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Stephen Burtonwood

List of Compositions

A most attractive introductory voluntary, somewhat in the style of Flor Peeters’ ‘Aria’ (and nothing wrong in that!).  The congregation will immediately warm to this.  It has already had several outings in Liverpool Cathedral.

Stephen Burtonwood’s ‘Largo’ was an instant best seller in last September’s catalogue, even vying for top honours with Ronald Watson’s ‘Mrs Thing’ suites.  The rich and immensely tuneful idiom is further developed here in a fashion which we feel will be equally appealing.  If you play any of these as voluntaries people will be coming up to ask you what it is.  The ‘Picardy’ Variations would make a fine recital item as well.

All of Stephen Burtonwood’s previous pieces have proved extremely popular.  He has a seemingly endless fund of rich melody that helps create ideal introductory voluntaries.  The ‘Kingsfold’ Variations are more ambitious.   The well-known tune suits Stephen’s idiom very well, and the work as a whole calls for some imaginative registration.  It would be valuable as an audience-pleasing recital work.

Fagus customers have very much taken Stephen Burtonwood’s lush melodies to their hearts, and everyone who plays them will have found people asking ‘what was that ? ’ after the service.  This latest offering is perhaps the richest to date, the main tune having a noble urgency that is very persuasive.  There is here a Rachmaninovian ability to create long breathed tunes - the opening paragraph here runs to 28 bars, and anybody who thinks this is easy should try doing it !

This is another fine collection of mostly quite short pieces to complement Dr Beechey’s (above) in a slightly more romantic vein.  It is a tribute to Stephen Burtonwood’s inventiveness that he can create a characteristic melody as a counterpoint to the ‘Passion Chorale’ that is both highly effective and also allows something new to be said on this very well-worn theme. The other tunes used are ‘Eventide’, ‘Herongate’, ‘Maccabeus’, ‘Orentibus Partibus’ (x 2), ‘Rockingham’, ‘St. Albinus’, ‘Victory’ and ‘Wondrous Love’.

In the first two items Stephen’s unending chains of melody continue to weave their magic.  He is one of Fagus’ best-selling composers and you simply won’t go wrong with these!  The ‘Three Pieces’ are a touch more austere and ceremonial in character and are very effectively written.

In A Renaissance Style - Prelude: Quiet Waters -  Processional

Stephen is one of Fagus’ best selling composers.  All those gorgeous tunes (still available of course) have always gone down well.  Here he widens his range considerably, and while single-minded devotees will love the second movement best, all will find the outer movements make fine loud voluntaries.

The Arietta is another one of Stephen’s tunes that will surely become as popular as some of his earlier efforts, and his many admirers need not hesitate.

The Elevation is written in a slightly more advanced idiom, one both hypnotic and mysterious, and highly suitable for a communion service.

A deeply felt movement, in fact one of Stephen's most intense pieces, which will make a very appropriate voluntary on an occasion when emotions are running high.

Last updated: 10 March 2008