Flourish on Würtemberg

Desmond Ratcliffe’s (1917-2001) first music teacher was his father William Ratcliffe who was a composer and organist at St Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge, London. The young boy used to go to the church with his father to hear him practise and sometimes Queen Mary would wander into the back of the church to listen. He learnt the piano and organ and after the early death of his father became a young chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, where he started to compose. He went on to be educated at Kingston Grammar School and was organist at a local church in Twickenham. He gained entrance to the Royal Academy of Music to study composition. Unfortunately the Second World War interrupted his studies when he had to go into the Army. When the war ended he took up his studies again at the Academy gaining many prizes. He went to work at Novello & Co Ltd in the Reader’s Room under the eye of Walter Emery the leading Bach scholar of his time. He was trained by Emery to become an excellent proof reader and music editor while he continued to compose choral and organ music and make many arrangements.

"Flourish on 'Würtemberg'" was written for a group of 6 volumes called "Festal Voluntaries" published by Novello in 1956. It is exactly what the title implies, and is a brief, flashy, quirky "fanfare-ish" prelude based on a 17th century tune that was adapted by W. H. Monk (1823-1889). It's a neat little piece that displays all of the composer's fingerprints in it's harmonic usage, etc.

This is a pretty "rare" tune, so I've included 2 verses of the hymn before the voluntary.

The text of the first verse is:

Christ the Lord is risen again!
Christ hath broken every chain!
Hark, the angels shout for joy,
Singing evermore on high,
Alleluya!