Amy Beach: "The Fair Hills of Eire" - Prelude on an Old Irish Folk Tune | Hauptwerk MDA EM Skinner
· 18.03.2023 · 08:00:04 ··· ··· Saturday ·· 6 (6)
Jerry Martin "The Fair Hills of Eire - Prelude on an Old Folk Tune" is a beautiful and reflective piece, originally written for piano, and later arranged for organ by Amy Beach. Beach was an American composer and pianist who lived from 1867 to 1944. She was one of the first female American composers to achieve significant recognition during her lifetime, and her work is highly regarded.
This composition is based on an Irish folk melody known as "Uilleágan Dub(h) O" or "Ailleaean Dubh O!," which dates back to the early 17th century.
The piece is structured as a reflective prelude, with a lyrical and flowing melody that showcases Beach's gift for melody and harmony. The prelude is expressive and introspective, evoking a sense of longing and nostalgia. It is a testament to Beach's ability to blend traditional folk melodies with classical forms, creating a unique and compelling style that is still celebrated today.
The historic E. M. Skinner pipe organ in Mount Carmel Church was built in 1928 and was one of the last installations to be personally supervised by Skinner himself. Particularly noted for its large scale pipes and extensive tonal range, the 54 rank three manual organ has been restored to its original magnificence by the firm of Fabry Pipe Organs, Inc. The restoration was significant in that the instrument was not altered, but rather returned to its original tonal specifications, and as such is one of the very few unaltered Skinner instruments in existence.
Although this sampleset does not include multiple releases, like modern samplesets, I have used the tools in Hauptwerk VII to bring it new life:
- I am routing three perspectives, separately, to the mixer
- The first I am truncating to 250ms (simulated dry)
- The second I am leaving with the original releases
- The third I am truncating to 150ms (simulated dry) and applying the Sonus Paradisi Groningen Rear Impulse Response to generate a distant accoustic
The audio engine is processing at 96kHz with all advanced modelling settings enabled.
#AmyBeach #OrganMusic #CelticMusic #HistoricOrgan #EMSkinnerOrgan #Prelude #IrishFolkTune #Hauptwerk
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