The celebratory organ piece
A Flourish for a Bidding was composed in aid of the Royal College of Organists in 1969 and the manuscript was auctioned (hence the ‘Bidding’ of the title). George Thalben-Ball gave its first performance at the RCO and the manuscript was bought by Novello for £21. This piece is in Howells’ later organ style, with short declamatory phrases and much sparer writing than in his early organ music.
from notes by Paul Andrews © 2011
