Jonathan Shaw

     One of the pieces was this small organ work that I wrote during my lunch hours in the music practice rooms of my secondary school. Having been obsessed with J.S.Bach over the past years of 2009 – 2012, I found myself learning a few of his organ pieces arranged for the piano – the Toccata and Fugue itself, but also the Great Fantasia and Fugue in G Minor BWV 542, the Little Fugue in G Minor BWV 578 and most importantly, the Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor BWV 582. During this time, I was learning the Passacaglia for myself, using the Sibelius playback to perform the pedal part whilst I performed the upper manuals as I had no access to a church organ.

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     This Passacaglia inspired me to write one of my own, and this composition I had aptly (and arrogantly) titled "Small" Passacaglia in C Minor as I wanted to make sure there would be no confusion with the almighty Bach Passacaglia (the arrogance is overwhelming!). Nevertheless, you will thus see many similarities between the two compositions, particularly the triplet climax which was a direct copy of Bach's work.