Prelude on 'St. Columba'

In 1950 OUP published a volume titled, "A Book of Hymn Tune Voluntaries," and I thought that this group would be a good chance to show off the new Hereford Cathedral sample set.

The first piece in the collection is "Prelude on 'St. Columba'" by Henry G. Ley (1887-1962). Ley was organist of Christ Church, Oxford, taught at the Royal Academy of Music, and later served at Eton.

This setting is the "simplest" in terms of registration, as it makes no changes throughout - Open and Stopped Diapasons on the Swell, coupled to the Claribel Flute on the Great. The tonality of E-major is both bright and serene. 'Where streams of living water flow.'