John Joubert
read his biography

Prelude on York Op152 (2007)

John Joubert writes: ‘York’ has been a favourite hymn of mine ever since my school days, not only because of the expressive symmetries of the tune, but also because of the message of the words (a paraphrase of the last four verses of Psalm 122). The three sections of my prelude correspond to the three verses of the hymn and combine aspects of the tune with the tune itself. The latter is heard in the pedals in the two outer sections with manuals adding the tune – derived material above. This process is reversed in the middle section. The whole piece thus becomes an exploration of the melodic potential of the tune while at the same time offering a purely musical reflection on the meaning (and perhaps even the contemporary relevance) of the words.

Listen to Martin Stacey giving the first performance of Prelude on York Op152 on 13th October 2007 at St Marylebone Parish Church

Duration: 5mins
Available from: Maecenas
Price: £4.50