ORGAN REDEDICATION at Mississippi College's Provine Chapel,
October 17, 2006
This was the rededication of the newly restored Möller organ, which
dated from 1969 (for a history of the organ,
Click Here). The program showed
the organ in a variety of accompanimental roles, including two hymns
(Praise to the Lord [Neander], Billy Trotter, organist;
and When in Our Music God Is Glorified [Engelberg], Robert Knupp,
organist). Led by Lewis Oswalt, these were sung vigorously
by all, although the second [When in Our Music...], being
somewhat less familiar, would have profited by having the music
printed in the program (there was only the text); I am confident that
many if not most of people present could read music sufficiently well
to have made good use of a score. There were also two accompanied
anthems with the Mississippi College Choir, directed by James Meaders: Egil
Hovland's Stay With Us and Herbert Howells' Magnificat
(as well as an a capella piece, Thomas Tallis' If Ye Love
Me). The choir was up to its usual high standard, and the organ
was used effectively by Robert Knupp. A high point was soprano Anna
Dennery McDonald's solo Be Not Afraid (from Mendelssohn's
Elijah), sung and accompanied (by Knupp) to perfection. The
accompaniment is not trivial, and soloist and organ were in excellent
balance at all dynamic levels from pp to ff.
There also
was a very interesting group of three well-known pieces (Boccherini's
Minuet, Albinoni's Adagio and Bach's
Badinerie[BWV 1067])
featuring Craig Young (Mississippi College's Band Director) and an electronic instrument
listed as "Wind Controller". It has a mouthpiece and is elongated
somewhat like a clarinet, but with electronic sensor pads where
valve holes or keys would be located. It can be used in stand-alone mode
with an amplifier and speaker, or, in this program, as an alternative
way to key the organ pipes. The instrument worked well, except for a
malfunction (probably due to the temperature, which seemed to be well
over 80 degrees, and perhaps humidity) that prevented the repetition
of notes. This made it act like a bagpipe, in which note repetition
is not possible, so that when that is called for it must be simulated
with a brief ornamentation ("Pibroch"). The controller was used in
conjunction with the organ's new MIDI interface, which allowed Knupp
to leave the console with the organ still playing, to the amusement of
the audience.
Finally, there were organ solos at different places in
the program; Billy Trotter (retired Mississippi College organ teacher, who designed the
organ originally) played Bach's Komm, Gott Schöpfer (BWV 667), a big
piece with a prominent pedal line using the reeds; and Jeff Armstrong
(Mississippi College organ student) played Walcha's Fairest Lord Jesus, a
quieter piece using mostly flutes and principals. Current organ
teacher Robert Knupp closed the program with a group of three pieces:
Bach's monumental Passacaglia & Fugue (BWV 582), played in monumental
style and with monumental sound; William Bolcom's Sometimes I
Feel, one of several of his compositions in gospel/jazz style, and
Reubke's Fugue from the Sonata on the 94th Psalm, another
spectacular piece. All in all the organ worked exceptionally well
in the hands (and feet) of each of these three players. The chapel
is a superb room for the organ, and the placement of the pipes
(completely exposed except for the Swell) allows a perfect coupling
of their sound to the room. I look forward to hearing the organ many
more times.
- Glenn A. Gentry
For additional information about this program, and the organ,
CLICK HERE