| Description: | Percy Eastman Fletcher, was born in Derby on 12 December 1879 and died on 10 December 1932 at the early age of 52. He took lessons on violin, piano and organ, the former being his most important instrument. Like a number of his composer contemporaries, he made his living as a Musical Director in the London theater world, fulfilling this position successively at the Prince of Wales, Savoy, Daly's, Drury Lane and from, 1915 until his death, His Majesty's Theatre.
His creative activity was however by no means confined to the theater. There were ballads and songs, ad a considerable amount for chorus,as well as sacred works, "The Passion of Christ" (1922), one of the best of those sacred cantatas for small church choirs.
Fletcher wrote a large number of suites for light orchestras, and many fine, now forgotten, orchestral works.
Most of Fletcher's piano music was arranged from orchestral scores, but there are several fine works, originally for piano solo.
He also composed quite widely for organ. An Interlude of 1901 is probably his earliest dated publication, while later works include the two most famous of his organ works, both dating from 1915, "Festival Toccata" and the always exquisite, "Fountain Reverie."
"Prelude and Fugue on 'Nun danket alle Gott'" is found in part three of Fletcher's "Hymn-Tune Voluntaries, Part III," published by Curwen in 1911-1912.
The prelude is a "baroque-like" toccata, with a slowing and softening ending, leading into the brisk fugue. As in the march on "St. George," you'll need to be clever to pull this off. You can't "just play it" and hope for great results, as there are parts they really aren't "organ-like!" Once again, I changed nothing, but did fill-out and "arrange" as necessary.
This is shorter than the St. George march, but I think it's a lot trickier to play.
Is it worth the effort? That depends on how you hear and see it!
The score is attached below, as well as a photo of Percy E. Fletcher.
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