New Publication of Advent Music for Organ
At the request of one of my publishers, the concept of creating a book of Advent music for organ solos had been percolating for several years. The first few weeks of 2024 finally opened up enough time to compose the fairly brief collection. I’m delighted that PREPARE THE WAY was published a few months ago by HW Gray (the classical/liturgical imprint of the Jubilate Music Group). The four settings – each based on an Advent-associated hymn tune or carol – roughly correspond to the four Sundays of Advent. My dear friend and outstanding organist Isabelle Demers graciously offered to record the pieces on the landmark 1915 Casavant instrument at Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church, Montréal, Québec, Canada; feel free to listen to (and watch!) the music at this YouTube link. With its vast sound palette, Calvary’s excellent Skinner/Quimby organ provided special inspiration for the book!
Howard Helvey
Organist/Choirmaster
