An Organist's Yearbook #1552
…our annual Olde Yeare-New Year reflection, with highlights from recent recordings, concert excerpts, prize-winning performances, memorial tributes, and more.
Hour 1
J. S. BACH: Prelude in a, BWV 543 –Todd Fickley (1721 Schnitger/St. Michael’s Church, Zwolle, the Netherlands…via Hauptwerk digital samples) MSR 1561
BACH: Wachet auf!, fr Schübler Chorales, BWV 645 –Livia Mazzanti (1930 Steinmeyer/Christuskirche, Rome) Continuo Records 111
EMILE BOURDON: Offertoire pour la Fete de l’Assomption –Olivier Vernet (2011 Thomas/St. Nicholas Cathedral, Monaco) Ligia Digital 0104272-14
MARCEL DUPRÉ: Prelude in A-flat, Op. 36, no. 2 –Marcel Dupré (1863 Cavaillé-Coll/St. Sulpice, Paris) Mercury 478 8388
MARY BETH BENNETT: Ubi caritas et amor –Mary Beth Bennett (1992 Schantz/7th Street Christian Church, Richmond, VA) MBB 2015
CHARLES VILLIERS STANFORD: Magnificat in G –Nathaniel Morley, treble; Choir of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London/Andrew Carwood, director; Simon Johnson (2013 Quimby/Cathedral of Saint Paul, St. Paul, MN) Pipedreams Archive (r. 4/28/15)
GEORGE GERSHWIN: They can’t take that away from me, fr Shall we dance –Andrew van Varick (Wurlitzer/Colonial Theatre, Phoenixville, PA) ATOS 2015
HENRY MARTIN: Prelude & Fugue in G-flat –Isabelle Demers (1908 Hope-Jones, expanded/Ocean Grove Auditorium, NJ) Pipedreams Archive (r. 7/8/15)
HARRY C. BANKS: Beyond the Aurora –Harry Wilkinson (1933 Skinner/Girard College Chapel, Philadelphia, PA) Pro Organo 7044
WILBUR HELD: Prelude on When in our music God is glorified –Marilyn Biery (1963 Aeolian-Skinner/Cathedral of Saint Paul, Saint Paul, MN) Pipedreams Archive (r. 7/25/2003)
Filler - STANFORD (see above)
Hour 2
BRUCE PRINCE-JOSEPH: Toccata Giovane (1948) –Lucas Fletcher (1927 Casavant-2001 Schantz/St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi, MN) Pipedreams Archive (r. 7/11/14)
W. A. MOZART: Fantasy in f, K. 608 (finale) –E. Power Biggs (1929 Steinmeyer/Passau Cathedral, Germany) Columbia K3L-231
SIETZE de VRIES: Jesus, meine Zuversicht (2 verses) –Sietze de Vries (1692 Schnitzer/Martinikerk, Groningen, Netherlands) Fugue State Films 1
OLIVIER MESSIAEN: Le mystere de la sainte trinité, fr Les Corps Glorieux –Almut Rössler (1965 Rieger/Neanderkirche, Düsseldorf, Germany) Koch International 315 023
RAFFAELE MANERI: Salve Regina (Concert Etude) –McNeil Robinson (1970 Rushworth & Dreaper/Chester Cathedral, England) L’Oiseau-Lyre 343
MARCEL DUPRÉ: Prelude & Fugue in B, Op. 7, no. 1 –Dexter Kennedy (1947 Aeolian-Skinner/Myers Park United Methodist Church, Charlotte, NC) Pipedreams Archive (r. 7/5/15)
CARSON COOMAN: Prism (2003) –Erik Simmons (1916 Walcker/Martinikerk, Doesburg, Netherlands, via digital-sampler) Diversions 24161
BACH: Fugue in C, BWV 547 –Roger Sherman (1965 Flentrop/St. Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle, WA) Loft 1156
Filler - BACH "Wachet Auf" (see above)
As an additional memorial tribute to McNeil Robinson (1943-2015), the late, great New York City organist and teacher, we include this additional example of his improvisatory prowess, derived from a commercial recording (L’Oiseau-Lyre SOL 343) made in 1975 at Chester Cathedral, England. The cathedral’s organist Roger Fisher submitted a theme from which Neil created a (Allegro-Aria-Scherzo-Finale/Fugue, played without pause). The intricacy of thematic development evident through this performance is extraordinary.
