1971 Ruffatti organ at St. Mary’s Cathedral, San Francisco, California

Where do the hours and the months and years go? Can you believe it? Our next Pipedreams program observes the 20th anniversary of our first national broadcast, which was way back in the winter of 1982. Believe it or not, we were hatching our plans even before then. This week, hear some of those earliest tapes, plus get a sampler of things we’ve done and places we’ve been over the past two decades. After 20 years has it all been played? Not a chance. Some bright ideas never dim, and this week we’ll reflect on a score of great music and plan for the future. Organ music on the Radio? Absolutely! Listen as we celebrate the first twenty years, an anniversary retrospective, this week on Pipedreams.

This week we listen to recordings from generations before ours by performers who knew a thing or two about making Olde Sebastian’s scores come alive.

A memorial tribute to the inimitable Virgil Fox, narrated by Richard Torrence, the artist’s former manager and present-day champion.

…a further foray into some home-grown repertoire from the 20th century for the ‘king of instruments’.

…passionate performances by one of the world’s most celebrated organ virtuosos, the late, great Virgil Fox, with commentary by his friend and colleague Richard Torrence.

…compositions of lament, reflection and healing in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the tragedy of September 11, 2001.

…a tribute to the memory of one of the most popular, and controversial, organists of all time, who believed in the cause of beauty above history, and above the limitations of any instrument.

…music of contrast and contradiction, a progression of mood and spirit leading to revelation.

…A collection of engaging and ear-catching moments from the program's archives.

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…A cycle of exquisite organ tone poems, and other music inspired by or performed in the landmark Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Paris.

…Some old favorites and other surprises reveal a delicious diversity for which the organ –music, instruments and performers –is legendary.