Sortie on "Laus Deo" (for Trinity Sunday)

Norman Gilbert (1912-1975) grew up in Yorkshire and was a student of Sir Edward Bairstow at York Minster. During the 1930's he held positions at St. John's Church, Halifax and St. Paul's Church, Llandudno. Shortly after release from war service, he was appointed Music Master of Headlands Grammar School in Swindon, Wiltshire.

"Sortie on 'Laus Deo'" is part of the 1956 publication of "Festal Voluntaries," divided into 6 volumes.

In this setting, Gilbert makes EXTENSIVE use of the setting of the "Old Hundredth" composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams only 3 years earlier, and first performed at Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953.

It's very cleverly worked out and worked in, and at times, the quotes are almost "directly" from RVW...

The entire piece is played upon the Full Swell (almost) with the melody "soloed" out on the Great, with the Solo Tromba added in.

The work goes "right to the end," meaning there is no big ritard at the conclusion.

I go almost all the way to full organ, with the exception of the 4' Clarion and "high" mixture on the Great.

A photo of Norman Gilbert is attached below.