MARK MILLER, ORGAN, AT GALLOWAY MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 
SEPTEMBER 21, 1997

Miller opened the program with a flourish, using the trumpet and tuba
stops, in the "Processional" by William Mathias, a 20th century composer.
Two of the Dupre Antiphons (Opus 18) followed: III. "I am dark, yet
comely", a gentle and quiet piece, and V. "How fair and pleasant art
thou," somewhat bolder. Next was the Gigout "Toccata", a dramatic work
with the melody in the pedals, typical of many such pieces of the
period. The audience responded enthusiastically. Miller then played
two chorale preludes by African-American composer Ralph Simpson. The
first, "Jacob's Ladder", was written in the style of J.S. Bach, with
the cantus firmus in the pedal. It was also played very effectively 
in the style of Bach, and was one of the high points in the program.
The second Simpson piece, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", was, by contrast,
in an almost jazzy style, but equally effective. Miller then set the
stage for the next piece, the Moto Ostinato from 20th century Czech
composer Peter Eben's "Sonntag Musik", by commenting that one might
think of it as "Hallowe'en" music. It started and ended big and somber,
and lived up to its billing!

   The familiar J.S. Bach piece "Wachet Auf" followed, and included
interesting and effective ornamentation. The first part of the program
concluded with the J.S. Bach Prelude and Fugue in D Major. Miller
played this in the bold manner it deserves, that is, fast and with a
full registration. He commented later that he viewed this as and
extended and continual crescendo, and he played its single final note
(low D on the pedalboard) on full organ (a really big sound at
Galloway), saving the 32' until that moment. We sometimes forget that 
Bach had at his disposal some quite large organs capable of very big
sounds, and it is hard to imagine that he didn't use them to their
maximum capacity in pieces such as this. This was an exciting rendition,
that got the heart pounding. 

   Miller opened the second part of the program as the first, with
trumpets and tubas, in a transcription of the "Hornpipe" from G.F.
Handel's Water Music. The J.S. Bach Trio Sonata VI in G Major was
next. One would never suspect just how difficult this 3 movement
piece really is from the effortless way it was played. William
Bolcom's "What a Friend We Have in Jesus", from 3 Gospel Preludes,
followed. This was in a contemporary style, mixing elements of jazz
and gospel, and featuring long sections with double pedal (that is,
the right foot is busy at the upper end of the pedalboard while the
left is doing its own thing at the other end). Miller then played
his own "Reverie", a quiet and charming piece with a flute solo line
that moved up and down the keyboard in large intervals. It was from
a set of pieces, and was inspired by verse 4 from the 13th Chapter
of 1st Corinthians: "Love is always patient and kind". It was a
fitting prelude to the last listed piece, the Durufle Prelude et
Fugue sur le nom "Alain". The prelude began quietly, and the fugue
ended with an intensity contributed equally by composer and performer.
This is easily my favorite of Durufle's organ works. It is perhaps a
bit much to say that Durufle was at his finest when dealing with
death, but this piece was after all a memorial to organist-composer
Jehan Alain, who was tragically killed at an early age while serving
his country in World War I. Durufle's best known work is, of course,
his Requeim Mass, which also deals with death, and which also, perhaps
not coincidentally, was written at the conclusion of World War II. In
any case the Prelude et Fugue recalled the moving style of the Requiem.

   Miller, called back by applause, offered a delightful encore by
inviting the people to sing the gospel hymn "Leaning on the 
Everlasting Arms". He led it with the organ in an exuberant and
contemporary gospel style; the audience responded with smiles and
enthusiasm.

   Miller is an exciting player. He clearly understands how to choose
as well as play an effective program. I think we can expect much, much
more from him in the coming years, both as composer and as performer.

                                                - Glenn A. Gentry