Andantino

Henry Morton Dunham (1853-1929) was a student of George Whiting and John Knowles Paine. He taught at the New England Conservatory of Music for nearly 50 years, numbering Wallace Goodrich and Everett Truette among his own students. Dunham was also a composer for solo organ and for organ and orchestra. He served several Boston area churches as organist and was respected as a concert performer. He performed at the St. Louis Exposition in 1904 and Guilmant’s recitals there may have been Dunham’s inspiration to edit works by French composers. With musical forbears such as Whiting and Paine and their teachers W. T. Best and Rheinberger, Dunham’s compositions are influenced by classical formalism and German Romanticism, while still contributing an American viewpoint.

"Andantino" was published in 1895 by the J. B.Millet Company. There are quite a few pieces available from the Millet archives, but you do you have to spend time searching.

"Andantino" is quite a lot like Mendelssohn, although "modernized" a bit. Remember, when this was written, Mendelssohn was still a "modern" composer.

The harmonies and melodies are all worked-out, and there are also shades of Rheinberger to be heard, which comes as no surprise since Dunham was a student of the German master.

The score is attached below, as well as several photos of Dunham, one of his grave, and one of Ruggles St. Baptist Church, where Dunham served as organist for many years.