Artist description Kenneth Mansfield composes works for organ, choir, piano and solo voice. He currently serves as Organist at the Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church in Lafayette, California. He is Professor Emeritus at California State University, Hayward, where he taught in the Music Department from 1966 to 1995. He is a past Dean of the San Francisco Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

Music Style The pieces in this collection are of three kinds: Free Works, Christmas Songs and Hymn Settings. All were composed for the organ over a period of time extending from 1960 to 1997. Some were written for recital use; others for various church services. As well as a range of styles and idioms, these works employ the full range of the tonal possibilities of the instrument.

Musical Influences Randall Thompson and Walter Piston, under whom he studied theory and composition at Harvard. Sir William McKie in London, Andre Marchal in Paris, and Edward Mueller in Basel with whom he later continued his organ studies.

Artist History Born in 1932, he studied piano from age eleven through high school. While a student at Harvard, he continued private piano study under Heirich Gebhard. In his his junior year he began private organ studies. He holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in music from Harvard. Upon the completion of these degrees, he was awarded a two-year Traveling Fellowship in Europe by the Harvard Music Department. Since his return to Northern California in 1957, he has served as organist for Episcopal, Lutheran and Presbyterian churches, holding his current position since 1968.

Instruments The recordings were done on two organs: the forty-five rank Swain and Kates organ at Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church, and the seventy-seven rank Rosales organ at First Presbyterian Church, Oakland, California.

Albums Mansfield Plays Mansfield: A Life's Work (available from the composer)

Additional Info Copies of the manuscripts of all works on this page are available at a nominal cost from: Kenneth Mansfield, 5283 Proctor Road, Castro Valley, California 94546-1540.

Location Concord, California - USA

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