Blake) and A True Hymn (G. Herbert.)

Hymns & Psalms

A Hymnary of his unpublished tunes is forthcoming from Selah Publishing. My personal favorite is Here, O my Lord I see thee face to face, and there’s nothing like Psalm 46 anywhere else in the repertoire: Be still then and know that I am God….

Canticles & Liturgies

1) Canticles & Office settings, 2) Liturgical dramas & liturgies, 3) Masses & Eucharistic pieces. The Raising of Lazarus will raise your hair.

Canons

Once sung, never forgotten. They’re all good, but Wine is a Mocker and A Whip for the Horse take the cakes & ale.

Instrumental & Fanfares

Much ado about nothing. And The American Adventure March!

Theater

The Theater Works page has favorites from all the shows, but if I had to pick one song…. The Stuff of Life.

Secular Works

The Six Choral Exercises are some of Wayne’s finest works. The Linden Branch captures something essential about the man’s temperament and attitude to life.

Extended Works

The Benedicite from The Fiery Furnace is a great set piece, as is the Fanfare for T. S. Eliot.  But the real hidden gem is the closing Hymn from Jonah.  “The ribs and terrors of the whale / arch’d over me in dismal gloom…”

Writing/Miscellaneous

The several publishers of Dirksen’s music have been contacted with respect to the presentation of this material. Rights to all materials not under other copyright were assigned to the Protestant National Cathedral Foundation upon his death in 2003 and are reserved thereto. Questions on permissions or reproduction should be addressed to music@cathedral.org.

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