The Pedagogical Use of Gerald Near's

Abstract

Gerald Near's Chantworks has pedagogical value for the intermediate-level organ student seeking to attain advanced-level skills. Chantworks, composed for organ solo, is a collection of twenty-three pieces of short to moderate duration, based upon Gregorian chants. Gerald Near is an established composer who has won awards, completed numerous commissions, and published a multitude of organ and choral works. The Chantworks pieces are analyzed for their usefulness in the development of the following skills: (1) the advanced use of the expression pedal; (2) advanced manual changes and registration changes; (3) voice-crossing; and (4) the ability to play Gregorian chants with rhythmic sensitivity and appropriate phrase shaping. The study highlights the particular usefulness of Near's collection by comparing its technical demands to selected organ instructional books and musical collections that have been identified as having pedagogical value. This study provides a definition of an "intermediate organist," listing techniques acquired from the successful completion of any of the selected organ pedagogy publications. An examination of selected organ pedagogy publications addresses several techniques characteristic of pipe organ performance mastery that are not emphasized in the method books, but that would be necessary for an organist to acquire in order to tackle the more difficult works of the organ literature. Musical examples and explanations will illustrate how these other techniques can be learned and practiced in a structured manner through the study of pieces from Gerald Near's Chantworks collection. Several pieces within Chantworks contain passages that have pedagogical bearing on aspects of general musicianship, such as irregular meters and cross rhythms. Appendix A includes a compilation of information about each piece within the Chantworks collection, with emphasis on each piece's compositional style, pedagogical merits, and other details worthy of analysis.