Idyll

Bertram Luard-Selby (12 February 1853 – 26 December 1918) was an English composer and cathedral organist. As an organist, he served in Salisbury Cathedral and Rochester Cathedral. As a composer, he wrote prolifically for the church, the concert-hall and the theatre.

Luard-Selby was born at Ightham Mote, Kent. He studied the organ at the Leipzig Conservatoire, and was organist at, successively, St. Barnabas, Marylebone, and Highgate School (1876); Salisbury Cathedral (1881); St. John's, Torquay, 1884; and St. Barnabas, Pimlico, 1887. He was appointed organist of Rochester Cathedral on the death of the incumbent, John Hopkins, in 1900, and held the post until 1916, when he took a post at Bradfield College. He was the musical editor of Hymns Ancient and Modern, published in 1904.

At the Three Choirs Festival of 1877, Luard-Selby's Kyrie Eleison was premiered at a concert. He composed two school cantatas, The Waits of Bremen and A Castle in Spain; chamber music including two piano quintets; a piano quartet; three sonatas for violin and piano; and many songs and part-songs. His church music includes two settings of the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis, 16 anthems, and a number of pieces for the organ.

Among Luard-Selby's orchestral works were Village Suite, which premiered at the Henry Wood Proms in 1908, and An Idyll. In addition he wrote a great deal of music for the theater.

"Idyll" was published by The Vincent Music Co, Ltd. in 1910 as "No. 184" as part of the "Organ Loft Series." It is dedicated: "To Charlton C. Palmer." Palmer had recently been appointed organist of Canterbury Cathedral when this was written. Selby was at nearby Rochester at the time.

It is highly expressive and definitely of the late romantic. It is colorful, fussy, and very hard to bring off. It's unfortunate, but I think this "taskiness" is one of the reasons such works have fallen away... :-(

The score is attached below, as well as photos of Selby, Palmer, & Canterbury & Rochester.