Organ Music at Harvest
Next Sunday (4 October, 11am) we celebrate Harvest Festival at Fotheringhay. For my closing organ voluntary I propose
J.S. Bach’s Toccata in F (BWV540).
My teacher, the late, great George Miles (who curated my progress as an organist from beginner to Oxford Organ Scholar) delivered this exuberant work every Harvest at St Peter’s, Harborne in Birmingham. I was but a choirboy, but this piece captivated me with its pedal solos and relentless energy – and it sounded hard (which, indeed it is!). Something about it exudes a sense of maturity and well-being, as befits Harvest celebration.
Weighing in at a hefty 8 minutes, it seems to flow from Bach as dictation to a secretary. At the outset there are two canonic sections (where one hand chases the other, note for note) and two pedal solos.
In legend -
"[Bach] ran over the pedals so rapidly that his feet appeared winged, with a thundering fullness of sound, penetrating the ears like a bolt of lightning..."
Prince Frederick of Hesse-Kassel, was reportedly so astonished that, on the spot, he removed from his finger a precious, jewelled ring, and gifted it to Bach.
As one of the features which propel this epic piece, Bach repeatedly sets up a chordal progression which presages a conclusion, then teases with the deft side-step of an interrupted cadence; all such conspire to make the real conclusion that more impressive, fulfilling and final.
I’d better get practising.
James Parsons
28/9/26