Marcel Dupré (1886-1971)
Symphonie-Passion, op 23
i. Le Monde dans l’attente du Sauveur
ii. Nativité
iii. Crucifixion
iv. Résurrection
Benjamin Collyer is Sub-Organist at Manchester Cathedral. Prior to commencing his current role, Ben was the Acting Assistant Director of Music at St Alban's Cathedral, the Assistant Director of Music at St Michael's, Cornhill and the very first Organ Fellow of Sinfonia Smith Square, London.
Ben was a student at Chetham's School of Music under Christopher Stokes and Graham Caskie, and then studied Music at the University of Oxford, graduating in 2021.
Ben held organ scholarships at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford and then at St Paul's Cathedral, while he began studies for a Masters in Performance.
In 2023, Ben graduated from the Royal College of Music with a distinction in Organ performance.
On top of his cathedral work, Ben enjoys a varied career as an orchestral organist and pianist. He regularly performs with the BBC Daily Service Singers, and works with professional orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic, the Liverpool Philharmonic and Manchester Baroque.
The Temple Church organ
The organ in the Temple church was built in 1924 for the Castle of Glen Tanar, Aberdeenshire, and installed in 1954 in the rebuilt church (following war damage), the gift of Lord Glentanar. The organ case was designed by W. E. Godfrey and installed in 1966 and is modelled on drawings of the Temple’s Father Smith organ of 1688, showing the crests of Inner and Middle Temple. The organ was rebuilt in 2013 by Harrison and Harrison of Durham and has 66 stops over four manuals.
Future recitals – Wednesdays at 1.15 pm
17 June – George Inscoe (St Paul’s Cathedral)
24 June – Martin Ford (The Guards’ Chapel, Westminster)
1 July – Pingping Chen (Royal College of Music)
8 July – Gavin Phelps (Oundle Recital Award)
Marcel Dupré’s Symphonie-Passion Programme notes by Ben Collyer
Marcel Dupré was a prominent French organist famed for his incredible improvisatory skills. He performed over 2,000 recitals in his lifetime and was noted for his ability to perform hugely complex works from memory. He composed a large number of organ pieces, which were often based on his improvisations. The Symphonie-Passion (op 23) was born in just this way, as a series of improvisations during his 1921 tour of the US. Each movement explores a different plainsong theme; two of these are Christmas melodies (Jesu redemptor omnium – movement 1, and Adeste fideles – movement 2). The other two are Easter melodies (Stabat mater dolorosa – movement 3, and Adoro te devote – movement 4).
Three years after his tour, he put pen to paper and published the Symphonie-Passion. This ambitious work narrates the life of Jesus Christ over four movements.
• Movement 1 – ‘Le Monde dans l’attente du Sauveur’ The world awaiting the Saviour
The piece begins with agitated chords in an unstable meter – five quavers in each bar. The harmonies are very dark and ominous, with huge swelling sections contrasted by quiet, introspective moments. It conveys the despair and hopelessness of mankind before Jesus’ birth. We first catch a glimpse of the plainsong theme, Jesu redemptor omnium (Jesus, redeemer of all) in the quiet middle section, where the tune is initially played on a solo oboe, before being lost to chaos once more. Finally, the theme explodes in a triumphant outburst of colour. The Saviour has arrived.
• Movement 2 – ‘Nativité’
The second movement takes us to the stable, where Christ has just been born. The meditative oboe tune at the beginning is tinged with a sense of foreboding (at least, that’s what I think!) almost foreshadowing what is to come. Halfway through, the mood completely changes and we hear a jolly new theme played by the 8’ and 4’ flutes. I’ve always imagined this section representing the wise men plodding along the long path to the stable – perhaps getting gradually more annoyed with each other as they progress! Finally, we hear that all too famous tune Adeste fideles (O come, all ye faithful) arrive in the pedal part, which is then explored in fragments. The movement finishes with a moment of stasis; distant triads sound on the solo flutes, almost like a call to battle. Christ’s fate is calling.
• Movement 3 – ‘Crucifixion’
This movement is quite scary. The pedals give us a sinister descending motif, surrounded by rich, dark chords in the manuals. This motif is then explored over a huge crescendo which lasts until almost the end of the piece. It really does get very loud towards the end, just as Jesus’ pain grew and grew while he was being tortured. The climax of this movement is reached when the organ screams a series of fragmented, dissonant chords, surrounded by silence – Christ gives up the ghost. Before we move on to the final movement, we hear a sparse, mournful exploration of the plainsong theme Stabat mater dolorosa (The sorrowful mother stood). Mary is standing at the foot of the cross, having seen her son die.
• Movement 4 – ‘Résurrection’
The final movement of this Symphony is one gigantic crescendo, starting with bubbling quavers on the quiet foundation stops of the organ. The plainsong theme Adoro te devote (I adore you devoutly) begins almost as a whisper, gradually growing in intensity over the course of the movement. The theme turns into huge toccata; an outpouring of love and devotion for Christ, who has just risen from the dead. Finally, everything goes a bit bonkers. The last page of this piece is fiendish to play, as there are so many different things going on!
I do hope you enjoy this fantastic work as much as I do!
