Prelude on Veni Creator Spiritus (Arr.)

During the summer of 2024, I was commissioned by friend and organist Daly Thomson to write a short prelude for organ based on the hymn and chant Veni Creator Spiritus. Throughout the process of writing it, I fell in love with the fluidity and modality of the chant and was inspired to arrange it for a chamber ensemble. The ensemble was conceived to match the full timbral and expressive range of the organ.

Inspired heavily by the music of Maurice Duruflé, Nancy Galbraith, Maurice Ravel, and Ottorino Respighi, the music makes many nods to their works and style. Throughout the piece, the theme is fragmented and heard in many variations, registers, and instruments, becoming both a melody, countermelody, and rhythmic device that connects the music together. Many sections have an emphasis on the lyrical nature of the chant, as well as how it connects with and plays with rhythm. At the climax of the piece at the end, the full theme is stated by the bass clarinet and horn in a long melodic stream, underpinning a flowing and energetic texture in the strings and harp.