I have some excellent news! A number of posts in the recent year has had me lamenting the condition of the organ at the Monastery. I have even neglected making many posts because its condition. As of a few weeks ago, the Monastery is looking to acquire a new organ! Or rather, a new old organ. Fingers crossed: the current instrument on the radar is an 1885 Hook and Hastings. There is nothing like it in the city and it will sound fantastic in the Monastery’s excellent acoustic.
In the mean time, I am trying to take advantage of the one instrument I have some access to: the Duquesne Univserity Chapel organ. It is a recent Jaeckel instrument inspired by Charles Tournemire’s writings, which is quite apparent in the stop list. It is a good instrument and I am all for using trackers. They keep us organists honest in our technique.
These Lenten Improvisations were born out of trying to compose in a manner of how I sometimes improvise. The difference between improvisation and composition, at least for me, is a strange one. Composition often starts in a similar manner as an improvisation, but obviously goes in a more directed manner as more time is given to flesh out ideas. But trying to compose and make it sound improvisatory was an interesting task. This first improvisation ends with something I was starting to do more at the time, which was include long, somewhat dissonant moments resolving into silence. That idea definitely returns in the subsequent movements.
Lastly, you can get the score for free here on IMSLP!