Annie Coleman at Northminster Baptist Church, August 25, 2006

         Coleman began the program with Michael Burkhardt's Voluntary on Hymn to Joy, well-registered and played with the insight Burkhardt's music requires. This was followed by J.S. Bach's Prelude and Fugue in C major (BWV 531; there are several other J.S. Bach Preludes & Fugues in C major) which was played not only accurately but with an additional layer of excitement. Calvin Taylor's Talk About a Child That Do Love Jesus was next, and it was here that I heard some new, rich sounds from the Northminster organ. One of the marks of a good organist -in my view, at least - is that they come to an instrument that I know well and manage to get sounds out of it that I do not recognize. So it was with this piece. David Hurd's O What a Beautiful City! followed, again with interesting registration. Then Coleman played Florence Price's Adoration, a pleasing melodic and homophonic piece.

         The next selection was Jack Long's Ave Maria, sung by soprano Carolyn Coleman (Annie's sister), who, with a powerful and rich voice produced a hypnotic effect from this work which I would like to hear again. Annie Coleman then closed the recital with Vierne's Final from his First Organ Symphony, a favorite of audiences and played with appropriate boldness. There was a coda, as it were, a Benediction by Isaiah Jones, Jr., sung by Carolyn Coleman.

         All in all this was a satisfying program, and I thank Annie Coleman (and her sister Carolyn), and her mentor Billy Trotter. I look forward to hearing Annie's next recital.

                                                                                                                                    - Glenn A. Gentry