Meditation über "Komm, du Heiland aller Welt" - (2007) 
for organ
Gernot Wurst gewidmet
The theme for this quiet meditation was suggested by organist Gernot Wurst, who works as a professional church musician in several parishes, mainly St. Michael Neckargartach, Germany. In addition to his performing, he has sampled a number of organs -- such that the home organist, whether student or scholar, might be able to construct a virtual instrument for a small expense and have fine organ sounds available to him in tandem with any of a number of virtual organ programs, as do I in Berlin.
[ 4 pages, circa 5' 00" ]
A head motive of the melody from the 12th century opens this quiet mediation. After a four-part chorale setting, a generally three voice "motet" texture is meant for differing registrations, thereby allowing the theme in full to begin buried within the texture of the fauxbourdon, before becoming the top voice at measure eighteen. The repeated notes of the original melody become tied notes to gently disguise the theme. Successive statements of the theme, taken as a whole or in part, are then shared, sometimes being stated in the pedal. An organist's interpretive choices in registration are recommended, with my few indications merely recommendations, as each instrument can vary and the organist is best equipped to make such artistic choices.
Gernot Wurst, at six years of age, started taking piano and music theory lessons, and recalls at ten years of age visiting "an organ concert in which music from Widor and Vierne was played. Amazed by the organ as an instrument, he went up to the organist in order to ask him how to play an organ and how to produce all these sounds, and I ended up taking additional organ lesson." At thirteen Wurst began playing services, and at age nineteen passed his 'TBQ-Ausbildung' (main subject organ), and finally at age twenty-eight made the 'C-Examen' (HfK Rottenburg). He has had several studios, recording everything from electronic music to the classics, and has studied Medical Informatics in Heidelberg, specializing in signal and image processing. From this he was asked to work with the Max-Planck-Institute in Stuttgart for a European organ sound research project called 'Truesound', studying sound qualities of organ pipes and acoustics and developing a pipe organ sound analysis system. A web site offering his organ samples is to be found at www.prospectum.com.
The entire work is here, 
, an MP3 file [ 4.8 MB, 5' 15" ]
The score for Meditation über "Komm, du Heiland aller Welt" is available as a free PDF download, though any major commercial performance or recording of the work is prohibited without prior arrangement with the composer. Click on the graphic below for this piano-vocal score.
Meditation über "Komm, du Heiland aller Welt"
