Plum: Posthumous works for organ or harmonium opp. 177, 185, 189, 194, 196

• Mors et Vita – Diptyque pour orgue op.177
• I. Prière pour nos morts
• II. Résurrection
• Deux Pièces de Fantaisie op.185
• I. [Intermezzo]
• II. [Carillon]
• Deux Paraphrases Liturgiques pour orgue ou harmonium op.189
• I. Parce Domine
• II. Vexilla Regis
• Deux Morceaux de genre pour orgue ou harmonium op.194
• I. Berceuse élégiaque
• II. Réveil printanier
• Entrée (Improvisation sur un Cantique de Profession) pour Grand Orgue op. 196

MORS ET VITA, Diptychon op. 177 (1941)
The first piece (Prayer for Our Dead), for organ or harmonium, is light and meditative. It presents the first motifs of the Dies Irae in long notes. The second piece (Résurrection), written for large organ, is more developed and reflects the composer's distinctive style. It skilfully combines the Gregorian themes of the Te Deum and the Dies Irae with a quotation from the Alleluia of the Easter Vigil in the middle section and at the end of the piece.

TWO FANTASY PIECES op. 185
These two pieces from 1943 have no titles. The first, which we could call ‘Intermezzo’, has a three-part form and contrasts two ideas, one rhythmic with counterpoints in the left hand, somewhat in the style of Alexandre Guilmant's Verset-Fantaisie in F major, the other melodic and somewhat impressionistic. The second piece could be titled ‘Carillon’ due to its use of the famous Westminster theme. The composer had already used this theme in his ‘Big Ben, Toccata No. 3’ op. 154 in 1938, but in a completely different way.

TWO LITURGICAL PARAPHRASES op. 189
These two pieces for organ or harmonium date from 1943, late in the composer's life, when he was still in full command of his powers and able to skilfully develop the Gregorian themes in his own unique style.

TWO GENRE PIECES op. 194
These two pieces for organ or harmonium must have been composed in 1943, at the end of the composer's life, and are perhaps the last pieces he wrote. The pencil manuscript appears to have been copied in ink by another hand (certainly very pious, but perhaps not sufficiently musical, which caused a few minor errors...). In his biographical book, Father Antoine Lebrun cites as Father Plum's last work and as opus 194: "Dans ton Sanctuaire: 1. All Saints' Day evening; 2. Christmas morning". This work has not yet been found. The current hypothesis is that the opus 194 we have could correspond to the other opus 194, assuming that the titles may have been changed. The character of the two pieces could fit the titles in both cases.

ENTRÉE op. 96
The opus number was added by an unknown hand after the author's death. This piece for large organ is undated. Based on its style, one could assume that it is a work in the author's early manner (chromatic) and therefore may have been composed before 1931. The dedication of the work ‘Aux Religieuses de la Présentation de Marie-St-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada’ is a mystery, as it is not known what connections Father Plum had to this community on the other side of the Atlantic. There are no records of this in his papers, and the only manuscript, kept by the Servite Fathers in Rue Washington in Brussels, is not autograph. Be that as it may, this enthusiastic and well-constructed piece, based on a now forgotten hymn, is not without interest and provides a pleasant conclusion to the publication of Father Plum's five unpublished works.

Léon Kerremans