David Harrison at Northminster Baptist Church, June 17, 2011

Harrison opened the program with a congregational hymn, "Praise to the Lord" (Lobe den Herren). There was a dazzling introduction, and - happily - a wave of the left arm when the audience was to begin to sing. The organ was played carefully, with the commas in the text observed by pauses, an attention to detail not often heard. There was a very effective alternative accompaniment for the last verse. In most churches, the most important thing an organ must do is lead/support congregational singing, and a sung hymn - in my view - should be included in every organ recital. That seldom happens, but I do remember a memorable example when Craig Cramer dedicated the St. Peter's Catholic Cathedral Rieger organ and had the audience sing "A Mighty Fortress" (Ein Feste Burg) to great effect. Not to belabor the point, Organ Historical Society Conventions typically have a sung hymn at each recital, to show how each organ handles this important function.

The remainder of the program consisted of three major organ works, all from memory, and all requiring and receiving an uncommon virtuosity from Harrison. In the vernacular, he has technique to burn. The first, among Bach's best, the Toccata and Fugue in F, was given a riveting performance. The Toccata, especially, is a very optimistic piece. One of the technical aspects is in the form: it begins with a manual duet over a pedal drone followed by a solo pedal cadenza; this sequence (varied) is repeated. The main theme is next, followed by a wicked trio. This sequence is repeated three times (with modifications), with the three lines in the trio rotated between hands and feet among the three versions. Then there is a concluding section. As is customary, Harrison played the second main division (main theme plus trio) without manual or pedal changes, which does not allow the contrast needed to make the trios stand out. An appealing alternative, occasionally used by some recitalists, has the hands shifting to a contrasting manual for the trios. This is, however, very tricky, and not practical on all organs, because in most cases the pedal must be reduced as the trio begins and restored as it ends, almost impossible without an assistant to pull stops. Harrison's performance of the Toccata, however, with some appropriate rubato in the concluding section, was so dramatic that it brought an almost involuntary round of applause between the Toccata and the Fugue.

The next piece, among Widor's finest, was the Allegro (1st Movement) of the 6th Organ Symphony. It contains one of the more difficult passages in the organ literature, an extended trio with a 2 against 3 against 4 rhythm (the pedal playing the 4, and the usually less reliable left hand the 3) which Harrison sailed through with ease. At the end of this piece there was a standing ovation. Standing ovations are fairly common in Jackson, but only at the end of concerts. They are rare when they occur in the middle of a program; the last one I recall was in Paul Lee's recital at St. James' Episcopal Church during the 2001 AGO Regional Convention. Harrison deserved and got one here.

Shifting gears from Baroque to Romantic to Contemporary, Harrison closed with another monumental piece, Petr Eben's Moto Ostinato from his Sunday Music. Eben (1929-2007), a Czech, is emerging as one of the most significant composers of the late 20th century. While contemporary in style, his music is nevertheless quite accessible. Though he was Catholic, his father was a Jew and this led to Eben's internment in the Nazi concentration camp at Buchenwald, from 1943-1945. I suspect this may have influenced his music (as WW II may have helped produce Duruflé's, Requiem, a masterpiece). In any case the Moto Ostinato is a great piece, with a powerful and sometimes intricate use of the pedals, which Harrison managed handily.

Harrison has all the marks of a rising star in the organ world - he has technique, he has energy, and, from the expression on his face, he loves what he is doing. Next Saturday he will be representing the Jackson Chapter by playing in the AGO Regional Competition for Young Organists in High Point, NC, and, we hope, will go on to the next level.

- Glenn A. Gentry

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