Broadening a harpsichordist’s
horizons: Remembering the East Texas Pipe Organ Festival,
November 2014
It was a somewhat unusual beginning for a fascinating week in November: a two-hour Sunday-morning drive from west Dallas to the east Texas town of Kilgore, with my 1939 John Challis clavichord occupying the car’s back seat. The purpose of the trip: to present a program inaugurating the downtown office space for the East Texas Pipe Organ Festival, with a short recital and brief preview of a work by Herbert Howells scheduled to be sung during the festival’s day trip to Dallas! After my quiet clavichord opening, the rousing Sunday evening concert by duo-organists Elizabeth and Raymond Chenault was a complete contrast. The Chenaults performed on the magnificent Aeolian-Skinner organ of Kilgore’s First Presbyterian Church, the professional home of Roy Perry (1906–78), whose life and work provides the focus for these annual gatherings.
Monday’s schedule began in nearby Tyler, Texas, with some welcome insights into Jewish worship music (Ann Frohbieter) and a riveting presentation by local author Jan Statman. Statman read from her book Raisins and Almonds . . . and Texas Oil: Jewish Life in the Great East Texas Oil Field (Austin, Texas: Sunbelt Eakin Press, 2004), relating the background story of the 1930s economic boom that provided the funds for purchasing the outstanding American Classic pipe organs to be found in this part of Texas. Further down the road, George Bozeman demonstrated several historic organs in Palestine. The evening program, back in Kilgore, offered choral repertory from the Aeolian-Skinner recording Music of the Church, a much-praised 1950s disc recorded by Roy Perry and his choir.
A briskly cold day in Dallas produced some of the hottest musical performances of the festival, especially in the flawless playing of three Leo Sowerby masterpieces by festival director Lorenz Maycher on the Aeolian-Skinner chancel organ in Lovers Lane United Methodist Church and the perfectly planned and executed Evensong at the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation, where organist Graham Schulz and music director Scott Dettra offered incandescent renderings of the Dallas Canticles by Herbert Howells as well as a new prelude by Dallas organist and composer George Baker on Howells’s hymn tune Michael. There were exciting surprises even for longtime residents of Big D. For instance, I had never heard recital programs on two of the city’s outstanding Aeolian-Skinner organs at Kessler Park United Methodist Church and at the Fifth Church of Christ, Scientist, lacunae ably remedied by organists Casey Cantwell and Joby Bell. Many festival attendees were heard to opine that a “Dallas Day” would be well received as an annual event, even though the round trip to and from the city takes four hours!
Bookending Wednesday’s events were two highly contrasting musical offerings. An early morning recital by David Baskeyfield on Roy Perry’s Presbyterian masterpiece displayed lovely registration choices and musical suavity in two Mozart pieces originally composed for mechanical clock organ and stunning virtuosity in works by Tournemire and Widor. In the evening, a brilliant accompaniment by Walt Strony for Buster Keaton’s hilarious silent film The General was very much appreciated by the capacity audience.
Thursday’s excursion to Shreveport, Louisiana, and the neo-Gothic splendor of St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral was another “embarrassment of riches,” with a trio of superb organists making memorable music on the magnificent instrument there. Michael Kleinschmidt’s performance of Duruflé’s Prelude and Fugue on the Name ALAIN and his architectural mastery of Widor’s final organ symphony (“Romane”) particularly stand out in memory, but Frederick Swann and Richard Elliott gave memorable recitals as well.
Not to be forgotten were the “words of wisdom” delivered by veteran Shreveport organist William Teague in conversation with Lorenz Maycher—a charming (and practical) interlude. Listed in the program book as “Little Nuggets I Have Picked Up Along the Way,” Teague reminded his listeners to “always check the pistons; play for God and not yourself; [do] not . . . play too fast because in the details one hears the music.” He reminded us of Dora Poteet [Barclay]’s quote from Marcel Dupré: “Find the fastest it can go, and play less fast.” Other reminders were: employ meditative music for church, rather than recital repertoire; do not forget that hymns belong to the congregation; and, perhaps most important as advice for male organists: never wear tails if the organ bench has a back!
Aural (or at least “organ-al”) fatigue was setting in by Friday, the final day, but Jeremy Filsell’s concert at First Baptist Church in Longview was made memorable when he mistakenly stepped into the baptismal font on his way to the organ console in this stunningly original sanctuary! All was made better by that day’s lunch at Longview’s Johnny Cace’s Seafood and Steak House, a soothing organ and harp recital by Charles Callahan and Stephen Hartman, and a brilliant closing concert by Mark Dwyer (both concerts at First Presbyterian, Kilgore). Dwyer’s program was the fourth annual concert in honor of James Lynn (“Jimmy”) Culp, organist emeritus of the church.
The 120-page spiral-bound festival program book sported a genial photograph of Roy Perry on its front cover. Special guest of honor for 2014, Frederick Swann, was portrayed in multiple photographs and program facsimiles from various stages of his life and illustrious career. The book, available through the ETPOF website, would be worth its price even if it contained nothing more than the fascinating “Reminiscences” (1989) by Robert Owen, another iconic organist remembered for his recordings. Of interest to harpsichordists is a short reference to Owen’s study in France with Landowska student Marcelle de Lacour, as well as his delightful memories of Dupré, Marchal, Demessieux, Noelie Perront, and other mid-20th-century French musical luminaries.
I am pleased to report that, among the “goodies” included in the registration packet presented to each participant, there was a pristine “just-off-the-press” copy of The Diapason for November 2014. It was a much-discussed item at the popular evening “After-Glow” camaraderie that marked the end of each musically rewarding day.
2014 artists who will return for the November 2015 festival include David Baskeyfield, Charles Callahan, and Mark Dwyer; they will be joined by Bradley Welch, Todd Wilson, Scott Dettra, Adam Pajan, Caroline Robinson, Jelani Eddington, and Ken Cowan. Special guest of honor will be Albert Russell, whose Kilgore residency coincides with the release of digital discs produced from the original tapes of his two Aeolian-Skinner recordings.
I highly recommend this regional festival. Travel to Texas and marvel at
G. Donald Harrison’s and Roy Perry’s legacy of American Classic organs as found in these charming and hospitable East Texas venues. Most guests who attended one of these musical feasts have returned in succeeding years, for second, third, fourth, and now, fifth helpings.
