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Brian Daniels

List of Compositions

A flexible setting of the latest common worship text.  The music is robustly tuneful for all concerned.  This setting is in regular use at St Bartholomew's Church Crewkerne.

This item is already in our lists but Brian has now reworked it as a simple unison setting.

A novelty inspired, if that is the word, (‘provoked’ might be better) by the sounds created by the dial-up software of a computer.  (You wouldn’t play it during communion).

By time-honoured custom the arranger is allowed to include a piece of his own in an anthology he has compiled, and this piece is included in the ‘Hands On!’ volume.  However it was decided that this fine Fanfare-Postlude should be issued separately since all professional organists will have the ‘Hands’ On!’ pieces elsewhere and probably would not want buy the whole volume to get just the one piece, however attractive.  So, with them in mind, this separate version is issued in an arrangement calling for the pedals as well.

Bridal March (Lohengrin - Richard Wagner), Bridal Procession (The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba - G F Handel), Trumpet Tune (Henry Purcell), Trumpet Voluntary (Jeremiah Clarke), Air (Bist du bei Mir - J S Bach), Chorale (Jesu Joy of Man’s desiring - J S Bach), Gymnopédie 1 (Erik Satie), Romance (Polovtsian Dance, Prince Igor - Alexander Borodin), Nimrod (Enigma Variations op 36 -  Edward Elgar), Goin’ Home (Largo, Symphony no 9 op 95 - Antonin Dvorak), Rondeau (Abdelazer - Henry Purcell), Largo (Air from Serse - G F Handel), Fanfare-Postlude (Brian Daniels), Wedding March (A Midsummer Night’s Dream -  Felix Mendelssohn).

Brian and your publisher had a lot of fun compiling this album for the reluctant organist who has yet to find his/her feet.   The usual suspects have been rounded up and made playable.   Superior players may of course use their feet.

The dedication is, without affectation, ‘for the Fallen’ and the music is a contemporary reflection on matters which are still only too relevant.

This new work is gracefully written and very entertaining.  The outer movements are quick and full of  fluent invention.  The reflective slow movement is an effective contrast.

Following the success of Ron Watson’s Mrs Thing series of pieces, Fagus composers have been encouraged to write straightforward service music that is interesting to play but which can be successfully attempted by reluctant organists or those with little time to practice.  Brian Daniels has here fulfilled this brief admirably.

Broken chords for the hands and the tune in the pedals - you will get the picture.  But the composer still has something fresh to say within this idiom.  It is definitely beyond Mrs Thing (qv, and see under Charles Paterson)

 Brian so enthusiastically embraced the idea of writing a trumpet tune last year (for the composite volume) that he came up with two submissions.  As this one was slightly longer than its companion, we decided to issue it separately.  It is very cheerful end-of-service material.

A lightweight trifle which Brian says he uses to entertain the gathering guests at weddings, who if they are anything like those in your publisher’s church are likely to be very noisy and fully equipped with a platoon of yelling babies and free-range children. So you may need this.

Last updated: 05 January 2020