Short Fanfare for Gloria VIII
  • Does anybody know of a brief organ fanfare in D major? I'm looking to preface Gloria VIII on Holy Saturday with a little flare, and I'm not stellar at improvising or composing, so I wanted to see if any of you had suggestions or perhaps have composed little fanfares of your own. Most of the pieces I'm finding on IMSLP in the "fanfares" category are several pages long. Thanks in advance.
  • Caleferink
    Posts: 429
    Something like Bach's Christ lag in Todesbanden from his Orgelbuchlein might fit the bill. It's in D Minor, but ends on the D Major chord so you could go right into the Gloria from it. If you play the Gloria in C Major, the Prelude from Prelude and Fugue No. 1 from the so-called Eight Little Preludes and Fugues might also be good (perhaps sans repeats). Or else if you have another flashy piece in your repertoire in D Major, use a brief section of it.
  • davido
    Posts: 873
    A bit of a French grand jeu, perhaps from the Clerambault suites? I’ve heard that on Institute Easter vigil live streams
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 1,937
    A bit of a French grand jeu, perhaps from the Clerambault suites? I’ve heard that on Institute Easter vigil live streams


    I second this, even though, not being an organist, I never know about the details.
    Thanked by 1trentonjconn
  • I'm going to have to develop something for Easter, but I'm presently deprived of my feet, so what I have in my head will have to work on my hands, instead. I'll send you something when I get it worked up.
    Thanked by 1trentonjconn
  • CGM
    Posts: 683
    You might want to consider the brief Intonations of Giovanni Gabrieli, comprising pp. 37-42 of this collection.

    While none of them is in fact in D Major, any of the Major-key intonations — that is,
    Tones V, VI, VIII, VIII, XI, and XII — could work for your purposes, with the appropriate transposition. You could notate one by hand or employ your favorite engraving software.

    (If you don't want to write out a transposition, then since they're all pretty short, you could potentially memorize whichever one you like the best and then play it "by ear" in D Major.)
  • vansensei
    Posts: 215
    If the intro from the Gloria of Bach's B Minor Mass (the intro in 3 with the trumpets) worked on a single organ, then yes. But it does not, unfortunately.