Dancing on the Moon (2018)

Bernard Heyes (b. 1951) — Dancing on the Moon (2018) for organ pedal solo

“Dancing on the Moon” (2018) for organ pedal solo was written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong being the first man to walk on the moon (July 20, 1969).

English composer Bernard J. D. Heyes (b. 1951) was born in Kent and began his musical studies at age 21. As a composer, he has focused particularly on music for the organ, most especially his extensive cycle of 17 organ symphonies. Heyes’s musical style draws on a variety of influences and diverse sources of inspiration including the natural world (especially gardens and trees), states of transcendence, ancient Greek philosophy, world cultures and places, life, death, and subatomic physics. The result is music of large scale that connects to the organ’s traditional repertoire while also speaking with a profound and individual voice.