Healey Willan

Synopsis

Canadian composer, organist, and teacher

• 12 Oct 1880, born in Balham, London, England
• 1888-95, Eastbourne, studied at St. Saviour's Chior School
• 1895-1903, London-area, organist and choirmaster in several area churches
• 1903, London, appointed as organist at St. John the Baptist
• 1810, London, joined London Gregorian Association
• 1913, Toronto, appointed head of theory at Toronto Conservatory of Music
• 1913-21, Toronto, appointed organist at St. Paul
• 1914, Toronto, lecturer of music at University of Toronto
• 1920-36, Toronto, appointed as vice-principal of Toronto Conservatory of Music
• 1936-50, Toronto, served as professor of music at University of Toronto
• 1932-64, Toronto, served as University Organist at University of Toronto
• 1921-68, Toronto, served as precentor at St. Mary Magdeline
• 1922-23, 1933-35, President of Royal College of Canadian Organists
• 1963-68, Fellow in the Royal School of Church Music
• 16 Feb 1968, died in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Willan's works seemed to gravitate around hymn tunes. Corliss Arnold describes these works by saying: "In them there is practically no change in tonality, the harmonies are bland, and the rhythms are conventional." His most famous work, is his Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue.

For details, see the Healey Willan article on Wikipedia.

List of Organ Works

Click to sort by opus number, title, or year of composition or publication

Opus	Title	Year
Op. 146	Prelude and Fugue in C Minor	1908
Op. 147	Prelude and Fugue in B Minor	1909
Op. 149	Intorduction, Passacaglia and Fugue	1916
Opp. 155-156	12 Chorale Preludes	1950-51
Op. 157	5 Preludes on Plainchant Melodies	1951
Op. 169	10 Hymn Preludes	1956
Op. 173	10 Hymn Preludes	1957
Op. 177	5 Pieces	1957-58
Op. 176	A Fugal Trilogy	1958
Op. 174	10 Hymn Preludes	1958
Op. 178	Passacaglia and Fugue No. 2 in E Minor	1959
Opp. 180-82	36 Short Preludes and Postludes on Well-Known Hymn Tunes	1960
Op. 184	Andante, Fugue and Chorale	1965

Background and General Perspectives on Performing These Organ Works

Replace this text with any general perspectives that do not fit under the categories listed below. (For comments on a specific piece or genre, use the list of pieces above to navigate to that page.)

Registration and Organs

Replace this text with information on registration and organs that might be applicable to the whole set of pieces

See the footnote in the "Notes" section at the bottom of the page

Fingering and Pedaling

Replace this text with information on fingering and pedaling that might be applicable to the whole set of pieces

Articulation and Phrasing

Replace this text with information on articulation and phrasing that might be applicable to the whole set of pieces

Ornamentation

Replace this text with information on ornamentation that might be applicable to the whole set of pieces

Tempo and Meter

Replace this text with information on tempo and meter that might be applicable to the whole set of pieces

Scores and Editions

Replace this text with information on scores and editions that might be applicable to the whole set of pieces

Recordings

Replace this text with information on recordings

Free Online

• Intorduction, Passacaglia and Fugue (with score) on YouTube
• Evensong as played by Chaz Bowers on YouTube
• Prelude on Hyfrydol as performed by Rob Vela

Pay to Listen

• Intorduction, Passacaglia and Fugue, Op. 149 as played by James Vivian on NAXOS
• Healey Willan Organ Works as performed by Patrick Wedd on NAXOS

Other Resources

Replace this text with information on other resources that might be pertinent to performing these pieces

Notes

This space is for automatic insertion of footnotes. To enter a footnote from anywhere in the article, start by typing the tag <ref> and then enter the text, and type the tag </ref> to end the footnote. The footnote will then appear in this "Notes" section automatically.