Jan
4
In the days when it was customary to take up an offering during services at All Saints’ church, a short piece of music was generally played, related to the theme of the service. Donald wrote instrumental hymn-tune descants for the purpose, played by organ and piano together, the piano usually taking the descant part in single notes as the organ played one or more verses of the hymn.
His highly-developed gift for melodic writing, combined with his extraordinary piano technique, made these tiny fragments into moments of sublime beauty during the worship. Over 100 of these little gems survive among his manuscripts.
