Is it that time of year already?

Mince pies with Christmas labeling have been on sale at my local supermarket since the beginning of Term 3, which was in July.

I suppose it's fair enough that times and seasons don't really mean much for supermarkets, given that they will stock all sorts of fruits and vegetables out of season.  But mince pies?

Spring sights

Why real estate agents need sub-editors

Can you spot the problem here?

Out and about on Sunday

This Sunday I'm playing at All Saints, Northcote, again.  Here's what I have planned.


Priere du Matin -- Joseph Jongen
Adagio -- Arthur Bird
Praeludium G dur [BWV 541] -- J.S. Bach

Cherry blossom, singing: Spring has Sprung

Out and about on Sunday

After the Sunday off that, er...wasn't, I'm playing at All Saint's, Northcote, this week.

Here's what I have planned.

O Gott, du frommer Gott (Op. 122, No. 7) -- Johannes Brahms

Before the Image of a Saint (Op. 142 (I), No. 8) -- Sigfrid Karg-Elert

Praeludium G dur [BWV 541] -- J.S. Bach

Principles vs The Things That Matter

A surprising find

It's been a while since I last uttered that name of names in music theory, Ebenezer Prout, in this place.

Some people are very unkind about Prout, not least Hubert Parry with his satirical verse in the style of Prout's own mnemonics for Bach's fugue subjects:

Old Ebenezer Prout is a very clever man,
but he can't write fugues like John Sebastian...

I think the fact that Prout's treatises were standard university textbooks for a very long time might have something to do with this.  I'm a fully signed-up member of the Aldwell & Schachter survivors club, for that matter, and occasionally have guilty relapses into my undergraduate harmony text.

Still, I think Prout was about as gifted as any of the good composers of his generation, and like them he had his good days.  This organ concerto appeared on YouTube, and certainly comes from one of Prout's good days.  Enjoy!

The rare bird did fly

Well, the Sunday off turned out to be a bit of a passing fad.  My phone rang on Saturday with the inevitable harried conversation: the parish organist is stranded in an airport somewhere a long way away, can you help us?

So that's how I ended up playing at St Stephen's, Richmond.  Here's the organ music they experienced:

Before the Image of a Saint (Op. 142 (I), No. 8) -- Sigfrid Karg-Elert
Sinfonia from Solomon -- G.F. Handel

Anglican Chant for everyone, II

Anglican Chant for everyone

A thought for Friday 13

Rara Avis

That very rarest of things: a Sunday off.

That said, this isn't really a quiet week.  Last night I was back at St Aloysius, Caulfield, playing for the first mass of a newly-ordained priest.  On Friday morning I have a funeral to play for, and weddings are gearing up now that the days are lengthening and the weather is showing signs of warmth.

For now, here's something from the recording archive for you to enjoy.

The day after the night before

Out and about through the weekend

This weekend I'll be playing at St Mary's, West Melbourne, for the Saturday evening Mass.

The music is fairly simple, consisting mostly of hymns and a psalm.  There's not a lot of liturgical action to cover other than at communion, when the cantor often sings something.

The only place for an extended piece of organ music is the postlude, which will be Prelude in c (Op. 73, No 1) -- Felix Mendelssohn

For Sunday morning I'll be playing the piano at Holy Trinity, Port Melbourne.