Song Without Words

It is well known that I play French organ music. I would forgive anyone for thinking that I myself was French. However... I am English. I don't really play British organ music - look through my uploads: you may see a couple of pieces by British composers, but they'll likely be transcriptions, such as Nimrod by Elgar (apart from a series of uploads by Newell). That is about to change with my series of pieces by....

William Southcombe Lloyd Webber CBE (11 March 1914 – 29 October 1982)

His father was interested in organs and spent money travelling London to hear them, taking his son with him. William soon developed an interest and started playing. He was a well known recitalist by 14 and at 19 was studying with Ralph Vaughan Williams. He was actually known as William Webber, but at the Royal College of Music, there was someone else with that name so he started using his middle name 'Lloyd' with Webber (significant for later on in the story).

He was organist and choirmaster at All Saints, Margaret Street, London before becoming Musical Director at Westminster Central Hall. He also taught at various places in London.

If you are wondering why the name Lloyd Webber sounds familiar, he was father to Julian Lloyd Webber and the probably more famous Andrew Lloyd Webber, both accomplished musicians in their own right.


This piece is from a set of 13 'simple organ voluntaries' published between 1952 and 1959. Webber writes:

"These pieces have no serious musical ambition. If organists with sufficient ability... find them manageable and enjoyable, and if congregations find them conducive for an atmosphere for worship, my intentions are fully realised.'

The second piece in the set is this 'Song Without Words'. I don't own a lovely English organ sampleset to play the pieces on, so you've got Caen. The Recit Flute and Viola de Gambe play this lovely piece.

Hope you enjoy.

John