1930 Skinner organ at Holy Rosary Cathedral, Toledo, OH

Awaken to the coming of spring and simultaneously celebrate a most important anniversary this week on Pipedreams. We honor Johann Sebastian Bach while enjoying his music - both youthful escapades and mature profundities - as played by Simon Preston, E. Power Biggs, Jonathan Dimmock and Kate von Tricht. Other composers offer unusual homage, too, and Håkan Hagegård, Rupert Gough, and Stewart Foster provide a few unexpected surprises. Dress casually, come with a friend, but bring no gifts; the best ones are already on the table.

We explore things new and engaging on our next Pipedreams program, sampling recent releases of organ music on CD, including a jazzy Te Deum from Germany, the sound of praise today. With saxophone? Sure. Plus we’ll have trumpet voluntaries featuring festival reed stops on instruments in Kilgore, Texas; Hendersonville, North Carolina; and Chartres, France. The 1930 Skinner organ at Holy Rosary Cathedral in Toledo, Ohio, is at its best under the hands of Todd Wilson, but really old is the 1730 Trost organ at Waltershausen, Germany, playing music by a kid who grew up just west of there, Johann Sebastian Bach. Would Bach have approved? Absolutely, because he knew the builder of this instrument and loved his work. These and other stunning sounds from cathedrals in Toledo, Ohio, and Saint Louis, Missouri, and a jazz-friendly congregation in Stuttgart are all part of the plan. We’re Going on Record with CDs in review, this week on Pipedreams.

A good tune is a joy forever, but instead of repeating the same melody over and over, why not make it different? This week’s show illustrates the art of variation. Organist, Hannes Meyer toys with a European folksong, while the late, great George Thalben-Ball takes the ferocious fiddling of Paganini and transforms it into a virtuosic dance on the organ pedals. Secular or sacred, sumptuous or sometimes just plain silly, our themes provide remarkable opportunity for creative possibilities. It’s all about the altered intent, where one good tune demands another take. By the end, even you’ll be calling out, Play it Again, Sam.

From sprightly Renaissance dances to grandious concertos, this week’s show celebrates the many diverse elements that make organ music so remarkable. The fact that this instrument dates from the 16th century adds a sense of history. Beyond that, however, style, emotion, and compositional and mechanical ingenuity all play a part in creating an art filled that creates a multi-faceted experience ranging from restraint to rejoicing. Whether in a charming transcription, an anthem accompaniment, or a zesty concert finale, the king of instruments does it all. Discover it yourself as we listening to recently released compact discs from around the world. We’re Going On Record.

Craig R. Whitney visits us to talk about the traditions and power of the pipe organ in the United States.

A 10th anniversary salute to Joseph A. Vitacco, a young business major from the University of Notre Dame who set out to document some of the world’s finest pipe organs.

…birds and bees, squirrels and wolves bring smile as we listen to the sounds of this fanciful bestiary.

…both the American Theatre Organ Society, July 1-5, and the Organ Historical Society, July 5-10, will hold their 2009 annual conventions in and around Cleveland, Ohio. After hearing these sounds, you’ll want to attend.

…the splendid sound of organ music in American cathedrals in Seattle, San Francisco, Wilkes-Barre, Toledo, Buffalo and the Twin Cities.

…this international overview of youthful performers ably demonstrates a lively future for the King of Instruments.

…from ‘lively’ contexts in Saint Paul, Minneapolis, and Amarillo, recitalists Hector Olivera, Stephen Tharp, Craig Phillips and others perform.

…whether in pagan ritual, songs of sunshine, spiritual revival or April showers, we enjoy the sweet music…and breezes…of springtime music.

…the splendid sound of organ music in American cathedrals in Seattle, San Francisco, Wilkes-Barre, Toledo, Buffalo and the Twin Cities.

…sometimes lofty, sometimes light-hearted, this music either was inspired by and/or performed in an awesome ambience.

a quarterly review of recent organ recordings, drawing from the incredible variety of new and interesting materials which are available to music lovers these days.