The Nordic Organ Journey, IV by Musikkforlagene

THE NORDIC JOURNEY SERIES

Curated and Edited by James D. Hicks

THE NORDIC JOURNEY SERIES VOLUME IV

Curated and Edited by James D. Hicks

1st edition 2025 / 1st Print run 2025

ISMN: 979-0-065-18085-4 (printed edition)

ISMN: 979-0-065-18086-1 (digital edition)

Graphic Production: John Grieg, Bergen

Graphic Design: Sora Valentin

Cover Design: Sora Valentin

Cover photo: Sankt Olav kyrka, Jomala church in Åland

Forlagsredaktør: Stefan Hallenberg Bengtsson

Questions about this book can be directed to: Norsk Musikkforlag Konows gate 0196 Oslo, Norway

Phone: (+47) 23 03 95 55 Email: post@norskmusikkforlag.no www.norskmusikkforlag.no

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Norsk Musikkforlag is Eco-Lighthouse certified, and the books are produced in environmentally certified printing houses.

PREFACE

When I recall what music inspired me the most during my university years, I remember being naturally drawn to the tone poems of Jan Sibelius, the piano music of Edvard Grieg, and the symphonies of Carl Nielsen. The lyric, yet also dramatic nature of these works would transport my soul to the distant lakes, mountains and seemingly endless forests of the Nordic lands, places that I had never visited but, through the music, painted an indelible picture in my mind. These early experiences remained with me over the course of decades until a question occurred to me: “What is the organ music of these Nordic lands?” In my native United States of America, the public can on occasion enjoy performances of some of the standard Nordic orchestral, chamber and piano works, yet we hear next to nothing about the organ music from this part of the world. I was aware of the many historic places of worship and distinguished examples of the organ builder’s art in these countries, but discovering an actual repertoire for organ by Nordic composers remained a subject ripe for my eventual discernment, particularly as numerous enquiries concerning the subject to American colleagues yielded few results. What began as a simple question eventually evolved into a mission.

As I became acquainted with the output of luminaries from the Romantic Era such as Oskar Lindberg, Arild Sandvold, Oskar Merikanto and J.P.E. Hartmann thanks to the good offices of several accommodating Nordic organists, I quickly learned that, yes, this was a culture that had produced a distinguished repertoire for the organ. As the internet enabled instant communication with some of the leading composers of our own time, I became hooked on the subject. Thus began my own “Nordic Journey”, one that quickly became a passion as I learned more about the overall culture of these countries. Subsequent concert tours of the north introduced me to locations of intense natural beauty, a vital folk culture, and literary traditions spanning many centuries. The wish to share my enthusiasm for this repertoire led me in 2010 to make a double cd recording entitled Nordic Journey, produced in Sweden at the historic Linköping Cathedral. What was initially intended as a “one-off” project quickly became an ongoing endeavor, and as I write these words, the American Pro Organo label (www.proorgano.com) in partnership with Naxos of America (www.naxosdirect.com) and JPC (Jazz Pop Classical – jpc.de) in Europe has released nineteen volumes spanning thirty-one discs over the past fifteen years. These recordings may be also accessed on the usual streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple, etc. The various projects have led me to record at unique sacred spaces throughout Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Norway and Sweden with the latter half of 2025 seeing the release of Nordic Journey Volume XIX.

Nordic Journey has become a process whose goals are, first, the creation of new music (I have thus far commissioned over seventy new works from Nordic, Baltic and German composers for these recordings), second, the rediscovery of forgotten an/or unpublished works from previous eras, and, third, the inclusion of a few of the standard masterworks. The final, and perhaps the most important step of this process, is the publication of some of these compositions, sharing music which has hitherto not found its way into print. With the release of this fourth volume of the series, I am grateful to Norsk Musikkforlag A/S and its editor, Stefan Hallenberg Bengtsson for making my goal a reality. My intent for the upcoming years is to continue this ongoing production of future volumes of Nordic Journey, both in recordings and in printed volumes such as this edition, thus ensuring the dissemination of new commissions and works from earlier eras that will be new to both adventurous enthusiasts and to more casual appreciators of fine music.

DISCOGRAPHY

Nordic Journey, CD 7239 (double cd)

Recorded in 2010 on the 1929 Setterquist organ at Linköping Cathedral, Linköping, Sweden. This volume includes Messa Misteriosa by Fredrik Sixten (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume III) and In The Garden/Frosty Morning by Thomas Åberg (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume IV).

Nordic Journey Volume II-The Nordic Symphonic Tradition, CD 7262 (single cd)

Recorded in 2013 on the 1905, restored 2008, Åkerman & Lund organ at St. John’s Church, Malmö, Sweden. This volume includes Symfoniskt Orgelstycke by Erik Alvin, and Melodia by Fredrik Isacsson (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume IV).

Nordic Journey Volume III-Swedish Folkways and Classic Traditions CD 7263 (single cd)

Recorded in 2013 on the 1964 Poul-Gerhard Andersen organ at Skara Cathedral, Skara, Sweden. This volume includes A Part of my Heritage (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume I) and Two Mass Parts on the choral “Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr by Mårten Jansson (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume II).

Nordic Journey Volume IV-Modern Masters, CD 7264 (single cd)

Recorded in 2013 on the 1898, restored 2009, Åkerman & Lund organ at Västerås Cathedral, Västerås, Sweden.

Nordic Journey Volume V-Many Landscapes, CD 7271 (double cd)

Recorded in 2015 on the 2013 Tostareds Kykorgelfabrik organ at Kalmar Cathedral, Kalmar, Sweden. This volume includes Intermezzo nr. 1 by Pauli í Sandagerði (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume I), Summer Fantasy by Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume I), and Toccata XIII by Thomas Åberg (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume III).

Nordic Journey Volume VI-Organ Music from Finland, CD 7279 (double cd)

Recorded in 2016 on the 1980 Virtanen organ at Turku Cathedral, Turku, Finland and on the 2002 Grönlunds organ at St. Michael’s Church, Turku, Finland. This volume includes Canon, Partite & Fuga by Mauri Viitala (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume I), Rhapsodie sur “Ramus virens olivarum” by Santeri Siimes (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume I), Preludi ja fuga by Pauli Riihivaara (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume III), Fantasia Sonaatti by Fredrik Isacsson (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume IV) and Chorale for Organ, Dialogue for Organ, Joy for Organ, and Thoughts for Organ by Jack Mattsson (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume IV).

Nordic Journey Volume VII-The Organs of Nidaros Cathedral, CD 7285 (double cd)

Recorded in 2017 on the 1930, restored 2014, Steinmeyer organ, the 1739-1741, restored 1994 Joachin Wagner organ, and the 2015 Br. Torkildsen organ at Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim, Norway. This volume includes Variations and Fugue on a Danish Folk Tune by Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume I), Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott by Mårten Jansson (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume II) and Partita över en andlig finsk folkmelodie) by John Sundberg (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume IV).

Nordic Journey Volume VIII-Islands, CD 7285 (double cd)

Recorded in 2018 on the 1992 Klais organ at Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavík, Iceland. This volume includes Fantasia um Ísland, farsælda Frón by Hildigunnur Rúnarsdóttir (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume I), A Sound of the Faroe Islands by Pauli í Sandagerði (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume II), Hymna smiður by Sigurður Sævarsson (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume II), Nordic Variations by Fredrik Sixten (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume II), Islensk rimnadanslög by Jón Leifs, transcribed for organ by Björn Steinar Sólbergsson (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume III), and Three Settings of Folk Themes from Greenland by Kristian Blak (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume II).

Nordic Journey Volume IX-Music from Sweden, CD 7290 (single cd)

Recorded in 2020 on the 1913, restored 2013 Setterquist organ at Olaus Petri Church, Örebro, Sweden. This volume includes Paraphrase on the Swedish Children’s Song “Ekorren” by Anders S. Börjesson (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume II).

Nordic Journey Volume X-Danish Perspectives, CD 7292 (double cd)

Recorded in 2020 on the 1879, restored 1986, Marcussen organ at Helligåndskirken, Copenhagen and the 1994 Poul-Gerhard Andersen organ at Sct. Morten’s Kirke, Randers, Denmark. This volume includes Borgfred, Toccata for Organ by Tore Bjørn Larsen (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume III), Kom sandheds ånd by Lise Dynnesen (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume III), Fantasi over “brudedans fra Sønderho” and Variations on the Danish folk melody “En yndig og frydefuld sommertid”, by Christian Præstholm (both may be found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume II).

Nordic Journey Volume XI-Nordic Anthology, CD 7297 (triple cd)

Recorded in 2021 on the 2007 Paschen-Kiel organ at Central Pori Church, Pori, Finland. This volumes includes Toccata for Organ by Frithjof Spalder (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume II), Variations on the folk melody “Skön Anna” by Markus Malmgren (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume III), Toccata XIX by Thomas Åberg (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume III), Tears of Stone by Sigurður Sævarsson (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume II), Rain by Sigurður Sævarsson (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume III), Prelude and Fugue on an Icelandic Folk Melody by Hildigunnur Rúnnarsdóttir (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume II), Linggua by Gunnar Andreas Kristinsson (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume II), Cantabile by Fredrik Sixten (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume III), Cavatina e Vivace by Jack Mattsson arranged for organ by Lars Karlsson (found in The Nordic Journey Collection Volume IV), Toccata, Dess-dur by Jacob Ekström (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume IV), and Paraphrase sur “Ecce magnus presbiter” by Santeri Siimes (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume II).

Nordic Journey Volume XII-Organ Music from Norway, CD 7299 (double cd)

Recorded in 2022 on the 1883 August Nielsen organ, restored 2009 by Kuhn Organ Builders, at Uranienborg kirke, Oslo, Norway. This volume includes two movements from Suite: “Fra himlen høyt jeg kommer her” by Kjell Mørk Karlsen (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume III).

Nordic Journey Volume XIII-Romanticism In Finnish Organ Music, CD 7303 (single cd)

Recorded in 2022 on the 1936 Kangasalan organ at Pyhän Martinin kirkko (St. Martin’s Church), Turku, Finland. This volume includes Misericordia Domini by Peter Hilli (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume III).

Nordic Journey Volume XIV-The Organs Of Kallio Church, Helsinki, Finland, CD 7306 (single cd)

Recorded in 2023 on the 1987 Kangasalan organ and the 1995 Åkerman & Lund organ at Kallio Church, Helsinki, Finland.

Nordic Journey Volume XV-Baltic Sojourn: Music from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, CD 7309 (single cd)

Recorded in 2023 on the Link organ 1910, restored Thomas Gaida 2013, at Pauluskirche, Ulm, Germany. This volume includes Three Pieces for Organ and Estonian Kannel by Malle Maltis (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume IV).

Nordic Journey Volume XVI-Germanic Connections, CD 7310 (single cd)

Recorded in 2024 on the Link organ 1910, restored Thomas Gaide 2013, at Pauluskirche, Ulm, Germany.

Nordic Journey Volume XVII-North Atlantic Voyage, CD 7316 (double cd)

Recorded in 2024 on the Eule organ 2013 at Bodø Cathedral, Bodø, Norway and the 1992 Klais organ at Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavík, Iceland. This volume includes Katmutseq by Kristian Blak (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume IV), Preludium for Organ by Gísli Jóhann Grétarsson (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume IV), Homage to Jón Leifs by Þorvaldur Örn Daviðsson (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume IV), Starka virna vestilie by Sigurður Sævarsson (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume IV), and GrundfjeldslysPræludium/Postludium by Christian Præstholm (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume IV).

Nordic Journey Volume XVIII-Echoes Of The Baltic Sea, CD 7319 (double cd)

Recorded in 2025 on the 2007 Paschen-Kiel organ at Central Pori Church, Pori, Finland. The volume includes There Will Be A Spring Again by Jack Mattsson, transcribed for organ by Lars Karlsson (found in The Nordic Journey Series Volume IV).

Nordic Journey Volume XIX-A Nordic Organ Book by Fredrik Sixten (single cd)

Recorded in 2025 on the 1871 Åkerman organ at Uppsala Cathedral.

NOTES TO THE NORDIC JOURNEY SERIES VOLUME IV

DENMARK/GREENLAND

Grundfjeldslys (Bedrock Light)

Præludium – Postludium

Christian Præstholm (b. 1972)

This collection begins with a work that absorbs aspects of the Greenlandic culture. Danish composer Christian Præstholm wrote this work for performance at Nuuk Cathedral, located in the heart of Greenland’s capital. Præstholm is organist at Sct. Mortens Kirke, Randers, Denmark, and studied at the Royal Academy of Music, Århus. He has composed hundreds of chorale preludes based upon the Danish chorale book, as well created a wide variety of works for contrasting media.

Præstholm develops several Danish and Greenlandic chorales and folk songs over the course of this two-movement composition. Perhaps the most notable aspect of the second section is the portrayal of a Greenlandic drum song in which the organ mimics the rhythms and timbres of this folk instrument. This passage becomes increasingly animated and eventually the left and right hands are playing in two different keys as if depicting a battle. This conflict is eventually resolved as the work concludes in a triumphant coda.

I premiered this work on June 6, 2023, at Nuuk Cathedral.

ESTONIA

Kolm pala orelile ja kandele

(Three Pieces for Organ and Estonian Kannel)

Jaaniöö seisatus

(Stand still on Midummer’s Night)

Hõbeallikas

(Silver Spring)

Pill oll’ helle

(Let My Tune Be Heard)

Malle Maltis (b. 1977)

Malle Maltis has studied oboe and recorder at the Georg Ots Tallinn Music School and graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre with a major in composition. She has also studied in Utrecht, Trieste, Barcelona and Helsinki. Her compositions reflect an interest in electronic music as well as the folk traditions of her country.

James D. Hicks commissioned Three Pieces for Organ and Estonian Kannel in 2022. He and Hedi Viisma, Estonian kannel performer, premiered the composition on August 29, 2023, at the Kaarli kirk in Tallinn, Estonia.

The composer has offered this description of her music:

“These three pieces were composed during the summer of 2023 on Muhu Island, Estonia, and reflect some significant moments of life in my summer home – as a silent moment on Midsummer’s Eve or the ever-flowing spring in my home forest. The piece Let My Tune Be Heard is a polyphonic adaption of a tune from southern Estonia. The original lyrics say “the flute may sound bright and kannel so dim, but if I had a voice as I used to have, I would sing brighter than the flute and dimmer than the kannel.”

FAROE ISLANDS

Katmutseq (Dog Sledge and Dogs)

Kristian Blak (b. 1947) Quanaag Variations

Although born in Denmark, Kristian Blak has resided in the Faroe Islands since 1974, the locale that has served as inspiration for so much of his creative output. In addition to producing an impressive amount of contrasting works for many combinations of musical forces, he has toured extensively on an international basis, performing jazz and Faroese folk music.

These brief works work within the pentatonic modality so often found in Faroese and Greenlandic folk music. The mood is overall one of calm, perhaps reflecting the vast expanse of space found in the North Atlantic.

FINLAND

Fantasia Sonaatti

Fredrik Isacsson (1883-1962) (Fantasy-Sonata)

Isacsson was a native of Turku, Finland and spent his career there, first teaching at various local schools and then serving as organist of Turku Cathedral for over forty years. His activities also included writing reviews for the local newspaper, Turun Sanomat, and serving as Director of the Church Music Institute of Turku.

Isacsson completed Fantasy-Sonata in 1912, and it is one of his most unusual creations. The composer combines elements of traditional sonata form and free fantasy while a chorale theme unites the various short sections. Isacsson wrote of the work:

Fantasy-Sonata takes its genesis from St. Augustine’s famous sentence ‘Our hearts are restless until finding peace in you.’ The inconclusive nature of the various components of this work reflect this sense of striving with a resolution only being found in the final cadence of the work.

I wish to acknowledge and thank Finnish organist Ville Urponen whose research into the Romantic Finnish school has been a lasting contribution to our knowledge of Finnish organ music. The above description comes from Urponen’s seminal Intomielisen nuoruuden vääjäämätöntä voimaa.

This is the composition’s first appearance in print.

Melodia Fredrik Isacsson

This hitherto unpublished miniature demonstrates Isacsson’s skill in placing pensive melodies within a rich harmonic palette. As such Melodia is an atmospheric character piece.

I worked from the original manuscripts of both of the works by Fredrik Isacsson when preparing this edition. I wish to thank The Sibelius Museum in Turku for their generosity in making these documents available to me.

Chorale for Organ

Dialogue for Organ

Joy

Thoughts

Jack Mattsson (1954-2007)

The complete works for organ by this composer may now be found for the first time in this collection. They are the work of a musician whose career spanned a wide range of pursuits. Hailing from the Åland Islands, Mattsson was trained as a flutist and performed on that instrument throughout his life. He also earned a degree in liturgical music as a cantor-organist. As a side gig, Mattsson also played electric guitar in his Beatles cover band. His primary musical pursuit, however, was a twenty-year stint as conductor at the Swedish Theatre in Helsinki. Mattsson composed most often for stage, film, television and radio performances and broadcasts, and two dramatic works, Katrina (1997) and Topelius (1998) were significant examples of this activity. Mattsson also produced miscellaneous pieces for chorus and chamber ensembles. His Ålandskt Requiem is a notable contribution to the contemporary choral repertoire.

Mattsson’s four works for solo organ bear the stamp of his eclectic career. The music reflects Mattsson’s superb juxtaposition of effervescent melodies, harmonies that reflect the influence of jazz and impressionism, and often rhythmic complexity. While Chorale is somewhat restrained in mood, Dialogue and Thoughts contain a fluid unpredictability. Joy is a chromatic wild ride of a piece with a surprise lurking around every corner of its progression. The sheer originality of these short works leaves one sadly wishing that Mattsson could have lived long enough to make further contributions to the contemporary organ repertoire.

Cavatina e Vivace

There Will Be A Spring Again

Jack Mattsson

Arranged for organ by Lars Karlsson (b. 1953)

Jack Mattsson

Arranged for organ by Lars Karlsson

Finnish composer Lars Karlsson taught at The Sibelius Academy in Helsinki for many years, and is known as one of the most acclaimed artists of the Finnish contemporary school. His Violin Concerto and opera Rödhamn are two of his most regarded creations. After having recorded Mattsson’s complete works for organ in Nordic Journey Volume VI, I commissioned Lars Karlsson to make arrangements for organ of several of Mattsson’s compositions so that more of this inventive composer’s works could be shared with the public. The result here is a composition originally conceived for flute and piano, Cavatina e Vivace. While the Cavatina reveals Mattsson’s considerable lyric gifts, the Vivace exudes a frolicsome, lighthearted touch. I premiered this work at Helsinki Cathedral on August 8, 2021.

The arrangement of There Will Be A Spring Again is a commissioned work dating from 2023 and is an excerpt from Mattsson’s musical theatre work, Katrina. The melody heard here is one of the signature themes from this musical, and Mattsson worked from the 1936 novel by Åland author Sally Salminen in order to stage this 1997 production. I premiered this arrangement on July 2, 2023, at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Bergen, Norway, as a part of that year’s Bergen International Organ Festival.

Sonaatti 2, G-moli

(Organ Sonata No. 2 in G minor)

Introductione/Allegro

Andante religioso

Allegretto con moto/Fughtetta

Arvi Karvonen (1888-1969)

Arvi Karvonen was a teacher of composition at the Helsinki Conservatory, later renamed as The Sibelius Academy, from 1917-1955, and also served as organist at Pasila Church from 1927 to 1945. Karvonen completed his Sonata No. 2 in G minor in June 1920. The composition begins with a dramatic maestoso introduction, leading to a long and virtuosic Allegro section. The second movement offers marked contrast in its gentle and tuneful nature. It leads to the concluding movement which features abrupt alternation of 6/8 and 4/4 time signatures.

Partita över en andlig finsk folkmelodie

John Sundberg (1891-1963)

John Sundberg served as organist at Northern Swedish Congreation of Helsinki from 1922-1963. He made a notable contribution to church music, editing two Swedish language hymnals. Active as an organist and conductor, he played the premiere of Intrada by Jan Sibelius. Sundberg’s hitherto unpublished Partita employs many of the characteristics found in the works of the seventeenth-century German master Johann Pachelbel, demonstrating his passion for historical forms.

ICELAND

Homage to Jón Leifs

Þorvaldur Örn Daviðsson (b. 1990)

Þorvaldur Örn Daviðsson is an Icelandic musician who works as an organist, conductor and composer. Born and raised in Esikiförður, Daviðsson has been awarded several degrees in music, later holding prominent positions throughout Iceland. Since 2020, he has been organist and choir director at Akureyrarkirkja and Laugalandsprestakall.

The composer has written the following concerning this commissioned work by James D. Hicks:

“Jón Leifs (1899-1968) was the first notable Icelandic composer of classical music. His body of work has fascinated me for a long time. His wide spectrum of tonal colors and unconventional harmonies make him one of the most important musical figures in Iceland. To be handed the opportunity to to write a composition in the style of Leifs was an exciting task. The piece is an exploration of different musical settings that define Leifs while holding on to my personal tonal language.”

I premiered this composition on July 14, 2024, at Akureyrarkirkja, Iceland.

Preludium Gísli Jóhann Grétarsson (b. 1983)

Preludium is the creation of an Icelandic composer and conductor who has garnered an international reputation for his composition, works that are inspired by nature and folklore. After studying both music and physics in Iceland and Sweden, he has written a number of pieces for a variety of instruments and vocal ensembles.

The composer has described this work as follows:

“Preludium was commissioned by James D. Hicks and is inspired by the Icelandic folk tune Island farsældar frón. The piece blends ancient parallel organum with traditional Icelandic dance rhythms, showcasing the organ’s versatility and written specifically for the grand Klais organ in Hallgrímskirkja.”

I premiered this composition on July 14, 2024, at Akureyrarkirkja, Iceland.

Starka virna vestilie Sigurður Sævarsson (b. 1963) (Strong wind westerly)

This Icelandic musician has studied in his native land and later in the USA at Boston University. His music has been performed and recorded internationally. Sævarsson has previously written several compositions for the Nordic Journey project, and this commissioned work dates from 2024. The composer employs a beautiful folk song from the Shetland Islands, Unst Boat Song, and the piece unfolds in three sections, slow-fast-slow. The middle portion builds to a dramatic climax before the music concludes as it began with soft, repeating chords.

I premiered this composition in northern Norway at Bodø Cathedral on August 25, 2024.

SWEDEN

Symfoniskt Orgelstycke Erik Alvin (1902-1992)

Erik Alvin was a Swedish liturgical musician who was active in Vänersborg, and upon his death, donated all of his manuscripts to that city’s library. Symfoniskt Orgelstycke is a heroic essay in C minor, contrasting cascading figurations with lyric themes. The work features an exciting cadenza for the pedals, before repeated the work’s opening ideas, this time in C major. This is the composition’s first appearance in print.

Toccata, Dess-dur Jacob Ekström (1893-1950) (Toccata in D-flat major)

A Swedish composer whose works have not been widely disseminated, Jacob Ekström received his musical training at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Stockholm, and subsequently spent the balance of his career in Gävle where he served as an organist/choirmaster at various churches. He is known to have composed orchestral, chamber and piano works as well as pieces for organ and his various choral ensembles. This Toccata in D-flat major dates from 1939 and its virtuosic, improvisatory ideas often go into unexpected, even bizarre directions. The result is an ongoing mélange of arpeggios, pedal solos and chromatic chord progressions worthy of Max Reger. A final pedal cadenza brings this work to a thunderous conclusion.

This is the composition’s first appearance in print.

In The Garden: Frosty Morning Thomas Åberg (b. 1952)

Thomas Åberg has enjoyed a multifaceted career with his work at the Swedish Performing Rights Society, and also as a noted recitalist and composer. His works display a unique and personal means of expression, and many of his works reflect contemporary Swedish life. Åberg has written about his composition In the Garden: Frosty Morning:

“This piece has a rather bizarre background. At this time in 1999, I live in the countryside of Sweden with a huge garden. One frosty morning I had the message that one of my friends got cancer with very small chances to survive. I started to write on this piece-first as therapy for myself-but also with the thoughts that I probably would be asked to play at the future funeral. But then a miracle happened-my friend had an operation and chemotherapy and came out of this disease totally recovered one year later. Mysterious story….My friend is still alive and doesn’t know anything about this story.”

Andante moderato

Grundfjeldslys

1. Præludium

(This composition can be followed directly by the singing of the

Alternative version

2. Postludium

Jaaniöö vaikuses | Standing Still on Midsummer's Night

Maltis (b.

Jaaniöö vaikuses | Standing Still on Midsummer's Night

Malle Maltis (b. 1977)

Hõbeallikas | Silver Spring

Malle Maltis (b. 1977)

Hõbeallikas | Silver Spring

Malle Maltis (b. 1977)

Pill oll' helle | Let My Tune Be Heard

Malle Maltis (b. 1977)

= 92 or slower. Uneven tempo

Katmutseq

Dog-sledge and Dogs

Kristian Blak (b. 1947)

Qaanaaq Variations

Kristian Blak (b. 1947)

Fantasia-Sonaatti

Fredrik Isacsson (1883-1962)

Resignation

Melodia

Fredrik Isacsson (1883-1962)

Chorale for Organ

Jack Mattsson (1954-2007)

Dialogue for Organ

Jack Mattsson (1954-2007)

Recitativo

Jack Mattsson (1954-2007)

Cavatina e Vivace

Jack Mattsson (1954-2007) Arr.: Lars Karlsson (2021)

To James D. Hicks

There Will Be A Spring Again

From the musical theatre Katrina (1996)

Jack Mattsson (1954-2007)

Arr.: Lars Karlsson (2023)

Tempo

Introductione. Maestoso.

Sonata No. 2 I

Arvi Karvonen (1888-1969)

Andante religioso

Allegretto con moto

Partita över en andlig finsk folkmelodi

John Sundberg (1891-1963)

Commissioned by James D. Hicks

Homage to Jón Leifs

Þorvaldur Örn Daviðsson (b. 1990)

All indicated dynamics in this work is both swell and registeral, dependent on organ and organist.

Allegro maestoso

Composed for James Hicks

Preludium

Gísli Jóhann Grétarsson (b. 1983)

Starka virna vestilie

Commissioned by James D. Hicks

Sigurður Sævarsson (b. 1963)

Symfoniskt Orgelstycke

Symphonic Organ Piece

Eric Alvin (1902-1992)

Toccata

Jacob Ekström (1893-1950)

In the Garden: Frosty Morning

Thomas Åberg (b. 1952)

James D. Hicks is a concert organist living and working out of Califon, NJ, USA. A graduate of the Peabody Conservatory of Music, Yale University, and the University of Cincinnati, Hicks has also studied at the Royal School of Church Music in the UK. James held liturgical positions throughout the USA over the course of thirty-five years and now devotes himself to concert, publishing, and recording projects.

Over the past fifteen years, James has researched the music of the Nordic lands and the result is an ongoing venture entitled Nordic Journey. The endeavor places emphasis on new music, he has commissioned over seventy-five compositions from Nordic composers and other musicians in northern Europe, as well as researching repertoire from the past that has hitherto never been recorded or published. With the Autumn 2025 release of Nordic Journey Volume XIX/Nordic Organ Book By Fredrik Sixten, the series now comprises thirty-one discs, all produced for the American label Pro Organo as well as being distributed by Naxos In America and the usual digital streaming platforms.

A parallel aspect of the Nordic Journey project is the production of hardbound editions that include premiere publications of many of the works James has commissioned as well as several previously unavailable compositions from earlier eras. The Norwegian firm Cantando released the Nordic Journey Series Volume I in 2018 (now available at www.musikkforlagene.no) and Norsk Musikkforlag published The Nordic Journey Series Volume II in 2020). Norsk Musikkforlag has most recently produced the third volume in October 2022. A fourth volume of this series is set for a 2025 release.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, James wrote the first full-length book devoted to the complete works for organ by Norwegian composer Kjell Mørk Karlsen on the occasion of the artist’s seventy-fifth birthday.

In addition to his endeavors concerning the organ and its literature, James is an enthusiastic exponent of traditional music from the British Isles, performing on a number of instruments associated with these traditions. James is an avid hiker and has walked the historic Hadrian’s Wall trail in Northern England as well as traversing numerous sections of the Appalachian Trail in the USA.

To learn more about James D. Hicks, you are invited to visit his website at www.jamesdhicks.com.