Prelude

George Mursell Garrett (8 June 1834 – 8 April 1897) was an English organist and composer.

Garrett was born in Winchester where his father was master of the choristers at Winchester Cathedral. He later served as assistant to Samuel Sebastian Wesley at Winchester. Garrett was appointed the Director of Music at St. John's College, Cambridge in 1857 and held the position for forty years.

It was Garrett he succeeded Thomas Attwood Walmisley as Organist of St. John's College, Cambridge.

Garrett wrote music for the Anglican Church in the form of service settings and anthems. He is perhaps best represented today by his Anglican chant setting of Psalm 126.

He is buried in the Mill Road cemetery, Cambridge.

This "Prelude" is very "typical" of the English organ music of the period. It has strong influences of Wesley and Mendelssohn, and is not without its appeal.

I tried to play this the way I THINK it would have been played at the time, so, the registration, which is quite detailed, was followed as much as possible.

Years ago, I recall doing Garrett's Advent anthem, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord." In retrospect, I guess it's a very "ordinary" piece, but I liked it "before I knew better!" :-)

I guess I also have a lot to thank (or perhaps blame!) George Garrett for...

A long time ago, before I even knew "what" Anglican music was, someone lent me a recording of King's College Choir (under Philip Ledger's direction) singing some of the Psalms of David.

The first psalm on the record was Psalm 93, sung to a famous chant by Garrett.

I heard only a few seconds of it, and I KNEW this was what I was going to HAVE to do with my life!

Here's a youtube link to that performance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vum2-O3jnUI

The score is attached below, as well as a photo of George Garrett and two of St. John's College, Cambridge.