„Das Lied des Herrn“
Inspiration Choral, britische und deutsche Orgelbearbeitungen von Barock bis Spätromantik.
Gespielt von Hannah Parry
an der Wilhelm-Sauer-Orgel (Opus 915 / 1904)
der Evangelischen Stadtkirche Gronau (Westfalen).
„The Lord's Song“
Inspiration Choral, British and German organ works from Baroque to late Romantic bis Spätromantik.
played by Hannah Parry
on the Wilhelm-Sauer-Organ (Opus 915 / 1904)
The Evangelischen Stadtkirche Gronau (Westfalen).
Inspiration Choral, britische und deutsche Orgelbearbeitungen von Barock bis Spätromantik.
Gespielt von Hannah Parry
an der Wilhelm-Sauer-Orgel (Opus 915 / 1904)
der Evangelischen Stadtkirche Gronau (Westfalen).
„The Lord's Song“
Inspiration Choral, British and German organ works from Baroque to late Romantic bis Spätromantik.
played by Hannah Parry
on the Wilhelm-Sauer-Organ (Opus 915 / 1904)
The Evangelischen Stadtkirche Gronau (Westfalen).
Thank you for taking interest in my CD. Please read on for booklet notes translated into English
- General Notes
- History of the Organ
- Biography
General Notes
At the age of 17, I had already started learning compositions by Brahms and Mendelssohn in Costessey near Norwich, I'm Norfolk. It is a huge privilege to be able to play and record these pieces some decades later on an originally preserved romantic organ, particularly suitable for these compositions. Both my path and the path of the Wilhelm Sauer Organ (Opus 915 / 1904) fortunately crossed at the Evangelisch Stadtkirche in Gronau (Westphalia): the organ and I have both moved to a new place!
The question of the supplicant in Psalm 137: "How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?", which is also the basis of the chorale "An Wasserflüssen Babylon" ("By the waters of Babylon"), was the inspiration for a programme shaped by chorale melodies that brings together old and new musical traditions. The role of the organ in supporting congregational singing differs significantly between Great Britain and Germany, yet composers from both countries and traditions have created wonderful and imaginative works over centuries, founded on church hymns and liturgical singing.
Max Reger composed over 80 romantic chorale preludes as well as large chorale fantasies, including the relatively simple setting of "O Gott, du frommer Gott" ("O God, Thou faithful God"): the warm foundation stops of the Gronau Wilhelm Sauer Organ can particularly faithfully reproduce Max Reger’s sound world around the year 1900. That's also the case with Ethel Smyth’s composition on the same chorale melody. The British suffragette, conductor, and composer Ethel Smyth studied in Leipzig from 1877 to 1881 and later met Johannes Brahms. Her canon, in which the chorale melody is played in both the upper and lower voices, clearly shows Brahms’ influence, while Brahms’ own version, one of his last works, is much more complex and expressive.
A baroque (Bach) and a romantic (Brahms) setting of the communion hymn "Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele" ("Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness") are further examples of compositional diversity and different treatments of the same melodic material. In both composers’ emotive musical elaboration, the textual content of this hymn is clearly audible.
The sonatas by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, written between 1844 and 1845 for English organs and audiences, can be more appropriately named ‘suites’ and their structure does not follow the classical sonata form but contains contrasting and complimenting movements: the first movement serves as an introduction, the second is elaborate, the third recalls the first movement but in a major key, and the concluding fugue with its powerful, Brahmsian theme and pedal solo leads the work to a triumphant ending.
The bold and almost orchestral design of this sonata is picked up by Fanny Hensel in her Prelude in F major. She composed it for her wedding, allegedly because her brother Felix Mendelssohn did not deliver the promised work in time for the occasion. Her husband Wilhelm supported Fanny’s musical work, yet there is no doubt that Fanny Hensel, as a woman of the 19th century, did not receive the recognition she deserved.
Fanny Hensel’s Prelude and Sigfrid Karg-Elert’s chorale setting "Nun danket alle Gott" ("Now thank we all our God") frame the recordings presented here; both share pure joy and solemnity. Karg-Elert’s musical work is almost exclusively known in church music circles, congregations, and church concert audiences. His cheerful work combines stoic chords with virtuosic runs. The chorale setting was created between 1906 and 1908, almost simultaneously with the construction of the Wilhelm Sauer Organ (Opus 915/1904), so the sound of this instrument and the composer’s sound conception are especially close. In his place of work in Leipzig, another organ by Wilhelm Sauer was built at the same time in St. Michael’s Church (Opus 902), very similar in specification and design to the Gronau Sauer organ and considered its sister instrument.
Kate Emma Boundy was a student at the Royal College of Music (London), probably when Hubert Parry was director there. She received considerable recognition during her lifetime. The "Andante Grazioso" was published along with two other works in a collection titled "The Village Organist," aimed at providing repertoire for smaller instruments. As the editors of the collection put it, the pieces were meant to be “simple, yet not uninteresting.” Boundy wonderfully achieves this goal with a cheerful but expressive piece.
Charles Villiers Stanford and Hubert Parry are both central church music composers in the British repertoire. The romantic harmonies of both composers suit the warmth and variety of the many foundation 8’ registers of the Sauer organ. In "Tallis’ Canon" ("Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!"), Stanford has sighing upper voices that distract attention from the slowly progressing cantus firmus in the pedal. Parry’s "Eventide" ("Abide with me, Lord") shows similarities with Stanford, but the melody is clearly heard in the solo voice on the Great manual. The chorale prelude on "Hanover" is different; both English hymn texts for this melody are triumphal, reflected in an opening toccata passage that eventually unfolds into an orchestral rendition of the melody.
All the above-mentioned works have one thing in common: the influence of Johann Sebastian Bach on all subsequent generations of composers, whose impact still resonates and inspires everywhere.
The selection and recording of Bach’s "Fantasie und Fuge in G minor" for this recording was influenced by the CD recording "Bach in Neu Fassung" made by Tomasz A. Nowak on the same Sauer organ, but at its previous location in Dortmund-Dorstfeld. According to today’s understanding of historical performance practice, the entire Fantasie and Fugue would be played and recorded with the same registration (in “organo pleno”), but the romantic design of the Gronau Sauer organ inspires new interpretative possibilities: the Walzer is used here, which enables gradual registration changes, leading to increasing volume and sound intensity that would not be possible on Baroque instruments.
This recording would not have been possible without the help and support of many people. I especially thank Iris Herrmann, Heike Dierkes, Friso Wyckelsma, Matthias Reuland, Stephanie Schwenke, Mirabel Fawcett, Paul Lammers, Michael Rodemann, Dr. Tamás Szőcs, and the Orgelbauverein der Ev. Stadtkirche Gronau e.V. for their diverse technical, organisational, and editorial support in completing this recording.
Hannah Parry, Summer 2025
Gronau (Westphalia)
At the age of 17, I had already started learning compositions by Brahms and Mendelssohn in Costessey near Norwich, I'm Norfolk. It is a huge privilege to be able to play and record these pieces some decades later on an originally preserved romantic organ, particularly suitable for these compositions. Both my path and the path of the Wilhelm Sauer Organ (Opus 915 / 1904) fortunately crossed at the Evangelisch Stadtkirche in Gronau (Westphalia): the organ and I have both moved to a new place!
The question of the supplicant in Psalm 137: "How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?", which is also the basis of the chorale "An Wasserflüssen Babylon" ("By the waters of Babylon"), was the inspiration for a programme shaped by chorale melodies that brings together old and new musical traditions. The role of the organ in supporting congregational singing differs significantly between Great Britain and Germany, yet composers from both countries and traditions have created wonderful and imaginative works over centuries, founded on church hymns and liturgical singing.
Max Reger composed over 80 romantic chorale preludes as well as large chorale fantasies, including the relatively simple setting of "O Gott, du frommer Gott" ("O God, Thou faithful God"): the warm foundation stops of the Gronau Wilhelm Sauer Organ can particularly faithfully reproduce Max Reger’s sound world around the year 1900. That's also the case with Ethel Smyth’s composition on the same chorale melody. The British suffragette, conductor, and composer Ethel Smyth studied in Leipzig from 1877 to 1881 and later met Johannes Brahms. Her canon, in which the chorale melody is played in both the upper and lower voices, clearly shows Brahms’ influence, while Brahms’ own version, one of his last works, is much more complex and expressive.
A baroque (Bach) and a romantic (Brahms) setting of the communion hymn "Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele" ("Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness") are further examples of compositional diversity and different treatments of the same melodic material. In both composers’ emotive musical elaboration, the textual content of this hymn is clearly audible.
The sonatas by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, written between 1844 and 1845 for English organs and audiences, can be more appropriately named ‘suites’ and their structure does not follow the classical sonata form but contains contrasting and complimenting movements: the first movement serves as an introduction, the second is elaborate, the third recalls the first movement but in a major key, and the concluding fugue with its powerful, Brahmsian theme and pedal solo leads the work to a triumphant ending.
The bold and almost orchestral design of this sonata is picked up by Fanny Hensel in her Prelude in F major. She composed it for her wedding, allegedly because her brother Felix Mendelssohn did not deliver the promised work in time for the occasion. Her husband Wilhelm supported Fanny’s musical work, yet there is no doubt that Fanny Hensel, as a woman of the 19th century, did not receive the recognition she deserved.
Fanny Hensel’s Prelude and Sigfrid Karg-Elert’s chorale setting "Nun danket alle Gott" ("Now thank we all our God") frame the recordings presented here; both share pure joy and solemnity. Karg-Elert’s musical work is almost exclusively known in church music circles, congregations, and church concert audiences. His cheerful work combines stoic chords with virtuosic runs. The chorale setting was created between 1906 and 1908, almost simultaneously with the construction of the Wilhelm Sauer Organ (Opus 915/1904), so the sound of this instrument and the composer’s sound conception are especially close. In his place of work in Leipzig, another organ by Wilhelm Sauer was built at the same time in St. Michael’s Church (Opus 902), very similar in specification and design to the Gronau Sauer organ and considered its sister instrument.
Kate Emma Boundy was a student at the Royal College of Music (London), probably when Hubert Parry was director there. She received considerable recognition during her lifetime. The "Andante Grazioso" was published along with two other works in a collection titled "The Village Organist," aimed at providing repertoire for smaller instruments. As the editors of the collection put it, the pieces were meant to be “simple, yet not uninteresting.” Boundy wonderfully achieves this goal with a cheerful but expressive piece.
Charles Villiers Stanford and Hubert Parry are both central church music composers in the British repertoire. The romantic harmonies of both composers suit the warmth and variety of the many foundation 8’ registers of the Sauer organ. In "Tallis’ Canon" ("Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!"), Stanford has sighing upper voices that distract attention from the slowly progressing cantus firmus in the pedal. Parry’s "Eventide" ("Abide with me, Lord") shows similarities with Stanford, but the melody is clearly heard in the solo voice on the Great manual. The chorale prelude on "Hanover" is different; both English hymn texts for this melody are triumphal, reflected in an opening toccata passage that eventually unfolds into an orchestral rendition of the melody.
All the above-mentioned works have one thing in common: the influence of Johann Sebastian Bach on all subsequent generations of composers, whose impact still resonates and inspires everywhere.
The selection and recording of Bach’s "Fantasie und Fuge in G minor" for this recording was influenced by the CD recording "Bach in Neu Fassung" made by Tomasz A. Nowak on the same Sauer organ, but at its previous location in Dortmund-Dorstfeld. According to today’s understanding of historical performance practice, the entire Fantasie and Fugue would be played and recorded with the same registration (in “organo pleno”), but the romantic design of the Gronau Sauer organ inspires new interpretative possibilities: the Walzer is used here, which enables gradual registration changes, leading to increasing volume and sound intensity that would not be possible on Baroque instruments.
This recording would not have been possible without the help and support of many people. I especially thank Iris Herrmann, Heike Dierkes, Friso Wyckelsma, Matthias Reuland, Stephanie Schwenke, Mirabel Fawcett, Paul Lammers, Michael Rodemann, Dr. Tamás Szőcs, and the Orgelbauverein der Ev. Stadtkirche Gronau e.V. for their diverse technical, organisational, and editorial support in completing this recording.
Hannah Parry, Summer 2025
Gronau (Westphalia)
Organ History:
The Wilhelm-Sauer-Organ (Opus 915 / 1904) der Evangelischen Stadtkirche Gronau (Westf.),
III Manuals + Pedal, 40 Stops
The Opus 915 was built in 1904 by Wilhelm Sauer for the Evangelische Church in Dortmund-Dorstfeld. At the time of the church and organ's construction, the Dorstfeld church space was a total work of art and theological curriculum with script bands, animal images, and plant tendrils. For Wilhelm Sauer, the goal was to design a new instrument and a corresponding "light-permeable" organ case for this richly decorated space in order to let the light of the rising sun shine through a round church window and through the organ case. The organ case gained a monumental character with four pipe fields, design elements of early Art Nouveau, and a rosette as a "light gate" in the middle main field. The instrument is characterised by a fundamental and late romantic sound and is designed with 40 stops on three manuals and pedals, using pneumatic key and stop action. In literature, this instrument is described as the "largest originally preserved Sauer organ in the Federal Republic" (Falkenberg: Der Orgelbauer Wilhelm Sauer, 1990) and "... playing and hearing it is a fascination to which one can hardly resist...".
Since its construction in 1904, Wilhelm Sauer's Opus 915 has had a particularly eventful history: during World War I, the facade pipes were removed and only replaced with zinc pipes in 1919; during World War II, the church and organ (except for the glazing) survived bombing as well as post-war plans and efforts to "modernise" the instrument. Fortunately, a possible disposal was never implemented. Of several planned recording projects, only the CD recording with Prof. Tomasz Adam Nowak ("J. S. Bach in Neu Fassung/ Motette-Verlag, 1993) was realised, which served as an inspiration for organist Hannah Parry for this recording. In July 1995, lightning struck the church tower and caused a fire. Particularly soot and firefighting water, which long escaped from the walls, damaged the organ. After successful restoration by the Scheffler organ workshop (Sieversdorf near Frankfurt/Oder) and restoration to the historic condition, the organ experienced a period of flourishing. At the beginning of the 21st century, the financial situation of the Dorstfeld parish worsened, leading to considerations to abandon and deconsecrate the church space. The fate and location of the protected Wilhelm Sauer organ occupied the local parish, the Evangelical Church of Westphalia (Evangelische Landeskirche von Westfalen (EKvW)), and various levels of monument protection. A viable future solution appeared to be the relocation of the instrument to another church, specifically to the Evangelische parish of Gronau (Westphalia), which at the same time was looking for a historic instrument as part of an organ building project.
The instrument was dismantled in Dorstfeld in February 2017 and brought to various workshops for restoration and refurbishment (Scheffler Organ Workshop, Kötter Carpentry in Gronau-Epe, and Peters Stained Glass in Paderborn). From autumn 2019, the organ was assembled in Gronau, followed by tuning and careful, stylistically sensitive re-voicing of the entire stop list.
Compared to the "niche existence" of the instrument in Dortmund-Dorstfeld, the Wilhelm Sauer organ Opus 915 has since received a completely new space visually, technically, and acoustically on the gallery of the Stadtkirche in Gronau. Sonically, the instrument can freely develop upwards, the proportions and coloration of the case ideally fit the interior of the church, and many decorations and design elements of the case find counterparts in the church.
The Gronau Sauer organ was named "Organ of the Year" in 2019; the successful restoration was awarded a special monument prize from the district of Borken. 1,300 donors, all church levels, the federal government, and the "Organ Sound Foundation" (Stiftung Orgelklang) contributed to the success of the Gronau organ project. "Von der Vision zum Klang" ("From Vision to Sound") (book and CD – and on all common digital platforms / Musicom-Verlag) documents the Gronau organ project extensively, including the implementation and restoration of the Wilhelm Sauer organ (Opus 915 / 1904), the historical background, and fundraising measures.
Dr. Tamás Szőcs (Kantor of the Evangelische Parish of Gronau 2005 – 2025, fundraiser and head of the Gronau organ project)
The Wilhelm-Sauer-Organ (Opus 915 / 1904) der Evangelischen Stadtkirche Gronau (Westf.),
III Manuals + Pedal, 40 Stops
The Opus 915 was built in 1904 by Wilhelm Sauer for the Evangelische Church in Dortmund-Dorstfeld. At the time of the church and organ's construction, the Dorstfeld church space was a total work of art and theological curriculum with script bands, animal images, and plant tendrils. For Wilhelm Sauer, the goal was to design a new instrument and a corresponding "light-permeable" organ case for this richly decorated space in order to let the light of the rising sun shine through a round church window and through the organ case. The organ case gained a monumental character with four pipe fields, design elements of early Art Nouveau, and a rosette as a "light gate" in the middle main field. The instrument is characterised by a fundamental and late romantic sound and is designed with 40 stops on three manuals and pedals, using pneumatic key and stop action. In literature, this instrument is described as the "largest originally preserved Sauer organ in the Federal Republic" (Falkenberg: Der Orgelbauer Wilhelm Sauer, 1990) and "... playing and hearing it is a fascination to which one can hardly resist...".
Since its construction in 1904, Wilhelm Sauer's Opus 915 has had a particularly eventful history: during World War I, the facade pipes were removed and only replaced with zinc pipes in 1919; during World War II, the church and organ (except for the glazing) survived bombing as well as post-war plans and efforts to "modernise" the instrument. Fortunately, a possible disposal was never implemented. Of several planned recording projects, only the CD recording with Prof. Tomasz Adam Nowak ("J. S. Bach in Neu Fassung/ Motette-Verlag, 1993) was realised, which served as an inspiration for organist Hannah Parry for this recording. In July 1995, lightning struck the church tower and caused a fire. Particularly soot and firefighting water, which long escaped from the walls, damaged the organ. After successful restoration by the Scheffler organ workshop (Sieversdorf near Frankfurt/Oder) and restoration to the historic condition, the organ experienced a period of flourishing. At the beginning of the 21st century, the financial situation of the Dorstfeld parish worsened, leading to considerations to abandon and deconsecrate the church space. The fate and location of the protected Wilhelm Sauer organ occupied the local parish, the Evangelical Church of Westphalia (Evangelische Landeskirche von Westfalen (EKvW)), and various levels of monument protection. A viable future solution appeared to be the relocation of the instrument to another church, specifically to the Evangelische parish of Gronau (Westphalia), which at the same time was looking for a historic instrument as part of an organ building project.
The instrument was dismantled in Dorstfeld in February 2017 and brought to various workshops for restoration and refurbishment (Scheffler Organ Workshop, Kötter Carpentry in Gronau-Epe, and Peters Stained Glass in Paderborn). From autumn 2019, the organ was assembled in Gronau, followed by tuning and careful, stylistically sensitive re-voicing of the entire stop list.
Compared to the "niche existence" of the instrument in Dortmund-Dorstfeld, the Wilhelm Sauer organ Opus 915 has since received a completely new space visually, technically, and acoustically on the gallery of the Stadtkirche in Gronau. Sonically, the instrument can freely develop upwards, the proportions and coloration of the case ideally fit the interior of the church, and many decorations and design elements of the case find counterparts in the church.
The Gronau Sauer organ was named "Organ of the Year" in 2019; the successful restoration was awarded a special monument prize from the district of Borken. 1,300 donors, all church levels, the federal government, and the "Organ Sound Foundation" (Stiftung Orgelklang) contributed to the success of the Gronau organ project. "Von der Vision zum Klang" ("From Vision to Sound") (book and CD – and on all common digital platforms / Musicom-Verlag) documents the Gronau organ project extensively, including the implementation and restoration of the Wilhelm Sauer organ (Opus 915 / 1904), the historical background, and fundraising measures.
Dr. Tamás Szőcs (Kantor of the Evangelische Parish of Gronau 2005 – 2025, fundraiser and head of the Gronau organ project)
Biography
Hannah Parry grew up near Norwich, Great Britain, and studied at the Royal College of Music as well as at Royal Holloway, University of London. As a concert organist, she has performed at renowned venues such as St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, Huddersfield Town Hall, Nikolaikirche in Berlin, and Billerbeck Cathedral. After a successful freelance career in London, Hannah worked as a diver, journalist, and volunteer helper, which eventually led her to the Münsterland region. Since February 2025, she has been the Kirchenmusikerin at the Stadtkirche in Gronau, Westphalia.
Hannah Parry grew up near Norwich, Great Britain, and studied at the Royal College of Music as well as at Royal Holloway, University of London. As a concert organist, she has performed at renowned venues such as St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, Huddersfield Town Hall, Nikolaikirche in Berlin, and Billerbeck Cathedral. After a successful freelance career in London, Hannah worked as a diver, journalist, and volunteer helper, which eventually led her to the Münsterland region. Since February 2025, she has been the Kirchenmusikerin at the Stadtkirche in Gronau, Westphalia.
