Celtic Chorale No. 1

Celtic Chorale No. 1 is based on the hymn tune St. Columba and takes its influence from the composers Charles Tournemire and Jean Langlais, the three chorales of Cesar Franck, and the tradition of psalm variations popularized by Dutch organist composers from the early baroque era such as Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck and Antoni van Noordt.aWith Jean Langlais originally coming from Brittany, the Gaelic speaking region of France, and Charles Tournemire being his teacher, their music acted as a springboard for this composition.aaThe Chorale opens with a Cromorne stop, common on many French and Dutch organs, and when combined with a high pitched stop, resembles a set of uilleann pipes, an Irish version of the bagpipe.aaDue to the modal nature of the hymn tune, the harmonic language of Charles Tournemire plays a great role in this composition because of his work with modal plainsong melodies as found in his LOrgue Mystique.aEach section relies on Henry Williams Bakers paraphrase of the 23rd psalm, and uses tone painting to illustrate the six verses of Bakers paraphrase.aaThe first verse begins with melody on the Cromorne against a drone evoking a shepherds pipe.aaThe second verse employs a series of rapid passages bringing out the line Where streams of living waters flow.aaThe third verse inverts the melody and then returns with the quick material to portray the soul going towards sin, and then God retrieving the sinner after he repents.aaSuddenly, the variant for the fourth verse enters in with a dark and pungent Dorian iteration of the melody that returns to the original Mixolydian melody decorated with Kreuzmotiv (Cross Motive) patterns highlighting the line Thy Cross before to guide me.aaEventually, the organ builds up towards the end through the fifth and sixth verses emphasizing the line "Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise within thy house forever," and the chorale closes with an ethereal bell-like coda.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wlj_8gUgaU