Andante Pastorale

Charles H. Steggall (3 June 1826 in London – 7 June 1905 in London) was an English hymnodist and composer.

The son of R. W. Steggall, Charles Steggall was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge and then studied under William Sterndale Bennett at the Royal Academy of Music, where he subsequently became Professor of organ and harmony.

Steggall worked as an organist for many parishes including: Christ Chapel, Maida Vale; Christ Church, Lancaster Gate and Lincoln's Inn, where he was succeeded by his son Reginald Steggall. He was an examiner for the DMus degree.

As its first Hon Secretary, he played an important role under William Sterndale Bennett to form the Bach Society, forerunner to the Bach Choir in London. He taught organ studies to Helen Johnston (a student at Queen's College, London) whom Sterndale Bennett had chosen to translate the St Matthew Passion from German into English for the first performance in London on 6 April 1854. Furthermore, he was one of the first twenty-one member of the Royal College of Organists. In 1906 he republished the Complete edition of the "Hymns Ancient and Modern."

Steggall is probably best remembered for his fine anthem, "Remember now Thy Creator," which is a real winner - at least to my way of looking at it. :-)

"Andante Pastorale" was first published in 1896 by the J. B. Millet Co. It is a fine work, quite reminiscent of the writings of Mendelssohn.

For it's "theme," it uses the hymn-tune "Tallis Ordinal" by Thomas Tallis. A text often used with this tune is by Thomas H. Gill, the first verse being:

O mean may seem this house of clay,
Yet ’twas the Lord’s abode;
Our feet may mourn this thorny way,
Yet here Emmanuel trod.

So, this is an appropriate work for the Advent season.

The score is attached below, as well as a photo of Charles Steggall.