All Episodes

an innovative collection of unusual music inspired by the African continent and the African experience, as created by composers both white and black, African and African-American.

powerful music for organ, winds, brasses and percussion, performed in concert at the Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas, TX. The late Paul Riedo plays the 84-rank C.B. Fisk pipe organ in concert with the Dallas Wind Symphony, recorded May 18, 1993, Frederick Fennell conducts. This same ensemble repertoire, plus other selections, was later recorded in sessions at the Meyerson for an exceptional compact disc release from Reference Recordings, RR-58CD. The solo selections come from a compact disc by David Higgs, Delos DE-3148CD.

Exploring culture in amidst the territory of an ancient merchant’s federation in Dutch, German, Belgian, and Polish cities of the Hanseatic League.

...striking and original works from three centuries featuring organ with orchestra.

The passionate and powerful Sixth Organ Symphony by Charles-Marie Widor in two versions, for organ solo and with orchestra. Widor’s arrangement of the outer movements of his popular Sixth Organ Symphony [solo] was his first major essay for organ and orchestra. He went on to create two additional, totally original organ and orchestra compositions later in life. It was prepared for a London concert in 1882, later played by Charles Courboin in Antwerp in 1900, and presented again by Courboin, with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Stokowski, at the Wanamaker Store in 1919. The Bowden/McKinley performance in Indiana was only the second American outing for this score since that Philadelphia premiere.

A treat for the whole family, this week’s broadcast features organ arrangements of famous classical works and original compositions used in Fantasia and other Walt Disney films.

A colorful miscellany of music by women composers from past and present. Though not nearly so numerous or celebrated as their male counterparts, women composers have created a substantial and remarkable repertoire for the pipe organ. Note that Women’s Equality Day is observed on August 26.

Persuasive examples of the organ’s extraordinary historic repertoire.

Proof that the creative spirit was alive when Marcel Dupré improvised in Paris eighty years ago. On August 15, 1919, while substituting for an ailing Louis Vierne, 33-year-old Marcel Dupré improvised for an afternoon service at Notre Dame Cathedral. In the audience, totally by chance, was Claude Johnson, head of Rolls-Royce. He was so moved by the music that he encouraged Dupré to write down his improvisations, guaranteed their publication and sponsored Dupré’s subsequent London debut recital which marked the beginning of this artist’s astounding international career.

Will Headlee and David Hurd play two noteworthy examples of Walter Holtkamp, Sr.’s pioneering neo-classic instruments at Syracuse University in New York State and Fisk University in Nashville TN.

Visit A Montréal Organ Book with the Organ Historical Society: Music and instruments from Provence Québec, featuring Canadian artists.

More performances by outstanding young artists from North America’s most beneficent organ competition.

Highlights from Finland’s famous international summer organ celebration, including guest soloists and winners of the 1997 competition.

. . . a selective summer survey of recent organ recordings.

Pieces for concert or entertainment which display the organ’s multiple personalities.

A great American showplace with a phenomenal and historic theatre organ. Sample sounds from the new CD release. Georgia’s foremost showroom plays host to recitalist Hector Olivera, with historical insights concerning the resident Mighty Möller organ provided by Joe Patten and Bob Van Camp. Olivera’s performance was recorded during a national convention of the American Guild of Organists A CD release, Vantage CD-6306, featuring Olivera at the Atlanta Fox includes similar repertoire and is available from the Organ Historical Society. The Albright piece, premiered on that occasion, is also sampled via its premiere CD release by Ms. Decker from a very different venue. Our talk with Joe Patten, the energy behind the Fox’s historic Mighty Möller pipe organ, was recorded in his nifty penthouse apartment above the theater.

An intrepid Scandinavian virtuoso and a world-acclaimed singer show us a thing or two about things we thought we knew.

A surprising gift of organ music from a still largely uncharted territory.