Suite in homage to Handel (2007)

John Ellis (1943–2010) — Suite in homage to Handel (2007) for organ

1) Overture
2) Air
3) Sarabande
4) Gigue

“Suite in homage to Handel” (2007) was written for a competition sponsored by organist Paul Ayres to create new music for a chamber organ at St. George’s, Hanover Square owned by the Handel House Museum in London. Ayres premiered and recorded the two outer movements of this suite, which evokes the music of Handel’s time through Ellis’s distinctly contemporary voice.

English composer John Ellis (1943–2010) studied medicine at Manchester University. After specializing in pediatrics, he became a hospital consultant for the National Health Service in 1977 and worked in Bolton from 1981 until his retirement in 2002. He had a lifelong love of playing the piano and organ and while in Bolton gained the ARCO diploma, studying with William Morgan. He held several church organist posts including St. Mary’s Parish Church, Prestwick (1997–2009) and Bury Parish Church (2009–10). Two CDs of his organ compositions were released on the Divine Art label, one recorded by Ronald Frost and the other by Robin Walker. The latter included his magnum opus and final composition, an organ symphony (2009) which Walker had premiered at Blackburn Cathedral.

Published by animus Music Publishing (http://www.animusi.co.uk/) in “Chamber Miniatures”