PERFORMANCE NOTES

PREMIERE

Harrison began writing Praises for Michael the Archangel in January of 1946 and completed the work on January 15, 1947. Organist Fred Tulan premiered the work in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1966.

 

General notes.

The tempo should be flexible. Dramatic pauses at sectional breaks are appropriate. Commas mark breaths in the phrasing. Tenuto marks indicate a slight stress, not a lengthening of the note.

 

Registration and dynamics.

Harrison invites the performer to select his/her own registrations depending on the characteristics of the particular instrument and the acoustical space. As a suggestion, however, the editor has appended registrations used by Susan Summerfield, who worked with Harrison closely for many years. Summerfield's suggested registrations, which are based on a study of Harrison's orchestration of the piece, precede the score; her dynamics, approved by the composer, appear in brackets.

	(Note: GT = Great, Ch = Choir, Sw = Swell, Ped = Pedal) Measures
	1–11	Gt/Ch/Sw:	open diap 8,4; reeds 8,4
		Ped:	open diap 16,8,4; reeds 8,4
	12–17	Ch/Sw:	soft foundations 8,4; cello 8 (r.h.)
		Gt:	st. diap 16, soft foundations 8,4 (l.h.)
		[couple gt/ch/sw]
		[on last note of m. 15, move r.h. to gt]
	17 (last 2 notes)–25	Sw:	oboe 8, flute 4 (r.h.)
		Gt/Ch:	bassoon 16,8; trumpet 8; clarinet 8 (l.h.)
		Ped:	Gt/Ch to pedal
		[at m. 19,add bassoon 8;at m. 22, move r.h. to Gt (Gt/Ch/Sw)]
	26–36	Ch/Sw:	soft foundations 8,4; gamba 8; cello 8; salicional 8,4
		Ped:	soft foundations 16,8; cello 8
	37–42	Sw:	bassoon 16,8 (l.h.)
		Ped:	clarinet 8; oboe 8; stopped diap 8,4
	42 (last 2 notes)–52	Gt/Ch/Sw:	foundations 16,8,4; reeds 8,4
		Ped:	foundations 16,8,4; reeds 8,4
		[beginning at m. 44, use crescendo pedal, to be fully open at m. 47; then, decrescendo, to be closed at m. 51]
	53–56	Ch:	quintaton 16, tierce
	57–59	Ch:	add flute 8
	59 (last beat)–62	Ch:	add vox celestis; salicional; cancel tierce
	63–70 (1st note)	Gt/Ch/Sw:	foundations 8
		Ped:	foundations 16,8; reeds 16,8
	71–74 (1st note)	Gt:	foundations 16,8,4 (both hands)
		Ped:	foundations 16,8
		[on Ch/Sw:	foundations 8,4; reeds 8,4 prepared]
	75–83	Gt:	add reeds 8,4
		Ch/Sw:	couple to Gt (prepared above)
		Ped:	add reeds 16,8,4
	84–90	Gt/Ch/Sw:	begin crescendo pedal, to be fully open at m. 87 (1st beat); then, decrescendo, to be closed at m. 90 (1st beat)
	90 (last half)–  99 (1st half)	Ch/Sw:	soft foundations 8; vox celestis 8; gamba 8; cello 8 [open swell box on m. 90; gradually close up to m. 99]
	99 (last note)–110	Ch:	flute 4, piccolo 2 (r.h.)
		Sw:	unda maris 8; vox celestis 8 (r.h.)
		Ped:	gamba 8; vox celestis 8
	111–114	Ch/Sw:	salicional 8,4; gamba 8; cello 16, 8
	115–120 (beat 1)	Gt/Ch/Sw:	foundations; reeds 16,8,4
		Ped:	foundations; reeds 16,8
	120 (last beat)–125	Gt/Ch/Sw:	foundations; reeds; mixtures
	126–129	Ch:	quintaton 16; nacht-horn
	130–133	Ch:	add flute 4
	133 (last beat)–  136 (beat 1)	Ch:	add tierce
	136–140	Ch:	keep above (l.h.)
		Gt:	foundations; reeds 16,8,4
		Ped:	foundations; reeds 16,8,4
	141–147	Gt/Ch/Sw:	foundations; reeds 16,8,4; mixtures [begin opening crescendo pedal to m. 144 (2nd beat); then, decrescendo to m. 147 (1st beat)]
	147–155	Ch/Sw:	stopped diap 8; salicional 8; vox celestis 8, gamba 8,4
		Ped:	stopped diap 16,8
	155 (last beat)–  158 (beat 1)	Ch:	quintaton 16; vox celestis 8; tierce
		Ped:	subbass 16; cello 16,8
	158 (last beat)–  162 (last beat)	Gt/Ch/Sw:	foundations 16,8,4; mixtures [open crescendo pedal throughout phrase]
	162 (last beat)–end	Gt/Ch/Sw:	Tutti

	(Note: G = Grand Orgue, P = Positif, R = Récit, Péd = Pédale) Measures
	1–11	GPR:	montres 8,4; anches 8,4
		Péd:	montres 16,8,4; anches 8,4
	12–17	PR:	fonds doux 8,4; violoncelle 8 (r.h.)
		G:	bourdon 16, fonds doux 8,4 (l.h.)
		[couple GPR; on last note of m. 15, move r.h. to G]
	17 (last 2 notes)–25	R:	hautbois 8, flûte 4 (r.h.)
		GP:	basson 16,8; trompette 8; clarinette 8 (l.h.)
		Péd:	couple to GP
			[at m. 19, add basson 8; at m. 22, move r.h. to G]
	26–36	PR:	fonds doux 8,4; gambe, violoncelle 8; salicional 8,4
		Péd:	fonds doux 16,8; violoncelle 8
	37–42	R:	basson 16,8 (l.h.)
		Péd:	clarinette 8; hautbois 8; bourdons 8,4
	42 (last 2 notes)–52	GPR:	fonds 16,8,4; anches 8,4
		Péd:	fonds 16,8,4; anches 8,4
			[beginning at m. 44, use crescendo pedal, to be fully open at m. 47; then, decrescendo, to be closed at m. 51]
	53–56	P:	quintaton 16, 3ce (tierce)
	57–59 (1st note)	P:	add flûte 8
	59 (last beat)–62	P:	add voix celeste; salicional; cancel 3ce (tierce)
	63–70 (1st note)	GPR:	fonds 8
		Péd:	fonds 16,8; anches 16,8
	71–74 (1st note)	G:	fonds 16,8,4 (both hands)
		Péd:	fonds 16,8
		[on PR:	fonds 8,4; anches 8,4]
	75–83	G:	add anches 8,4
		PR:	couple to G
		Péd:	add anches 16,8,4
	84–90	GPR:	[begin crescendo pedal, to be fully open at m. 87 (1st beat); then, decrescendo, to m. 90 (1st beat)]
	90 (last half)–  99 (1st half)	PR:	fonds doux 8; voix celeste 8; gambe 8; violoncelle 8 [open swell box on m. 90;gradually close up to m. 99]
	99 (last note)–110	P:	flûte 4, octavin (r.h.)
		R:	unda maris 8; voix celeste 8 (r.h.)
		Péd:	gambe 8; voix celeste 8
	111–119	PR:	salicional 8,4; gambe 8; violoncelle 16, 8
	115–120 (1st beat)	GPR:	fonds; anches 16,8,4
		Péd:	fonds; anches 16,8
	120 (last note)–125	GPR:	fonds, anches, plein-jeu
	126–129	P:	quintaton 16, cor de nuit 8
	130–133	P:	add flûte 4
	133 (last beat)–  136 (beat 1)	P:	add 3ce (tierce)
	136–140	P:	keep above (l.h.)
		G:	fonds; anches 16,8,4
		Péd:	fonds; anches 16,8,4
	141–147	GPR:	fonds; anches 16,8,4; plein jeu [begin opening crescendo pedal to m. 144 (2nd beat); then decrescendo to m. 147 (1st beat)]
	147–155 (beat 1)	PR:	bourdon 8; salicional 8; voix celeste 8, gambe 8,4
		Péd:	bourdon 16,8
	155 (last note)–  158 (beat 1)	P:	quintaton 16; voix celeste 8; 3ce (tierce)
		Péd:	soubasse 16; violoncelle 16,8
	158 (last beat)–  162 (last beat)	GPR:	fonds 16,8,4; plein jeu [open crescendo pedal throughout]
	162–end	GPR:	Tutti

Recordings.

Although the organ work has not been recorded, performers may hear an orchestral transcription in the Elegiac Symphony, movement 4 (LP: 1750 Arch S-1772: Oakland Youth Orchestra, D. de Coteau, conductor; CD: MusicMasters 60204K: American Composers Orchestra, Dennis Russell Davies, conductor).