Improvisation sur le thème d’Edward Elgar’

The dedication reads: ‘Pour Monsieur Fielding et Caen’ with a handwritten message ‘Robert! Since you were so kind!! George’.
Written by a Francophile for a Francophile, this reflective meditative piece was given to me by George when I had just handed over to him the post of Director of Music at Romsey Abbey in 2017.
I had worked on it but then filed it away but having heard from George recently via Facebook and learning of his engagement and new appointment to the Diocese of Portsmouth, I looked the piece out and decided to record it – of course on the digitised set for Hauptwerk of the Cavaillé-Coll organ in St. Etienne Abbey, Caen.
The piece uses elements of Elgar’s ‘Ave verum corpus natus’ which was a favourite of the Abbey choir when I was there. George inserts the text as it appears in the video, and I have included his choice of stops and tempo indications.
I parted from his score in using an 8ft flute for the delicate final pedal solo at the words; ‘Fili Mariae’, adding a 16ft Bourdon for the final low C.