Episodes: 1999

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.

Highlighting activities at San Diego’s Balboa Park, the Methuen Music Hall in Massachusetts, and the Wanamaker Grand Court at Macy’s Center City Department Store in Philadelphia.

Enjoying organs and choirs on down the line from Nashville to Memphis to Little Rock.

With superb - read really hot - performances of American music recorded in Texas and Minnesota.

Proving that even if you cannot teach an old dog new tricks, you can play old music on new organs.

A spring survey of recent organ recordings.

A continuing exploration of the unusual compositions of one of the 20th century’s most acclaimed and influential recitalists and teachers, Marcel Dupré.