Todd Wilson plays all of the organ music composed by Gerre Hancock (1934–2012) in a 2-CD set from Raven (OAR-951, $15.98 postpaid worldwide from RavenCD.com). Kevin Kwan joins Wilson in the organ duets. The recording was made on the chancel and gallery organs of St. Thomas Church, New York, where Hancock served 33 years as organist and choirmaster, 1971–2004.
Three former assistant organists at St. Thomas Church were active in creating the recording: duet organist Kevin Kwan (2008–2012), session producer and editor Peter Stoltzfus Berton (1993–1995), and Brian Harlow (2002–2004), author of an extensive essay on Hancock’s organ music printed in the CD booklet. Emmy Award-winning engineer Edward Kelly recorded the sessions in August 2013, and prepared the masters from which the CDs were pressed.
The CD booklet includes an essay by organbuilder Lawrence Trupiano on the history of the chancel organ at St. Thomas Church. Trupiano maintained the organ during Gerre Hancock’s entire tenure at St. Thomas Church and still does. Also heard on the CD is the Taylor & Boody organ located in the liturgical west gallery, installed in 1996 to honor the 25th anniversary of Hancock’s service at St. Thomas Church. The booklet also contains material from Judith Hancock and Todd Wilson, as well as many photographs. The 160-rank chancel organ still exists with essentially the same tonal resources as it did during Hancock’s entire tenure. New console features added after Hancock’s departure, including super- and sub-octave couplers, were not used for the recording.
Todd Wilson heads the organ department at the Cleveland Institute of Music, is organist and choirmaster of Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland, house organist at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, Akron, and organ curator of the Cleveland Orchestra’s E. M. Skinner organ. As a high school student, he traveled from his hometown of Toledo to Cincinnati for two summers to study with Wayne Fisher and to hear Gerre Hancock accompany services at Christ Church. “I was so bowled over, I can still remember that first service I heard. . . . his service playing was such a departure from anything I had heard before. I was smitten by it, and have been a huge admirer of Gerre’s ever since,” said Wilson in May 2008 as reported in The Diapason, October 2009.
Subsequently, Todd Wilson became a student of Wayne Fisher at the Cincinnati University College-Conservatory of Music during Hancock’s last year in Cincinnati at Christ Church. Wilson continued in a career that includes winning the Prix de Chartres, the Fort Wayne Competition, and that of First Congregational Church of Los Angeles. For information: www.ravencd.com.
