WILLIAM HUMPHREYS DAYAS (1864-1903): Organ Sonatas No. 1 in F, Op. 5 and No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 7, ARTHUR H. BIRD (1856-1923): Thème Varié, Op. 27 (transcr. Dayas).

Description: American-born, German by musical inclinations and a teacher at Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music the last seven years of his short life, Dayas was also a student of Liszt, a brilliant pianist with stage fright and a friend of Busoni and champion of his music. Completely unknown now though (or he wouldn’t be appearing in this catalogue). His two organ sonatas were discovered by the organist here in 1997 in the Sibelius Academy library in Helsinki where Dayas taught for two years before going to England. Published in 1886 and 1888 they are both quite original and the second is in the tradition of Liszt’s B minor sonata, his Ad nos, ad salutarem undam and the Reubke sonata but goes beyond them in scope and the sheer technical demands it makes. Jan Lehtola (Walcker organ of St John’s Church, Helsinki).