Roy Massey - Alpha Collection Vol. 4: Moonlight and Roses and other gems for the organ (1982)

Moonlight and Roses and Other Gems for the Organ was originally released as an LP in 1982 on the Alpha label in England. Of course, there have been many record labels with that particular name; this one was run by the late Harry Mudd and has been acquired by Priory. Priory is re-releasing them as The Alpha Collection, this one is Vol. 4 in that series. It features Roy Massey at the organ at Hereford Cathedral, an instrument whose roots go back to 1892 when it was installed by "Father" Henry Willis, replacing an old instrument once favored by S.S. Wesley. At the time of this recording, the Willis instrument had just gone through a refurbishing with some minor additions and all of its electrical wiring replaced; it sounds great on this recording, clear-toned and bright. This was well in advance of a major overhaul of the instrument that was carried out in the early 2000s, so in a sense this recording preserves the organ in a state that has since been changed, although not very much in a tonal sense. Massey was such a fixture at Hereford Cathedral that they literally "made" him a fixture in the building -- his balding, buggy-eyed visage was affixed as a "gargoyle" to the outside of the cathedral itself.
"Moonlight and Roses" was a popular song of the 1920s; folks who collect 78 rpm records will well know the version recorded by John McCormack in 1923, others might have a hard time remembering it. Those who do might be puzzled to note its apparent absence from the CD's track listing, but its there, in its original form as an organ piece, the Andantino in D flat by Edwin H. Lemare. The notes claim that its origins were obscured by its transformation into a pop ballad; one wonders if once the pop tune was forgotten they were obscured twice over! None of the music here is meant to be deeply serious or substantive; this is light music for the organ, mainly written to make an organ sound good. And sound good it does; although this is a late analog recording, it has a terrific sense of depth and three-dimensionality to it. Massey truly is a great player, by turns sensitive, dynamic, and commanding with an uncanny ability to project volume at widely varying levels without making such adjustments obvious. Moreover, some of the music is enchanting, such as Sydney Hugo Nicholson's Impromptu No. 2, with its feathery melody and attractive, downward harmonic progression. Certainly one can say that nothing on this disc in regard to repertoire would seem overly familiar, and most of it is obscure. One notes, looking at the new Priory front cover and the original LP cover as pictured on the inside, how "blah" the cover design is for such albums. Though the outside may look dull, what's inside is rather special indeed.