JOYCE JONES AT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, AUGUST 20, 2004

   First Baptist Church dedicated its organ, newly rebuilt by Michael
Quimby (Op. 60), with a program of congregational hymns, and with three
anthems sung by its choir, led by its soon-to-be-retired director Larry
Black, and accompanied by church organist Andy Swanner. The anthems -
"Hallelujah" from Beethoven's "Christ on the Mount of Olives", "The
Majesty and Glory of Your Name" by Johnson/Fettke, and Gilbert Martins'
arrangement of "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" - were all well done,
and the organ provided a very effective accompaniment. "When I Survey..."
was particularly moving.

   Joyce Jones then played a dedicatory recital, beginning with Sigfrid
Karg-Elert's massive fantasy on "A Mighty Fortress", Op. 65, No. 47, using
the more than ample resources of the organ with skill. That was followed
by J.S. Bach's "Toccata in F" (BWV540), one of the most optimistic pieces
in the literature. She played it in a quick tempo and with a quite clear
registration. Next was Seth Bingham's "Twilight at Fiesole", which showed
off the organ's percussive ranks to great effect. Then she played Franz
Liszt's "Prelude and Fugue on BACH", a real blockbuster, which she gave a
fiery rendition. Charles Ives' "Variations on America" followed, with its
unusual harmonies and rhythms. Ives' instructions for the final variation
are to play the pedals "as fast as possible" and Jones did just that.
There were video cameras focussed on the console, with the images projected
on two large screens, and it helped a great deal to show what Jones was
doing with her hands and, especially, with her feet. Jones then played
some of her own work, settings of three hymns. The first, "The Church in
the Wildwood", was one of my favorites of the evening, and showed off many
of the organ's contrasting sounds. "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" was more
meditative, and "Rescue the Perishing" was something of a pun in that Jones
intended it to demonstrate the difficulties organists have when it is
uncertain whether to proceed or not, or what others have called "noodle
around" to wait and see. These moments have afflicted all of us who play
the organ, whether while waiting for the bride to show up at the back of
the church, waiting for the ushers to complete the offertory, the elders
to complete serving communion, or during the invitation. Her comments
beforehand set the stage for this, and were greatly appreciated here and
elsewhere during the program. Sowerby's "Pageant" was next, with its
virtuosic pedal passages. Jones next played her setting of the tune "O
Waly Waly", using a colorful antiphonal flute stop. She then closed with
Widor's "Toccata" from the 5th Organ Symphony, a very well known piece
which she played with enthusiasm. But that was not all! An encore followed,
Rimsky-Korsakoff's "Flight of the Bumblebee". The unusual thing was that
the "fast part", usually played with the hands, was here played with the
feet, and just as fast. I don't recall witnessing such a show of pedal
virtuosity before. It reminds me of what was said about Bach - that he
could play things with his feet that most organists would have difficulty
playing with their hands! Jones - with whom the church organist, Andy 
Swanner, had studied - was a superb choice for this program, playing with
enthusiasm, and, by the way, entirely from memory.

   The organ - in its fourth incarnation - has been completely rebuilt,
including a revoicing intended to recall the romantic sounds typified
by the work of Ernest M. Skinner. In that regard I think it succeeded
quite well; in fact some of the pipes had come from the first organ, a
Skinner from 1939. In any case the organ, with 155 ranks, has many colorful
stops, and now sounds like the work of a single builder; in addition it
provides a full sound for the 1.5 million cubic feet of the sanctuary. The
church should be proud of the result, and Michael Quimby - together with
the people of his firm - deserve congratulations.
                                                         - Glenn A. Gentry