Te Deum — a fantasia and fugue for organ — was written for Chichester Cathedral's 950th anniversary celebrations. It was first performed there by the composer in a concert on 17th May 2025 alongside a 60th anniversary performance of Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and the first performance of Joanna Marsh’s A Psalm for Chichester. Its first liturgical performance was at Evensong on 21st June 2025 attended and addressed by His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.
It is published by Goodmusic.
Composer’s note
I draw on a distinguished tradition of solo organ works based on the Te Deum, the church's ancient hymn of praise. Dieterich Buxtehude, Max Reger, Jean Langlais, Jeanne Demessieux and others simultaneously provide inspiration and provoke trepidation.
This work is based on the first eleven notes of the Te Deum's plainsong melody; this melody also appears frequently in inversion and occasionally in retrograde inversion. The tune is heard first in the bass, gradually rising through the texture via a canonic episode. Toccata-like figuration, also based on the plainsong, accompanies.
A lively fugue interrupts, dense with about 50 subject entries in two minutes. The collapse of the fugue leads to a recapitulation of the opening, but louder and more chaotic. Three statements of the plainsong melody in cantus firmus bring the piece to a close.
While the score refers to three manuals, with a quick registration change in bar 52 it is possible to play it on two.
I am grateful to Stephen Farr and Charles Harrison who helped me to prepare for the first performance.