Variations on the Chorale Nun danket alle Gott

- Stephen McManus

Use: General
Required Resources: Organ

Nun danket alle Gott is one of our most popular German hymn tunes, generally sung with the text, "Now Thank We All Our God." Stephen McManus, from County Down, Northern Ireland, has written a set of five variations on this stately chorale.

After a straightforward presentation of the harmonized chorale melody, the variations unfold as follows:

1. A duo, with the chorale in half notes in the right hand, and a running eighth note pattern in the left.
2. A Baroque chorale fantasia in sixteenth note motion, with the chorale implied amid the beautifully-written linear melodies.
3. A minuet & trio: the rhythmic minuet in C Major is followed by a trio in c minor, arranged as a slightly ornamented melody with a figurative accompaniment pattern. Of course, the minuet returns for a D.C.
4. A fugue, beginning in strict form, progressing through a fantasia section in faster notes, and concluding with a Maestoso of the chorale.
5. A pedal solo in sixteenth notes continues as an ostinato pattern with detached chords in the manual. A brief calm statement of the first chorale phrase interrupts a toccata of sixteenth note manual arpeggios. This leads to a short Maestoso section, an ad libitum manual run, and a final triple forte Lento closing.

Good independence is required of the player in manuals and pedals, but the parts are of moderate difficulty. This would make a great prelude for a joint Thanksgiving service, or as part of an organ recital. Movements can be played individually for Mass.