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Richard Wayne Dirksen Centenary

Richard Wayne Dirksen Centenary

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organ

A Song for Simeon

Composed upon the death of T. S. Eliot in February 1965. A setting of his “Song for Simeon”.

Incidental music for Galileo Galilei

Brecht’s play includes poetic quatrains before each scene as well as a marvelous “Ballad of the Orders” mocking society stratification. A humanist and satirical masterpiece. Audio includes music cues as well as Dirksen’s own digest of the full show.

The Ballad of Dr. Faustus

Christopher Marlowe’s Faust is transplanted to the American frontier. Videos below, music cues also posted.

Cantate Domino Canticum Novum

Sing Ye Faithful

Audio & Video His last – and by his own estimation, best – anthem. The closing Queens Change bell effect is a charming farewell gesture.

Psalm 24 – The Earth is the Lord’s

Commissioned by Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church for their 50th Anniversary in 1974.

Father, in thy gracious keeping

Ineffably sweet.  It ends in A major, a half-step down from where is starts.  The orchestral double-reed / horn / string accompaniment is deluxe and has a gorgeous violin descant for the fourth verse.

A Christmas Gloria

Welcome Happy Morning

Audio & Video. This nine-minute mini-cantata sets the complete Fortunatas text with organ, brass & timpani and would make a great addition to an Easter concert. Score+audio presentation is here, but it awaits a definitive recording.

Come, O come our voices raise

Song of Mary at the Manger

Audio & Video. Running out of TOP FIVE slots, but this Auden setting is profoundly moving: Why was I chosen to teach his Son to weep?  The ending of the organ version makes it preferable.

At break of day

This complex piece finds Dirksen systematically working out change ringing bell motifs at length as well as exploring his ongoing fascination with mixed and hemiola rhythms. The attached score is regrettably partial.

Blessed art Thou (Elizabeth’s Song from the Annunciation Story)

Audio & Video. A solo song from The Annunciation Story.

Give thanks unto the Lord (Bonum est confiteri)

Bless the Father 

God of our life

Alleluia, A Newe Work is Come

From the 1961 York Cycle Play music.  Also available as a movement in the 1965 Suite for Organ, Trumpet and Handbells (D. 513).

Night

A haunting major / minor nocturne, suitable for unison or solo voices with optional flute obbligato.

Hear my crying

Cantate Domino

Lamb of God, the Heavens adore thee

A Holy Charivari

Composed for the wedding of John Fenstermaker, then Assistant Organist at the Cathedral.  Flute, handbells, harpsichord, finger cymbals…. 6/4 alternating with 3/2….what’s not to like?

Welcome all wonders

Audio & Video. Written in 1957, the same year as Daniel Pinkham’s Christmas Cantata, the two pieces share vivid brass writing and intense rhythmic energy alternating with lyric beauty.  This exists in many forms: Organ and brass, full orchestra, winds only…there’s even an arrangement for SSAA choir.

Yet Even Now Saith the Lord

For Lent.

Psalm 67 Deus miseratur

Psalm 98 Cantate Domino

Christians to the Paschal Victim

Christ is now Risen again

Chanticleer

Audio & Video. Dirksen’s notated half-note=96 is unplayable – he’s merely saying NOT TOO SLOW.  But the circumstances of its composition actually dictate the tempo: the performance should be exactly 2′ 30″!  Also – don’t miss the Choral Arts Society’s orchestral version here as well.

For this cause I bow my knees

His first ‘outside’ commission – from St. Albans Church, next door on the Close.

Hilariter

Audio & Video. For Easter Day.  The B section is one of Dirksen’s longest and most effective build-ups to a shattering climax. It’s also a dandy timpani solo. Now back in print by Jubilate Music Group!

When Jesus died to save us

Humbly I Adore Thee

Adore te, devote receives a comprehensive Dirksen makeover: 1) it’s in 7/8 throughout, 2) the middle verses are backward, in minor, 3) verse 3 goes to E-flat minor for the Lord’s own death, 4) ends with a sweet simple AMEN.

Rejoice Ye Pure in Heart

Introit, Fanfare and Hymn

Magnificat & Nunc dimittis

Christ our Passover

Dirksen’s first and perhaps most famous piece premiered as a Gradual at the 11 am service on Easter Day, 1948.  Back in print from Jubilate Music Group!

Blessed art thou, O Lord God

Jubilate Deo

Audio & Video Dirksen’s first published work (1960) bears several life-long trademarks: A “scattered” introduction which sets mood & tempo but not theme; far-flung harmonies suavely coming and going (E-flat minor in a D minor piece), and the first of many lovely Amens (compare the end of his late F#-minor Mag and Nunc).  Also of note: the sotto voce Gloria mimics the traditional liturgical bow at that point in the canticle.

Christ our Passover – Liturgical, Unison

Song of the Redeemed

Dirksen compliments Her Majesty by incorporating “The Queens Change” in the Gloria Patri.  He uses it in his final anthem Sing, ye faithful as well.

Te Deum “Grosse Pointe”

Full score & video. The earlier of his two settings starts with brilliant Dirksen fanfares and the traditional plainsong but also contains a sweeping Great Procession for the Apostles, Prophets & Martyrs.  It ends very dark with a Requiem quote and solemn gong.  His 1996 Te Deum “Lexington” is smoothly through-composed and much sunnier.

Arise, shine

The first two Songs of Isaiah are a capella.  This one adds the organ with heraldic flourishes for the Great Organ’s Trompette en Chamade.  The phrase lengths in this canticle are Brahmsian in their sweep & length.  He brings back themes from the first two Songs to excellent effect, and the B-major ending is one of his most thrilling.

Glory be to God, the highest

Three-verse paraphrase of the Gloria.  Give Allein Gott a break!

Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis in F# minor

Full score & video.

Te Deum “Lexington”

Full score & video.

Communion Service in E major – Rite I

Full scores & videos. By 1960 Dirksen had participated in Easter services at the Cathedral for 15 years and knew the forces intimately.  This grand Mass features exceptionally brilliant writing for the brass and timpani, ground-breaking mixed meters (13/8 notoriously raised the choir’s eyebrows), and in the Agnus Dei some of his spookiest writing for the organ.  It’s also noteworthy that two movements of a Mass in E major end on F# (Kyrie, Benedictus).  That uncanny whole-tone lift comes a shock each time but prefigures the Gloria’s triumphant final modal cadence from D to E. He also orchestrated it for double wind quartet after the Stravinsky Mass.

Communion Service in G Major –  Rite I

This speculative work features obbligato handbell parts for 10 bells replicating / mimicking several change ringing methods in each movement as well as a carillon part for the Gloria.

Sanctus & Benedictus in G Major – Rite II

Score & Audio. Liturgical setting, with bells – reworked from the 1966 / Rite I Communion Service in G.

Communion Service in A minor – Rite II – The Canterbury Service

For the visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury, 10/14/79.  Three brilliant trumpet parts in the Gloria.

Communion Service in C minor – Rite II

Score & audio.  A two-part setting.

Introit, Fanfare and Hymn

Good Friday Antiphon & Hymn

A Christmas Service

There standeth one among you

Magnificat (York Cycle)

Hail, O Sun, O blessed

Shepherd’s Music

About the fields

Tyrley, Tyrlow / Three Kings

O radix Jesse

From heaven high

Alleluia, a newe work is come

Both All and Some

A Thanksgiving for Light

Dirksen’s Bernstein phase.

A Celebration of the Transfiguration

Score & audio. This material has many components in various styles and can be used in many different forms.

The Ballad of the Transfiguration

Once sung. never forgotten.

The Raising of Lazarus

Score & audio. A  mini-cantata, especially suitable for V Lent in Year A. Dirksen deploys all his dramatic skill at Lazare, veni foras.

Wyngate Canon

Choral Prelude on URBS BEATA

The King of Love

Sonata for Organ

Cantilena

Much ado about nothing overture

Alleluia: a newe work

Romeo & Juliet

Fanfare and Processional for a Wedding

Entrata Festiva

Both alle and some

Fanfare for T. S. Eliot

Three Unicorn fanfares

These fanfares with a Sarabande processional opened productions of Gian-Carlo Menotti’s Unicorn, Gorgon and Manticore at the Cathedral in 1965 and 1976.

A Quiet Fanfare

Fanfares for acclamation: John Maury Allin

Fanfare on OLD HUNDREDTH

Fanfare on ANTIOCH

Fanfare on FHA

Fafare for Christmas Day

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