Category Archives: News and Views

The final volume in the new edition of William Herschel’s organ music, edited by David Baker and Christopher Bagot, has now been published by Fitzjohn Music Publications. Further details are available at http://www.impulse-music.co.uk/fitzjohnmusic/. http://www.impulse-music.co.uk/fitzjohnmusic/ 

Herschel’s life and Career

Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel was born in 1738 in Hanover, Germany, one of ten children (only six of whom survived to adulthood) of Isaac and Anna Herschel. Along with his elder brother Jacob and younger brothers Alexander and Dietrich, William (as he later became known in England) received a sound musical education from his father Isaac. At the age of fifteen, Herschel was in the local militia, visiting England in 1756. The following year he resigned and came to London with brother Jacob on a more permanent basis. By this time, he was proficient on violin, oboe and organ (having perhaps been taught by Jacob) as well as a good linguist.

By early 1760, William was head of a small band of two oboes and two horns in the North Yorkshire militia. Dr Edward Miller, Organist of Doncaster Parish Church, saw Herschel’s potential and he soon become well known across the region, composing many symphonies and concertos as well as performing on the oboe and violin and directing prestigious concerts. Herschel was also sought out as a teacher of nobility and gentry, often giving up to 40 lessons a week. Herschel became director of concerts in Leeds in 1762. This resulted in further success as a performer, but he decided that having a post as organist would give more financial security. He was regularly practising on the organ at Leeds Parish Church by 1766. In August of that same year, he became organist at Halifax Parish Church, where Johann Snetzler had recently completed a large three-manual organ.  Herschel only stayed for three months, however, leaving on 30 November 1766 to be organist at the newly-established Octagon Chapel in Bath.

Herschel went on to carve out a highly successful career in what was then one of the premier and most fashionable cities in England. The fact that he was now in lucrative and steady employment meant that he could devote himself increasingly to science and astronomy, which he did on a full-time basis from 1782, when he retired from the Octagon Chapel, moving to Windsor in 1785. His organist appointments in Halifax and Bath encouraged and indeed necessitated that he should compose and make music on a substantial scale. Aside from his works for organ, his compositions – mostly written by the late 1760s – included symphonies, concertos, harpsichord sonatas, an opera, an oratorio, instrumental and secular vocal music as well as pieces for the choir of the Octagon Chapel, the latter written after 1767.  John Herschel’s catalogue of his father’s musical output lists over 80 works for organ, including two organ concertos. Until now, little has been published or recorded.

Herschel’s Appointment at Halifax

Herschel’s audition for the post of Organist of Halifax Parish Church is supposedly described in detail by Miller, though Herschel makes no reference to either Miller or Snetzler in his own brief record of proceedings. In Miller’s account, the seven candidates for the post of organist drew lots as to the order in which they would play.

Herschel drew the third lot – the second performer was Mr. Wainwright [1748-1782],[1] afterwards Dr Wainwright, of Manchester, whose finger was so rapid, that old Snetzler, the organ-builder, ran about the church exclaiming, ‘Te tevel, te tevel, he run over te keys like one cat, he vil not give my piphes room for to shpeak.’ During Mr. Wainwright’s performance, I was standing in the middle aisle with Herschel. What chance have you, said I, to follow this man? He replied, ‘I don’t know; I am sure fingers will not do.’ On which, he ascended the organ loft, and produced from the organ, so uncommon a fullness – such a volume of slow solemn harmony, that I could by no means account for the effect. After this short extempore effusion, he finished with the Old Hundredth psalm tune, which he played better than his opponent. ‘Aye, aye’, cried old Snetzler, ‘tish is very goot, very goot indeed, I vil luf tish man, for he gives my piphes room for to shpeak.’ Having, afterwards, asked Mr. Herschel by what means, in the beginning of his performance, he produced so uncommon an effect? He replied, ‘I told you fingers would not do,’ and producing two pieces of lead from his waistcoat pocket. ‘One of these’, said he, ‘I placed on the lowest key of the organ, and the other upon the octave above: thus, by accommodating the harmony, I produced the effect of four hands instead of two’.

This story is taken from Robert Southey’s semi-fictional The Doctor. However, apart from denying his friendship with Miller, Herschel later accepted the story as largely correct. It is suggested that Preludium 15 composed in late July 1766) seems to fit Miller’s description of the piece that Herschel played to win the organ competition on 30 August.   

The Present Volume

This edition has been transcribed from the autograph score in Edinburgh University Library.  The title page of the autograph score reads: ’32 Voluntarys/and Full Pieces/ for the/Organ’ though each piece is titled either ‘Preludium’ or Praeludium’. 33 pieces are included according to the numbering used in the collection, though some pieces are either missing or incomplete, as noted below:

1          D major          Andante

2          C major          Andante

3          F major           Andantino

4          D minor          Andantino – Allegro

5          G major          Andante – Allegro

6          G major          Vivace

7          C major          Adagio – Allegro

8          C major          Andantino

9          A major           Vivace assai

10        G major          Vivace

11        C major          Andante         ‘Arbitrary Modulations’       

12        A major           [Andante?] – Allegro

13        C major          Adagio

14        C major         

15        C major

16        Blank Page

17        B flat major     

18        G major           

19        G major                     

20        C major                     

21        D major

22        E minor          [Andante?]  – Allegro

23        D major

24        C major 

25        E flat major

26        D major

27        Blank Page

28        C major

29        C major         

30        C major          Adagio – Allegretto (‘Grazioso’)

31        D major         

32        G major

33        G major          Incomplete

There are references in Herschel’s own Memorandums to his playing the organ in 1766; towards the end of July that year, many days are marked simply ‘organ’. Not only was he deputising at Leeds and Wakefield Parish Churches, but he had persuaded the organist of Leeds to let him practise there in readiness for the Halifax organ trials. Various days during the period 22 July – 8 November 1766 (by which time he was organist at Halifax) are annotated with notes such as ‘composed Prel 13’ or ‘Prel 31’. His diary also notes: ‘[July] 28 &c. Organ every day by way of practice at Leeds. Prel 16’. An analysis of the watermarks in the paper on which the 32 Voluntarys are written suggests that the music was composed over a short period of time.  

No record of the Leeds organ as it was in the 1760s survives, but the original specification of the Halifax organ is well known. An analysis of the registrations of the 32 Voluntarys with the stoplist as completed by Snetzler, noted below, suggest that this group of pieces was to be used at the Parish Church once Herschel became Organist.

Herschel must have been keen to exploit the expressive powers and the sonorities afforded by the Halifax organ. 13 of the Voluntaries contain crescendo and/or diminuendo marks, indicating that a swell section is required. Two pieces need a ‘sforzando’ effect, where there is a sudden and rapid crescendo and diminuendo. 20 works indicate – or the music suggests – echo effects. 18 pieces require movement between two or even three manuals for the composer’s indications to be realised correctly. Four works use a solo Cornet; one the Great Trumpet; and one a 4’ Flute stop (on the Choir).

Herschel also has a penchant for the softer reed stops: Bassoon and Vox Humana on the Choir and Hautboy on the Swell. Out of the 35 detailed registrations,[4] 11 use the Hautboy, 8 use the Vox Humana, 11 the Bassoon and 5 use the Vox Humana and the Bassoon in combination. The Swell Trumpet is referred to in 8 pieces, while ‘Tutti’ (all the stops) on the Swell is required in 8 compositions.

Voluntaries 2-6 require a ‘half chorus’, 9 and 18 a ‘full chorus’, 25, 26 and 28 a ‘chorus’ and 19 ‘full organ’. The term ‘full’ implies that the music was written for ‘full organ’ as employed at the time. This would typically have involved the main flue chorus including, in the case of Halifax, one or other mixture (with or without the tierce rank) or both, with or without the Trumpet stop. Snetzler only provided a bass half to the 4’ Great Clarion at Halifax; this would have been complemented by the treble – only Cornet which together may therefore have formed a final addition to the full organ. It is assumed that a ‘half chorus’ is less than one or other of the ‘full’ chorus combinations. Diapasons 8, 4, 2 and the Twelfth are suggested.  

Many of the compositions are not written for a full combination of stops, as Herschel indicates in the score. Even those that are ‘fuller’ in texture typically have a good deal of dynamic variation, whether through use of the subsidiary manuals (Choir, Swell) or the Swell pedal.  In many pieces, there are obvious opportunities for ‘echo’ effects. It should be noted that only the Great and Choir manuals were of full compass and only quieter passages (or those requiring a crescendo or diminuendo) that were in the upper part of the keyboard range would have been played on the Swell.

It should be noted that in pieces such as Preludium 20, 24 and possibly 23 of the 32 Voluntarys the left hand is sometimes on the Great at the same time as the Cornet is being played. This would be possible, given that the Cornet would not extend below middle C. No indication as to which stops would have been drawn on the Great for the left hand are given, however. Preludium 20 has the following instruction: ‘The last [section] over add the Trumpet and conclude upon the same’.

Filling the Gaps

In the other collections of Herschel’s music published by Fitzjohn it has not easily been possible to fill the gaps found in the original manuscript sources. However, in the case of the 32 Voluntaries we have chosen to include two miscellaneous pieces to complete the collection and preserve the original numbering. The sixth sub-folder of Herschel’s organ music in Edinburgh University Library is titled ‘12 Voluntaries/for the/Organ/F.W.Herschel’. Sadly, there is little in this folder: number 3: just an incomplete Adagio and Andante in G minor and an unnumbered Adagio and Andante con moto in B flat.  The complete sections of this music have been included as number 16 of this present collection. Similarly, piece 27 is taken from the folder containing the first set of full voluntaries. An appendix to the present volume includes a piece from the second set of full voluntaries. This would seem to have been begun by Herschel but completed in a later hand.        

Editorial Approach

The original scores use C clefs in places. Passages noted in this way have been transcribed using either G or F clefs as appropriate. Registration instructions have been regularised where there is inconsistency. In some passages, Herschel adds horizontal lines to the notes of the bass line, indicating that these should be played in octaves. In this edition, these additional notes are all written out. Other editorial additions are denoted by [ ] or () in the case of added or cautionary accidentals. Notes in smaller type are also editorial. 

Performance Practice

The pieces were written for a G compass organ with a swelling mechanism but without pedals, though there is occasional evidence that Herschel was imitating the organs of his homeland – with pedals – in his writing for the left hand, and especially in the case of Preludium 15.

The music is best performed on G compass organs, of which there is an increasing number. On C compass instruments a soft 16’ stop could be coupled to the main manual so that the lower notes GG-BB can sound when required. Preludium 15, which must be unique in the 18^th century English organ repertoire, could be played either by using the pedals for the bass notes or by following Herschel’s original approach and employing weights or wedges on the relevant manual keys, especially where a GG compass instrument is being used. 

The player should also think about places where dynamic changes not indicated by the composer might still be introduced. In many pieces, there are obvious opportunities for ‘echo’ effects. It should be noted that only the Great and Choir manuals were of full compass and only quieter passages (or those requiring a crescendo or diminuendo) that were in the upper part of the keyboard range would have been played on the Swell. Herschel and his contemporaries would no doubt have added more ornaments than marked in the score. There is also scope for double dotting some rhythms.  

[1] He was the son of John Wainwright and older brother of Richard. He succeeded his father as organist of the Collegiate Church, Manchester (1768-75). He graduated from Magdalen College, Oxford (BMus, DMus, 1774), before moving to St Peter’s, Liverpool, where he was organist from 1775 until his death (in both posts he was followed by his brother Richard).

[2] Assumed to be part of the ‘full organ’ registration.

[3] Assumed to be part of the ‘full organ’ registration.

[4] Four pieces have more than one set of instructions.