Dear SMM Community,
 

The next part of my online organ recital is here, and I hope that you enjoy it. I offer up these musical meditations as part of our parish efforts to find ways to keep you connected at this time. Recorded on my house organ, the instrument is a musical facsimile of the great 'Father' Willis organ at Salisbury Cathedral.

Today, I present John Tomas's The minstrel’s adieu to his native land.


Welsh composer and harpist John Thomas (1826-1913) rose to the top of his profession: in 1861 he was awarded the bardic title Pencerdd Gwalia (Chief of the Welsh minstrels), and in 1872 he became the harpist to Queen Victoria. Written as a work for solo harp, his original theme and variations in The minstrel’s adieu to his native land is a musical meditation on a poem by Thomas Moore (1779-1852).
 
When the light of my song is o’er,
Then take my harp to your ancient hall,
Hang it up at that friendly door
Where weary travellers love to call
Then if some bard, who roams forsaken,
Revive its soft notes in passing along,
Oh let one thought of its master waken
Your warmest smile for the child of song.



With best wishes,
Andrew Adair
Director of Music