One of my favorite events! The East Texas Pipe Organ Festival celebrates the artistry of Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ building firm and the significant life and talent of organ voicer Roy Perry (1906-1978). I'm honored to appear on the Festival for the fourth time this year.
I was scheduled to play an in-person concert in New Orleans during the East Texas Festival's first-ever road trip. However, the ongoing COVID situation and the recent hurricane in New Orleans has caused this year's Festival to become a mostly on-line experience. Recordings will take place during the Festival's originally-scheduled week in November, with air dates to be announced, probably in early December.
This online format does have its drawbacks, but it also provides me a golden opportunity to feature the Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ with which I'm very familiar: Community of Christ's Auditorium Organ, Aeolian-Skinner's Opus 1309, in Independence, MO. (I began employment with the church 24 years ago; I've served as its Principal Organist and Director of Music, and currently am Organist-in-Residence here.) The Auditorium Organ is just one opus number away from Aeolian-Skinner's Opus 1308, located in St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Shreveport, LA, an instrument I've had the great pleasure of playing in two past appearances at the Festival. These two instruments are "sisters" created in the same time period by the same company, but each has its own unique characteristics and distinct personality. For this year's Festival I'll be playing pieces that were important in the history of both of these significant pipe organs:
HENRY PURCELL: Trumpet Tune
J.S. BACH: Passacaglia, BWV 582
MARCEL DUPRÉ: Variations on a Noel
J.S. BACH: Nun freut euch, BWV 734
HEALEY WILLAN: Introduction, Passacaglia, and Fugue
The first three pieces formed the first half of the inaugural recital at the Independence instrument, played by the amazing American concert organist, Catharine Crozier, in November 1959. The Willan is from the second half of the recital played by William Teague, organist of Opus 1308 at St. Mark's Episcopal in Shreveport, during Opus 1309's inaugural year. Bach's "Nun freut euch" was the concluding piece from John Obetz's radio program that made the Auditorium Organ famous.
Visit http://www.easttexaspipeorganfestival.com/ to learn how to access this program online. I hope to "see" you there!