- Carol Suite (1978, 2001) flute and organ 10'
- Premiere-1978, by John Thomas and Marian Craighead, Rochester, NY.
Program Note
Carol Suite opens with a lilting Prelude on an original theme, the rhythm of which reappears in each movement. The familiar German tune, "O Jesulein süss" (O Sweet Little Jesus) is presented in a straightforward setting with a rocking quartal accompaniment. "The Lamb of God" moves from grief through radiance to resignation, and the carol tune appears only in fragments. In the Irish "Wexford Carol," irregular rhythms give way to a lyrical second theme that outlines the carol tune. The music of the Prelude returns and carries the work to a jubilant close. The premiere was given by my father, John Thomas, and organist Marian Craighead at Asbury Methodist Church, Rochester, New York in 1977.
Carol Suite will appear in the Augsburg Fortress anthology Pipings, to appear in 2011.