The postlude today is a fiery toccata by Canadian composer and organist, Lynnwood Farnam. From 1908 until 1913, he served as organist at Christ Church Cathedral in Montreal, and during this time made several trips to Boston, befriending organists in the area and making connections. He was then appointed organist and choirmaster at Emmanuel Church in Boston after an audition from which he demonstrated an ability to play from memory more than 200 pieces in his repertoire, from Bach fugues to current works. His mother, who was his first music teacher, also had an unusual ability to memorize large amounts of complex music.

From his post in Boston, he moved to First Presbyterian Church in New York. His toccata on O filii et filiae is perhaps one of his most well-known pieces. It’s an unusual Easter piece in that it has a very dark and (for lack of a better description), creepy sound. The word toccata is an Italian word meaning “to touch.” It’s a keyboard work that features dazzling, fast-moving notes for the fingers. If you listen carefully, you may notice that the melody is actually in the pedal, in long, slow-moving notes. The hymn tune for which this piece is based is Hymn #206, “O Sons and Daughters.”

I first heard this piece performed in 1999 at All Souls Episcopal Church in Oklahoma City. I was in my early twenties and in my first teaching job. In Oklahoma City, I made some wonderful friends, most notably with the associate organist there at the time. She and her husband were mentors and parental figures for me. When she retired from organ playing, several years ago, she gave me a lot of her organ music, and this score was one of them! It still has her name on it.

Since she gave me the music, I have played it on the Sunday following Easter for as long as I can remember. It’s a precious memory for me, and it brings me back to a time when I was discovering myself, and the beauty of Episcopal Church. The first time I heard it, I could have never imagined that the very sheet music on the organ console that Sunday in 1999, would become my very own. It’s a cherished musical artifact, enshrined with warm and beautiful memories of yesteryear. The connections we make in our lives are truly miraculous! And so is the message of hope and joy in the Resurrection. Soli deo Gloria!