Tuba Tune by Norman Cocker (1889-1953)
The Squirrel by Powell Weaver (1890-1951)
Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, BWV 542 by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Serenade for Organ, Op. 22 by Derek Bourgeois (1941-2017)
Chorale No. 2 in B minor by César Franck (1822-1890)
Prelude on Londonderry Air by Noel Rawsthorne (1929-2019)
Carillon de Westminster by Louis Vierne (1870-1937)
Program Notes
Tuba Tune, written by Noman Cocker in 1922, is arguably the most familiar work of his compositional output. Cocker, who by his own admission was ‘sent down’ from Oxford University for not doing enough work, spent much of his career at Manchester Cathedral, first as assistant organist, later as organist and choral master in 1943. Written for the commanding Tuba stop of the organ, this piece was dedicated to W.G. Eveleigh, Esq. Mus. Doc. The continuous harmonic motion, sweeping melody, and ever-growing tension are a showcase of the organ’s powerful reed stops.
The Squirrel brings to us the lighter side of the organ repertoire, giving voice to the alertness and restless intelligence of squirrels. This playful and energetic piece darts about, suggesting movement itself. Though Powell Weaver had a cosmopolitan upbringing studying at what is now known as Juilliard and in Italy with Respighi, Weaver ultimately spent his entire professional career in Kansas City, MO.
In the autumn of 1720, Bach visited Hamburg for an audition. Though heavily debated, scholars have suggested that the Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, BWV 542, was first conceived on this trip as an improvisation. The Fantasia encapsulates both freedom and structure, and recalls the often improvisatory tradition of the earlier German fantasias by composers such as Pachelbel. Bach’s writing unfolds in an unusually chromatic fashion marked by dramatic pauses and sweeping rhetorical gestures. Contrast through order and accumulation is found in the Fugue. One could see how the constant unfolding of ideas and the shape of the fugue might have resulted from an improvisation on an old Dutch tune. Only one eighteenth-century manuscript in its original state places the two pieces side by side.
Written for his own wedding, Derek Bourgeois’s Serenade for Organ was intended to accompany guests as they left the ceremony. “Not wishing to allow them the luxury of proceeding in an orderly 2/4, I wrote the work in 11/8 and, in case anyone felt too comfortable, changed it to 13/8 in the middle!” Listen for how the irregular meter shapes the phrasing and how thematic material passes between hands and feet before its climax that dissolves into a conclusion that will surely make you chuckle.
Chorale No. 2 in B minor comes from virtuosic composer and organist Cesar Franck. Finished in the final weeks of the Belgian-born, naturalized Frenchman’s life, Franck’s Trois Chorales stands among the culminative works of the French Romantic repertoire. Franck wanted to write something completely different than the chorales that came before. Herbert Haag’s dissertation from 1936 suggests that “The chorale is not fixed but rather is an evolutionary idea.” Built on a passacaglia-like foundation, this work develops a multitude of themes. At the apotheosis of the piece, we hear the only full statement of the theme and counter melody in the tonic key. Perhaps knowing the end was near, or reflective of his own life’s journey, the chorale relaxes and recounts for us one last time the ‘chorale tune’ reflectively in B major.
Noel Rawsthorne’s Prelude on Londonderry Air draws upon one of the most widely recognized Irish melodies. Collected in the nineteenth century and later associated with the song “Danny Boy,” the tune evokes strong memories and nostalgia. Rawsthorne approaches the tune with restraint, allowing the melody to shine within a supportive texture.
Closing today’s recital is Louis Vierne’s Carillon de Westminster. This defining work of the French symphonic repertoire is based (though not exactly) on the Westminster chimes. Like the Fantasia and Fugue, this piece grew out of an improvisation that Vierne gave in England in 1924 and was published in 1927.
Biography of Jack A. Cleghorn
Equally at home leading choirs, conducting orchestras, and performing at the keyboard, Jack A. Cleghorn serves as Choirmaster and Organist of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas. There he directs a vibrant music ministry that includes children’s, youth, and adult choirs, a professional schola, and a handbell ensemble, fostering both musical excellence and community connection. Under his direction, the St. Paul’s choirs have recently served as Choir-in-Residence at Exeter and Wells Cathedrals in England and have been selected to serve at Lincoln Cathedral in 2028.
A Fayetteville native, Cleghorn earned degrees from the College of Charleston and Westminster Choir College, with additional study at Oxford University, the Peabody Institute, the Eastman School of Music, and the Gstaad Menuhin Festival Academy in Switzerland. He spent nearly thirteen years in Charleston, first as a student at the College of Charleston and Organ Scholar at Grace Church Cathedral, Director of Music at Harborview Presbyterian, and later in leadership roles that included Director of Liturgical Music at Stella Maris Catholic Church and Artistic and Music Director of the Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra. During that time, he became a familiar figure in Charleston’s musical community.
Beyond performance, Cleghorn is passionate about music as a means of building connection and community. He currently serves as the National Coordinator for Lifelong Choirs with the American Choral Directors Association, overseeing Music in Worship, Professional Choir, and Community Choir initiatives nationwide. Away from the podium, he enjoys cooking, tennis, and life on the side of an Ozark mountain with his wife, Grace, daughter, Tallulah, two cocker spaniels, Oscar and Lady, and a flock of nine chickens.