Non-folk music help: Healey Willan

Subject: Non-folk music help: Healey Willan
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 13 Apr 05 - 03:35 PM

I've been given a challenge, and I'm asking "Mudcatdom Assembled" for assistance. A friend of a friend is trying to locate the score or manuscript for a piece called "Epilogue", written in the 40's by Healey Willan. It's for an organist who studied with Willan (who died in '68) at the Royal Conservatory in England.

The organist(at the Napier Cathedral in Wellington, New Zealand, master organist at New Zealand Broadcasting and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra) had, at the time of his retirement, given his copy of the score to one of his students. Now, he dearly like to revisit the music, and his cousin (the aforementioned friend-of-a-friend) would likw to help out.

I'm doing a fair bit of online searching and sleuthing, but would be grateful for any help. What say, Mudcatians?

Subject: RE: Non-folk music help: Healey Willan
From: Little Robyn
Date: 13 Apr 05 - 03:56 PM

Hi Jeremiah,
Was this organist at Napier or Wellington? There's a 4 hour drive between the two places.
And do you have a name for the student or is it possibly one of many?
I don't know of any catters in Wellington but I suggest you contact the NZ Symphony Orchestra and ask the person in charge of all their music.
I don't think the NZBC would be much help - Broadcasting House has been pulled down and turned into a parking lot, TVNZ was cast loose and is currently trying to sell it's complex at Avalon (which was the dream for the future when I worked for them - 30+ years ago) and now you have to search around to find all the little radio stations, all in different hiding places. There's not even a decent sized recording studio available.
The other possibility might be a letter to the Wellington paper - The Dominion Post at dompost.co.nz or at PO Box 1297 Wellington.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Non-folk music help: Healey Willan
From: Peace
Date: 13 Apr 05 - 08:30 PM

Healey Willan. Epilogue. Randall M. Eagan Publishers, 2024 Kenwood Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55405.

Subject: RE: Non-folk music help: Healey Willan
From: Peace
Date: 13 Apr 05 - 08:40 PM

Randall M. Eagan, Publisher of Music. The Kenwood Press Ltd. 2024 Kenwood Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55405. phone and fax: [phone]

Subject: RE: Non-folk music help: Healey Willan
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 13 Apr 05 - 09:05 PM

Is there a Royal Conservatory of Music in England? Or would it be the The Royal College of Music You could get on to their research department and library. Or since Willan was at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto for most of his working life and then Professor of Music at the University of Toronto, they might well have a collection of his scores.

Here's a page with some samples of his music (not the one requested though.)

Subject: RE: Non-folk music help: Healey Willan
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 02:18 AM

A wealth of possibilities to investigate. Will report any results. Manymuch thanks.

Subject: RE: Non-folk music help: Healey Willan
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 26 Apr 05 - 12:57 PM

Update and closure:

Many thanks to "Brucie"; his information led to a happy ending for this quest.

I just got a phone call from Mr. Eagan at Kenwood Press. The music is available in an exact replica (an 8-page organ score) of the 1909-published edition. The price is more than reasonable, and is apparently being placed in the mail even as I type this.

The person this is for, is going to Greece to meet her cousin, the aforementioned organist, for the very first time. I tnink this is gonna be pretty nifty.

Many thanks also, to Little Robyn and McGrath for input, and yet again to Brucie.

Dare I say it? Mudcat rules!

Subject: RE: Non-folk music help: Healey Willan
From: sian, west wales
Date: 26 Apr 05 - 04:00 PM

We used to sing Healy Willan pieces in high school choir. I loved them!

sian

Subject: RE: Non-folk music help: Healey Willan
From: Padre
Date: 26 Apr 05 - 06:59 PM

In 1928, Healy Willan composed the 'Missa de Sancta Maria Magdalena' which is the Second Communion Service in the Hymnal 1940. We use it nearly every Sunday.

Padre