Here’s what I want in an organ postlude:
- 3-4 minutes long
- faster/louder rather than softer/slower
- in the sweet spot between very difficult and too simple
Maurice Duruflé’s Fugue sur le carillon des heures de la Cathédrale de Soissons (Op. 12) hits all those elements for me. I’ve played it dozens of times, especially in the many years I was a substitute organist.
Here’s what makes it my favorite postlude:
1. It’s very easy to register.
Usually I simplify the registration to 4-6 pistons that are a graded crescendo.
2. Those same pistons can be used to accompany congregational singing.
As a frequent substitute organist, I wanted to be able to quickly register my postlude, so pistons that served double duty for hymns and postludes saved me a lot of preparation time. Plus, many of the organs had 12 pistons at most, so having pistons serve double duty meant more freedom with the rest of my music.
3. The gradual crescendo also helps the function of the piece as a postlude.
It starts out relatively quietly, so the piece doesn’t immediately sound like “Oh, the organist is showing off today.” BUT! By the end, nearly* everyone in the sanctuary is paying attention! It’s amazing how a great piece of music catches folks’ ears!
*Can’t win them all!
Here’s a recording if you’d like to check it out.
P.S. It doesn’t hurt that you can slightly shrink the music and play without any page turns.
Looking to buy the sheet music?
I wasn’t able to find the sheet music for purchase online in the U.S. However, I had no trouble purchasing it through a distributor. Your local music store should be able to find it for you, or you can go with a national company (I use Cliff Hill).
What’s your favorite organ postlude? I’d love to hear it, since I’m always on the hunt for great music!
GEMS is a series devoted to continual delights—music, books, and other things that bring joy, year after year.
