On May 25, it will be 50 years since composer Jef Tinel passed away. This nephew and student of Edgar Tinel was an organist, conductor, music teacher and director of the music school in Maldegem. Besides the well-known song 'We Are Ready' (which he himself conducted at numerous Yser pilgrimages and singing festivals), he composed art songs, choral works, music for organ, piano, string orchestra, wind band and symphony orchestra. Here follows a musical portrait…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO64VGQUgfE
2 compositions for organ: In exitu & Sortie
The organ symbolizes the beginning and end of Jef Tinel's musical career.
Jef Tinel, laureate in organ, wind band, counterpoint and fugue (Lemmensinstituut), began his career as an organist in Zele (Sint-Ludgerus), Maldegem (Sint-Barbara) and Sint-Amandsberg near Ghent (H. Hart). He ended his active musical life as an organist in Ghent (Augustijnenkerk Sint-Stefanus).
Naturally, organ works occupy a prominent place in his compositional oeuvre, alongside songs, choral works and compositions for piano and orchestra.
Here we present 2 organ pieces:
1) In exitu: an organ arrangement of a fragment for choir and orchestra from his mystery play Moses;
2) Sortie: a typical composition for liturgical use
Summer Song
Jef Tinel was mainly known for his vocal works. Both songs and choral music flowed from his pen.
The song Summer Song by Tinel to a text by Jan H. EECKHOUT (1900-1978) was composed on November 30, 1923. The poet came from Sluis and Jef Tinel was at that time organist in Maldegem. Two villages lying close to each other.
This song exists, besides this version with piano accompaniment, also in a version with string orchestra accompaniment. However, there are no sung recordings. Peter Leys, a Jef Tinel expert, made a computer performance of one of many of Tinel's works to bring the songs to life again and thus encourage musicians to perform them themselves.
Oh come with me on the spring night
A second song we would like to highlight is Oh come with me on the spring night. In July 1921 Tinel composed this song to a text by Pol De Mont (1857-1931). Here in an instrumental version for piano, again performed by a computer.
7 international folk songs
Jef Tinel composed, besides art songs, also folk songs, religious and secular choral music. Below is an instrumental computer performance of a collection of German folk songs.
Instrumental version of 7 choral arrangements (mixed choir and male choir) of international folk songs:
1. Röslein auf der Heide
2. The Mill Wheel
3. Evening Song
4. True Love
5. I Have Surrendered
6. My Sarie Marais
7. Piet Hein
Oh come with me on the spring night
In addition to folk and art songs, religious and secular choral music, piano and organ works, he also composed for smaller instrumental ensembles, string orchestra, concert band, and symphony orchestra. For large orchestra he wrote two Suites, a Fantasia for trumpet and orchestra and In Memoriam. In his theatrical music for Moses (text by Toon de Mindere) and Fra Angelico (text by Jef Crick) as well as in his Halewyn Cantata (text by Raf Verhulst) he also employed a large orchestra alongside choir and vocal soloists.
Around 1942, Jef Tinel composed a Suite for orchestra. In total he ultimately wrote two. This "Waltz" is the first movement of this 1942 suite.
On May 25, 2022, we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of this composer. We celebrate this with a comprehensive overview of Tinel's life and work written by Peter Leys.
— these texts are reworked blog posts by Jef Tinel expert Peter Leys and have been posted with the author's permission.
You can find the composer's scores for free in the digital Petrucci library: IMSLP.
