Wilma Jensen named interim director of music at Chicago's St. James Cathedral

Andrew Peters studied with Wilma Jensen while serving a church outside of Nashville, Tennessee. He holds degrees from St. Olaf College and the Cleveland Institute of Music and is Pastoral Musician at Second Presbyterian Church in St. Louis. He plays recitals and released a recording in 2008 on the Schoenstein organ in Franklin, Tennessee. For more information, go to www.andrewjpeters.com.

Wilma Jensen is heralded as an outstanding recitalist, church musician, and teacher. Her extensive concert career has taken her throughout the United States. She has played on countless well-known instruments, including those at First Congregational Church in Los Angeles, the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., Riverside Church in New York City, St. Paul’s Cathedral in St. Paul, St. Philip’s Cathedral in Atlanta, and the West Point United States Military Academy. Having played for several regional conventions and three national conventions of the American Guild of Organists, she is in demand as a recitalist, lecturer, and clinician for choral workshops, church music workshops, and organ masterclasses. Numerous European tours have taken her to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, Poland, the Netherlands, and England. In addition, she has made a recording for West German Broadcasting, Sender Freis Berlin.

Dr. Jensen earned her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where she was a student of Catharine Crozier and Harold Gleason. During that time she received the Performer’s Certificate in organ. She received an honorary doctorate from Piedmont College in May 2004. Recognized as a successful teacher, Wilma Jensen has served on the faculties of Oklahoma City University, the Blair School of Music of Vanderbilt University, Scarritt Graduate School, and Indiana University, where she was a tenured professor.

In addition to two professional solo recordings—Mors et Resurrectio (Arkay label) and Sketches and Improvisations (Pro Organo label)—Wilma Jensen also made two recordings conducting the St. George’s Choir on the Pro Organo label. She has given numerous masterclasses around the country at sites including the Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music, Westminster Choir College, Eastman School of Music, and many others. She has a full upcoming schedule of recitals and masterclasses and will present a pre-convention recital for the 2012 AGO National Convention in Nashville. Additionally, she will teach two workshop masterclasses. For more information, go to www.wilmajensen.com.

Andrew Peters: You’ve had a lengthy career in the organ world. What first interested you in the organ?

Wilma Jensen: My father was a Methodist minister in south central Illinois. By the age of ten, I wanted very much to try the organ, having started piano lessons at age five. Of course I was in church every Sunday and could play many hymns on the piano at a very young age, as well as do some playing “by ear.”

AP: You’ve had experiences in three aspects of the organ world: church music, teaching, and performance.  Can you talk a bit about your experience with service music and hymn playing?

WJ: When I was twelve, I had a regular job on a two-manual pipe organ in my father’s church, since there seemed to be no one else to play. I have no memory of what I might have used for voluntaries. They were probably poor, but I did enjoy working out the hymns with pedal, although at this point I was self-taught. I was extremely proud of my salary of $1 per week! A well-known organist, Dr. Frank Collins, gave a recital in my hometown, and my parents asked him to hear me play. He suggested I should study with a good teacher and recommended Ruth Melville Bellatti at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois. She was a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, having studied with Harold Gleason, and was a classmate of Catharine Crozier. She insisted I play every note of the first edition of the Gleason Method. Also, she was instrumental in my attending Eastman for undergraduate and graduate study.

AP: You had a long tenure at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Nashville. Did you have a choral background before serving there? 

WJ: Unfortunately, no. I conducted only one other church choir for a short time before coming to St. George’s. I realized I was in no way ready for the position, so I sought out excellent teachers to help me with conducting, diction, and repertoire. (This happened over a number of years.) Lois Fyfe and her staff at Lois Fyfe Music in Nashville provided invaluable assistance for the selection of choral music. An associate priest at St. George’s spent hours helping me each week in the study of the church year and planning appropriate music for the specific Sunday lessons from the Lectionary. Also, I listened to and studied numerous recordings of choirs from all over Europe and the U.S.

AP: Did studying choral skills in your mid-life give you a unique perspective on choral music and the voice?

WJ: Yes, it certainly did. Conducting makes one so conscious of the “time and dynamics between the beats,” the shaping of the musical line, and the timing of consonants for perfecting ensemble. Unifying proper vowels contributed more to the beauty of the sound than I ever previously could have imagined.  

During my tenure at St. George’s, the choir made two recordings and was chosen from an audition tape to sing for the national convention of the American Choral Directors Association in 1989. By that time, I had been choirmaster/organist for seven years and had been studying and growing as a musician. That summer, the choir made an extended tour of Europe, singing in England, Austria, and France. Our tour concluded at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, where we sang a pre-service a cappella program prior to singing the Vierne Messe Solennelle at Sunday morning Mass. (I also played the afternoon organ recital.)

AP: You’ve played recitals on organs of various historic periods throughout the United States and Europe. Out of the hundreds of recitals you’ve played, do any stand out in your mind? 

WJ: I am very grateful for the experience of playing so many diverse instruments, both electro-pneumatic and tracker. Some have been in large cathedrals with much reverberation and some have been small historic instruments. I appreciated being able to play the first Cavaillé-Coll of 1850 in Paris at the Cathedral of St. Denis, as well as later instruments of the same builder. At St. Denis, because the pedal pipes are so far from the console and there is no Barker lever for the pedal, I had to stand on final long notes with all the weight I could manage in order for all the pipes to sound! I enjoyed playing an Åkerman instrument in Uppsala, Sweden (Åkerman was a pupil of Cavaillé-Coll), a Schnitger organ in Germany, St. Paul’s in London, and many small tracker instruments in the Netherlands. I must admit I love a reverberant cathedral sound. This wide variety of experiences helps in my understanding of the overall repertoire and my ability to communicate appropriate registration to students. I do enjoy spending time planning the registration.

AP: You’re continuing to learn new repertoire. Do you have a particular style, period, or composer in which you specialize? 

WJ: I especially enjoy learning, performing, and registering the Romantic and contemporary literature. Additionally, I keep exploring repertoire for voluntaries for services, both for myself and students, and occasionally substitute for services at St. George’s and other churches. I have been given some out-of-print repertoire, which I later performed and recorded. As a result, several of these compositions now appear as archival editions. I am so looking forward to playing soon the newly renovated 1932 Aeolian organ at Duke Chapel. I have just learned all three of Eric Delamarter’s Nocturnes and will use the Chimes, Harp, Celesta and many solo stops as indicated in the score.

AP: You have current and former students across the country. Are there students with whom you are still in touch?

WJ: There are too many to name! Some are high-profile professionals. I am equally proud of many other students who are making invaluable contributions in their current positions. I stay in touch with many former students and enjoy hearing about their teaching, church positions, and performing. You might say talking on my cell phone to former students is my hobby!

AP: Do you still teach a monthly masterclass in Nashville? 

WJ: Yes, I did teach a monthly masterclass for many years for anyone who wanted to attend. This season, however, I am so busy with recitals, classes, and other commitments that, at least for the moment, I am taking a break.

AP: You recently released an extensive teaching video and booklet, “Organizing Notes in Space.” Why did you start this project?

WJ: This project was important to me to help communicate some of my teaching concepts as part of my legacy. After considerable study of the physical aspects of keyboard technique, I have developed an approach to help students overcome problems and develop a facile technique. And, of course, one arrives at a satisfactory musical result only through a controlled technique. As a result, I wanted to demonstrate these ideas by teaching former students in a video.

 AP: Is it true that you once played in a masterclass for Bonnet?

WJ: Yes, I played in a masterclass for Joseph Bonnet when I was twelve. I thought it was a recital, not a class. Since I was the first to play, I was humiliated that he stopped me for his suggestions.  At the conclusion of my playing, I went to a corner in the back of the room and shed many tears.

AP: Besides being a past dean of the Nashville AGO chapter, have you served in other AGO positions?

WJ: In addition to being Dean-elect and Dean for the two-year period, I have served on many program, executive and education committees through the years. Also, I have judged competitions, taught at Pipe Organ Encounters—both beginner and advanced—and taught masterclasses throughout the U.S. I am on the workshop committee for the Nashville 2012 AGO national convention. 

AP: What are your thoughts on the need for piano study before studying organ?

WJ: I think piano study is essential at a young age for developing a natural, flexible, facile technique. In mid-life, I had developed some wrist tension, too heavy thumbs, and resulting weak fourth and fifth fingers. I sought the coaching of Ernestine Scott, an incredible piano teacher in Oklahoma City. This study and extensive readings she recommended have changed my approach to technique and resulting musicianship. My new teaching video is dedicated to her. Sometimes when we are young we have a natural, facile technique that may change with lack of continued piano practice. Finding those skills again is a truly valuable gift at any age.

AP: Would you like to tell us a bit about your family? 

WJ: I have two children, seven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. I frequently visit my daughter and her family near Chicago. The oldest two of three girls attend Indiana University School of Business, and I was able to visit them in Bloomington while attending conferences last year. My son lives in Orlando. His three girls and one boy are rather scattered geographically, but we all manage to meet in Orlando. 

My daughter played the piano well and was fortunate to study with my teacher, Ernestine Scott. When she was in junior high, she was the registrant for my first European tour in Holland. She thought it was not as glamorous as she had expected! All seven grandchildren stomped their feet and said, “We are not taking any more piano lessons!”

AP: What changes in organ design have you seen during your career?

WJ: I recall experiencing the Orgelbewegung; then later Romantic organs including trackers, which became larger and larger; again more small historic trackers into the mix; and back and forth we go. I love it all!

AP: What do you perceive are the challenges of music in the contemporary church?

WJ: Just as we cannot seem to make up our minds about what kind of organ is best for each church, we seem to be having issues in choosing a traditional service with classical music or a contemporary service thought to be more appealing to young people. This issue has just come to the forefront at St. George’s in Nashville. The first modern liturgical service was just held a few weeks ago in a secondary worship space, which has been created with an altar, screens, microphones, etc. I attended the first service, and it was very successful and well done. I am pleased it was held in a place other than the main worship space. I believe it is essential to make the traditional service as beautiful, moving, and exciting as possible. The music of this new service was sensitive, set in a liturgical context, and still within the form of this modern style of worship. If that happens, there will be a place for both services to exist peacefully “in harmony.”

As for positions for church musicians, I believe if you can develop a really fine program that has meaning musically and spiritually, as well as make yourself invaluable to the program, there will be a good job for you.

AP: Thank you so much, Wilma!

Kudos to the AGO planning committees and everyone involved for balanced programming with plenty to enjoy for both organ music lovers and connoisseurs

During my doctoral studies at Boston’s New England Conservatory, I had the privilege of serving as organ scholar and assistant university organist and choirmaster at Harvard University’s Memorial Church. I fell in love with the city and thoroughly enjoyed its many riches. Balancing work and academics was trying, though, and I often felt like an underachiever, never having enough time to do everything as well as I would have liked to do. Simply put, I was busy, and I could not possibly imagine a busier life. It was around that time that one of my teachers said: “If you think you are busy now . . . just wait till you get out of school.” 

Fast forward to the spring of 2012. Just as my teacher had predicted, life was more than busy, and I was tired from a hectic year, looking forward for things to slow down during the summer. When the time came to register for the 2012 AGO National Convention in Nashville I was reluctant to do so. Just thinking of all the masterclasses, services, and concerts made me tired, wanting to curl up in a ball and go to sleep. To make matters worse, the convention’s programming included a number of Greatest Hits concerts—some performed on electronic organs! 

Indeed, the puritan in me rebelled against all this nonsense. But reminding myself of the very successful 2010 national convention softened my spirit, so I went ahead and registered—reluctantly though—for this year’s convention. Because of scheduling conflicts I was unable to attend the weekend programming, but I hit the ground running on Monday, July 2. With my carry-on still in hand I arrived at the Nashville Convention Center to hear Jayne Latva’s presentation on Schumann’s Six Fugues on B-A-C-H, Op. 60. Dr. Latva’s lecture was refreshing and inspiring. She introduced several new and insightful angles on the matter, and her piano background was instrumental in connecting some missing dots regarding Schumann as composer, organist, and pianist. At the conclusion of this presentation I felt recharged; I was glad to be at the convention and was eagerly anticipating the upcoming week. To say that my expectations were met would be an understatement. 

Several of Nashville’s own were featured at a collaborative pre-convention recital at beautiful West End United Methodist Church. Wilma Jensen played Vierne’s Étoile du Soir, Tournemire’s Choral-Improvisation on “Victimae paschali,” Fugue by Honegger, and Thierry Escaich’s Five Versets on “Victimae paschali.” Conductor Don Marler, Andrew Risinger (Grand Orgue), Gregg Bunn (Petit Orgue), and the West End United Methodist Church Chancel Choir performed Vierne’s Messe Solennelle and Widor’s Messe à deux choeurs et deux orgues—a program well suited for the 1983 V/136 Möller organ.

Matthew Dirst presented a masterclass on performance issues in the Baroque repertoire. Dirst used several samples of Handel and Monteverdi scores to demonstrate solutions to commonly encountered problems in this music. This kind of problem solving was very interesting and served as a medium towards critical thinking in future performance issues. 

Spanish organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez played with great flair at St. Henry Catholic Church. The program included Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre and Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz, sandwiched by Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 541, and Guilmant’s Sonata No. 1 in D Major, Op. 42. Mr. Ramirez’s positive, energetic style was quite infectious and his arrangement of Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz was very well received. 

Cherry Rhodes’s recital at Nashville First Baptist Church included the American premiere of Yuankai Bao’s Young Girl Carrying Water on a Shoulder Pole. Originally written for piano in 1963, Bao arranged the piece for strings, added an allegro section, and included it as a movement in his China Sight and Sounds Orchestral Suite. The work was transcribed by organist Weicheng Zhao, a former composition student with Bao, and currently an organ student with Cherry Rhodes.

A special feature of this year’s convention was the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, conducted (with a pencil) by Stephen Layton. The choir—its appearance made possible through a generous gift by Peter and Lois Fyfe—presented an exquisite program with impeccable precision and clarity. The first set of anthems (Arvo Pärt’s Bogoróditse Djévo and John Tavener’s Mother of God, here I stand) was performed without conductor (!), and one could hear a pin drop in the capacity-filled sanctuary. Next was a chilling rendition of Robert Parsons’ Ave Maria, with its unsurpassed, elongated Amen. It was amazing to see how the choir handled a long, taxing program, without the slightest sign of fatigue. 

Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin played a recital in the beautiful new sanctuary of Covenant Presbyterian Church, with its stunning 2009 Fisk organ. Her program included a variety of well-known pieces, including toccatas by Renaud and Bélier, Franck’s Choral No. 3, and, as expected, an improvisation on a given theme. Later that week she presented an improvisation workshop, during which she used a simple melody to demonstrate how to expound on melodic lines and rhythmic cells while exploring modes and tonal centers. 

While his French counterpart provided insight in the exploration of modes etc., Tom Trenney took a practical approach to hymn improvisation. He skillfully demonstrated how hymn motifs can be used in hymn improvisation. Improvisation masterclasses can at times be intimidating, to say the least. Kudos to Tom Trenney for his personable approach and his ability to break the music down into very practical building blocks. Trenney played a nicely varied program at beautiful West End United Methodist Church, which featured, among other works, Ives’s Variations on ‘America’, Alain’s Deuxième Fantaisie, Bach’s Passacaglia, and several improvisations, including an improvisation on Ora Labora, offered in memory of Dr. Gerre Hancock (1934–2012). 

George Stauffer, general editor of the Leupold edition of the complete organ works of J. S. Bach, lectured about performance issues in Bach’s organ works. His presentation complemented his earlier masterclass (co-presented with Wayne Leupold), which dealt with editorial problems in J. S. Bach’s organ works. Discrepancies in surviving texts pose numerous problems, and both presenters explained the how-and-why process of their editorial efforts. The combined efforts of the research team resulted in more than interesting findings and performance possibilities, as is evident in the new Leupold Bach editions. 

Leo H. Davis, Jr. offered a glimpse into the realm of lesser-known organ repertoire: organ music by composers of African descent (including but not limited to African-American composers). Davis negated the general misconception that most African organ music is based on the Negro spiritual, and through various samples introduced a wealth of organ repertoire that remains virtually unknown. His extensive illustrations included compositions based on spirituals, plainchant, original themes, Protestant hymnody, German chorales, music from the Jewish liturgical tradition, and African-tribal tunes, as well as civil rights themes.

Vance and Peggy Wolverton took a similar approach in their presentation of Baltic organ music. Vance Wolverton discussed the works of chiefly unknown composers, while his wife accompanied his remarks with excerpts of Baltic organ literature. With the possible exception of Estonian Arvo Pärt, the majority of Baltic composers remains unknown, primarily as a result of more than 50 years of Soviet occupation. 

Organized Rhythm blew the crowd away with their rendition of Gustav Holst’s The Planets. Organist Clive Driskill-Smith and percussionist Joseph Gramley treated the audience to a shortened version, which included the Mars, Venus, and Jupiter movements, with an added Pluto, newly composed by Stephen Eddins. Ironically, Holst disliked shortened versions of this work, especially ones ending with the jolly Jupiter¹. Nobody except for Gustav seemed to mind, though. The duo ended their program with a performance of Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals, interspersed with short, witty poems by Ogden Nash. This program was incredibly appealing and can serve as a vehicle to pique youngsters’ interest in the organ and classical music—highly recommended! 

The Thursday afternoon program at Belmont University Hall started with two new choral works, sung by the Nashville Chamber Singers. First we heard Alan Smith’s There Is a Flow’r (AGO/ECS Publishing Award in Choral Composition), followed by Rosephanye Powell’s multi-movement work The Cry of Jeremiah (commissioned for the 2012 convention). After a brief pause the recital proceeded with Matthew Dirst, harpsichord; Colin St. Martin, traverso; and Mary Springfels, viola da gamba. The trio played a nice variety of works by François Couperin, Jean-Marie Leclair, C.P.E. Bach (harpsichord solo), and J.S. Bach.

Thomas Trotter’s appearance was made possible through a generous gift by Marianne Webb, Professor of Music and Distinguished University Organist at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. As stated in the program, “Miss Webb’s endowment, established in perpetuity, will present world-renowned concert organists in recital during the biennial National Conventions of the American Guild of Organists.” The diverse program perfectly suited the Schoenstein organ at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, and Thomas Trotter—Birmingham City Organist (U.K.), among other things—was right at home at the console of this orchestral instrument. Handel’s Organ Concerto Op. 4 No. 2 sounded surprisingly well on the Schoenstein, and Schumann would have been very pleased with the performance of two of his Canonic Studies. The audience was clearly amazed at Trotter’s technical and musical abilities and the lengthy standing ovation at the conclusion of the program (Rossini’s William Tell Overture) was more than deserved. 

Friday evening’s program featured organists Nathan Laube and Todd Wilson in a spectacular program with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. This concert was made possible through the generous gifts of Murray and Hazel Somerville, and Hank Woerner. The program included Brahms’s Academic Festival Overture, Mendelssohn’s Variations Sérieuses (transcribed by N. Laube), Dvorák’s Carnival Overture, and Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. In addition, the audience was treated to organ concertos by two living composers: Puerto Rican-born composer Roberto Sierra’s Organ Concerto, which was commissioned for the 2012 convention, and Stephen Paulus’s Grand Organ Concerto. Since the majority of organs are found in houses of worship, these works have the ability to reach a crowd that might ordinarily not be exposed to organ music on a regular basis. Indeed a great outreach opportunity for the AGO!

And then there was Hector Olivera. What can I say? I have to admit that I was reluctant to go hear Mr. Olivera’s recital. All these transcriptions on electronic organs—how could it possibly be any good? How ironic that a pipe organ builder encouraged me to go. Well, the whole show was electrifying (no pun intended). Mr. Olivera, or Hector, is ever as much a showman as an organist. Here we were in the large, non-resonant hotel ballroom, listening to transcriptions played on an electronic organ. Yet, somehow it didn’t matter. It was exhilarating, witty—fun! Hector’s ability to combine technique, musicality, and personality simply brought the house down, and he surely gained numerous fans, including yours truly. 

All in all, Nashville had much more to offer than I had expected. In addition to the many fine restaurants there was a plethora of exciting live performances in the many clubs and bars for those who needed a break from pedals and pipes. The many worship services were uplifting, combining standard choral repertoire with some stellar new compositions. A sincere thank you to the many contributors, who through their financial gifts enabled the many fabulous performances. And kudos to the AGO planning committees and everyone involved for balanced programming with plenty to enjoy for both organ music lovers and connoisseurs. Congratulations on a wonderful convention. Goodbye Nashville and hello Boston. I will see you in 2014!

Notes

1. Imogen Holst, A Thematic Catalogue of Gustav Holst’s Music (London: Faber and Faber, 1974), p. 73.

Joyce Johnson Robinson is associate editor of The Diapason.

Lee Dettra retired four years ago after 53 years of serving churches and universities in Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware. A graduate of Westminster Choir College, he also earned the Master of Sacred Music degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and holds the American Guild of Organists’ Fellowship and Choir Master certifications. His study of the organ was mainly with Alexander McCurdy and Searle Wright.

In 1985 Lee Dettra was appointed by President Reagan as organist and choirmaster of the Cadet Chapel at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, where he served until 2000. There he presided over the 325-rank, 20,142-pipe organ and conducted the Cadet Chapel Choir, which sang at the annual service for the U.S. Army at Washington National Cathedral.

Lee and his wife Janet, who live in Delaware, have three children and four grandchildren. He was the first organ teacher of their son Scott, who has been organist and associate director of music at Washington National Cathedral for the last five years and is now director of music at the Church of the Incarnation in Dallas, Texas.

Scott Dettra is director of music at the Church of the Incarnation in Dallas, Texas, where he oversees one of the nation’s largest Anglican music programs. Prior to his appointment in Dallas, he was organist and associate director of music at Washington National Cathedral for five years. A native of Wilmington, Delaware, Scott Dettra holds two degrees from Westminster Choir College and has studied jazz piano at Manhattan School of Music. His principal organ teachers have been Joan Lippincott, Dennis Keene, and his father, Lee Dettra. He is also organist of The Crossing, Philadelphia’s new-music choir.

He has performed at national conventions of the American Guild of Organists, the Association of Anglican Musicians, and the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians. Festival appearances include the Lincoln Center Festival, the Carmel Bach Festival, the Arizona Bach Festival, the Bermuda Music Festival, and the Piccolo Spoleto Festival.

His debut recording, Tongues of Fire (Pro Organo), featured French music performed on the 325-rank organ of the Cadet Chapel at West Point. Majestus (Loft) features large-scale organ favorites performed on the Great Organ of Washington National Cathedral. Scott Dettra performs throughout the United States and Canada under the management of Karen McFarlane Artists.

Joyce Robinson: Do you have any musical ancestors? And are any of your grandchildren musical?

Lee Dettra: My parents were amateur violinists and actually met playing in the Norristown, Pennsylvania Community Orchestra in the 1930s. My mother taught public school music, having earned a music education degree from Beaver College. Janet’s and my granddaughter (the oldest of our four grandchildren) plays the trombone in her high school band.

JR: How did you and your brother Philip become interested in the organ? What was your training?

LD: My grandparents purchased a home organ when I was nine, and I began organ lessons with my piano teacher in Pennsylvania, Eleanor Fields Holden, a Curtis grad. My younger brother Philip, now an accomplished pianist and architect as well as a church organist and choirmaster in North Carolina, soon followed with piano study and eventually organ study. When my family moved to Florida when I was in junior high, I first studied organ with Herman Siewert at Rollins College, and, when he retired, with Ruth Richardson Carr at Stetson University. Philip and I both studied piano with Maude Beiser when we were in high school. During this time I served two churches as organist in our home town, Mount Dora. 

I began college at Houghton, where I studied organ with Charles H. Finney and piano with Eldon Basney. I then transferred to Westminster Choir College (graduating in 1963), studying with Theodore Keller and then Alexander McCurdy (both Farnam students). After serving in my first full-time church position in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, I entered the School of Sacred Music at Union Seminary in New York, where in 1968 I earned the Master of Sacred Music degree, studying with Searle Wright. About this time I earned the AGO’s Fellow and Choir Master certifications. I then served First Presbyterian Church in Sharon, Pennsylvania (also teaching organ at Thiel College), and then First and Central Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, Delaware, where I also founded and conducted Wilmington’s Center City Chorale, and taught organ at the University of Delaware.

It was during this time that Scott, our youngest of three children, was born. From 1985 to 2000 I was organist and choirmaster of the Cadet Chapel at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. During these years Scott and I both served as accompanists of the Masterwork Chorus in New Jersey under Andrew Megill. When I retired from West Point, my wife and I moved back to Delaware, where I served Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Green in New Castle for six years.  

JR: When did Scott show interest in the instrument? 

LD: From a very early age he exhibited interest, ability, and a natural talent for music. He began organ study at around age eight, after several years of piano lessons. During high school he served as organist for churches in Highland Falls, New York, and Newburgh, New York, before entering college.

JR: Were you able to give him access to the major instruments you played?

LD: Beginning in Wilmington, and continuing at West Point, Scott had access to the organs, where he practiced and had his lessons with me. He eventually gave several recitals on the West Point organ in recent years.

JR: Have the two of you ever worked together, or presented any duet programs?

LD: In his early years Scott and I gave some recitals together, where we included some duets. Then at Trinity Church in Princeton, when he was assistant organist there, we presented a “Dueling Organs” recital, where we played a Sousa march encore with both of us at the same organ.

JR: You have held positions in large and prominent churches and chapels, including at West Point. What advice did you pass on to Scott about handling such a responsibility?

LD: Do your best, taking changes in your stride, and even if you have ten weddings to play in one day, as I did once at West Point, try to keep it all “fresh”!

JR: Can you tell us a bit about your West Point position—was it at all different from an organist-choirmaster position at a church? What was the required repertoire?

LD: It was a joy and a privilege to work with the fine cadets at the U.S. Military Academy. My duties included conducting the Cadet Chapel Choir (which sang for the Sunday morning Protestant service and did some touring), teaching a music appreciation course in the English department, giving VIP tours of the 1500-seat Gothic Cadet Chapel, conducting Handel’s Messiah with orchestra and chorus each December, planning the organ recital series, playing carillon recitals, playing for many funerals of graduates, overseeing the maintenance of the organ, and playing the Cadet Chapel organ for the Protestant service and many weddings (attending their rehearsals as well).

JR: Just how many weddings?

LD: Any weekend might include four rehearsals and four weddings, with my busiest weekend involving 21 weddings, ten of which were every hour following two Sunday morning services. Many weddings required much organ repertoire, as I tried not to repeat preludial music too often. (Most processionals and recessionals got repeated many times, though!)

JR: One biographical item mentions television recording, including for the BBC. Please tell us about that. 

LD: While at West Point I recorded a few pieces several different times for the BBC, as well as for some American programs. These featured the West Point organ—now 390 ranks—the world’s largest organ in a religious building and third largest in the world, surpassed only by the Atlantic City Convention Hall organ and the Wanamaker Organ in Philadelphia, which Scott and I have both played. While at West Point I recorded a CD—West Point Classics, which is available through the Organ Historical Society. (Scott’s CDs are available there, also.)

JR: You have helped present a POE. How did it go, and how did it make you feel about the organ’s future?

LD: I was very encouraged by the talent and enthusiasm of the 30 students who participated in the Wilmington, Delaware POE in June 2011. Even at the various levels of playing exhibited, all were so enthusiastic, and so grateful to find others their age who were also interested!

JR: What changes have you observed in the organ world?

LD: Of course, the knowledge of earlier performance practice has colored interpretation greatly since my first organ study. The other change, as exemplified by POE attendance, has been an increased interest in the organ, giving much hope for the future!

JR: How are you spending your time in retirement?

LD: In 2008, after 53 years of serving churches and universities in Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware, I retired from regular church work, but have done a lot of substituting, as well as quite a few organ recitals. Actually, this year I am serving as assistant organist of the Episcopal cathedral in Wilmington, Delaware—the Cathedral Church of St. John—assisting Eugene Lavery in the fine program there, which includes the Cathedral Choir School of Delaware. I am enjoying once again being part of weekly playing—on the Noack and Möller organs there.

§

Joyce Robinson: Tell us about beginning organ study with your father.

Scott Dettra: I grew up watching my father play the organ in church and was fascinated by both the music and the instrument. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to do what he did. I don’t specifically remember our very first lessons, although I know they were when I was eight years old. I had been taking piano lessons since I was three, so I already had several years of keyboard experience under my belt. People always ask if I could reach the pedals when I was eight and the answer is yes, although I could only reach with my toes originally (great practice for when I later learned about Baroque performance practice!). Some of the topics I remember covering in early lessons were legato, finger substitution, basic registration, and hymn playing.

JR: How were lessons handled?

SD: We didn’t have a regular schedule for lessons. We would just have one whenever it was convenient. If I had a day off from school I would go to work with Dad, practice all day, and have a lesson. We also had a one-manual and pedal instrument at home that Dad built from a kit. So there was always an organ available.

JR: You were only nine years old when you had your first job.

SD: My first church job came through my father. Silverbrook United Methodist needed an interim and I played for four weeks. It was Advent of 1984, if I recall correctly. There was no choir to conduct. I prepared a prelude and postlude each week, along with hymns and service music. My mother took me on Sundays because Dad was busy at his own church, obviously.

JR: And you played at Riverside Church when you were eleven.

SD: John Walker invited me to play at Riverside for their Youth Sunday in 1986 after he and I met at West Point, where he was playing a recital on my father’s series. I played the postlude—Toccata and Fugue in D minor (no less!). Obviously, it was a thrilling moment for an eleven-year-old!

JR: Is your mother musical, too? How did she manage in a multi-organist household?

SD: Mom is a registered nurse and doesn’t play any instruments. She enjoys singing and has sung in Dad’s church choirs for as long as I can remember. Obviously, she has heard more than her share of organ music over the years and has always been a great support for both of us. 

JR: Did you ever want to do anything else?

SD: When I was in the second or third grade, I was fascinated by some of the early personal computers and remember telling people I wanted to be a computer programmer. But I never seriously considered another profession. I did flirt with jazz piano quite a bit while in high school and actually began my college career at Manhattan School of Music as a jazz piano major. I think that was the extent of my teenage rebellion!

JR: What about study with your other teachers? 

SD: After one semester at Manhattan School of Music, I changed my major to organ performance and studied with Dennis Keene. Although I only worked with him for one semester, this was a very important time for me in my development as an organist. He was the first teacher I had ever had besides my father and his teaching engaged me in a new way. I still use and value many of the things I learned from him during that semester and am very thankful to have had the opportunity to study with him. When I transferred to Westminster Choir College I studied with Joan Lippincott, who is wonderful in every possible way. I finished out my college years with her and continued on for my master’s. I am so thankful for the time I spent studying with her and treasure our relationship to this day. 

JR: Your prior position was as organist at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Were you at all affected by the recent earthquake there? 

SD: Life at the cathedral was exciting and busy. The earthquake caused considerable damage and forced us to close the building for almost three months. It will take many years and tens of millions of dollars to repair all of the earthquake damage. During the closure, many services and events were moved to other venues (including major services for the opening of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and an entire weekend of services and concerts for the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks), a logistical challenge met with the utmost distinction by the entire staff. Happily, the organ did not seem to have suffered any damage in the earthquake. In fact, we used the downtime to repair some of the most pressing maintenance issues threatening the instrument.

JR: What were the special challenges, especially musical challenges, of a position in such an internationally prominent cathedral? 

SD: The most challenging thing was the lack of practice time on the cathedral organ. The organists are unable to practice during the day, when the building is open for tours. Another challenge was the musical pace. That was also the thing I loved most about the job. With seven choral services each week, the choir and organists go through a vast amount of repertoire very quickly. I loved that there was at least one service to play almost every day I came to work.

JR: You gained some new and notable exposure at the 2010 AGO convention, particularly for your endurance in playing multiple programs on the same day. Obviously you have inherited your father’s stamina genes! Where do you get your energy?

SD: To be completely honest, I didn’t realize all three programs were scheduled for the same day when I agreed to them. That said, I approached it as a fun challenge. It was an exhausting day to be sure, but we should all have a few of those now and then! As for where my energy comes from, I love to perform and never have trouble gathering the energy necessary to do so.

JR: Following the convention, you came under management. Has that changed your life in any way?

SD: My concert career is very important to me. I love playing recitals, traveling to places I have not yet been, meeting new people, and playing a variety of instruments. Being under management with Karen McFarlane Artists has certainly shed a new spotlight on that part of my career, for which I am very grateful.

JR: Which are your preferred works and who are your favorite composers?

SD: For me, all music begins and ends with Bach. His music has always been my first love. Other composers for whom I have a particular admiration are Franck, Widor, Duruflé, Brahms, Mendelssohn, and Healey Willan. 

JR: You studied jazz piano—was that an end, or a means?

SD: At the time it was an end, but now I see it as a means. My high school band director got me interested in jazz in a big way. I had a church job throughout high school, but my real love was playing jazz piano, not organ music. My background in jazz has certainly had an influence on my organ playing, but not a large one. I think it influences my continuo playing more than anything. Realizing figured bass is really no different from reading a jazz chart.

JR: You have been involved with the Embassy’s promotion of concerts—you presented recitals in Washington D.C., and also in Barbados. What is this program and how did you come to be involved in it?

SD: This has not been a formalized program so much as a few isolated events. In the case of my recital in Barbados last year, it was very exciting to work with our embassy there to connect with music students in local schools. We played music for and with each other and had some very interesting question and answer sessions. 

JR: Tell us about your new position as director of music at the Church of the Incarnation in Dallas, Texas.

SD: I could not be more excited about my new position at the Church of the Incarnation. Having had the privilege to assist several excellent directors in a number of prominent programs—John Bertalot, Jim Litton, Mark Dwyer, and Michael McCarthy come to mind immediately—I have a strong urge to run my own program at this point in my career. The program at the Church of the Incarnation offers everything I’m looking for, including excellent choirs, a commitment to traditional Anglican liturgy and repertoire, and a large and active parish that we can make the center of our family life.

JR: There seems to be a sort of musical migration down to Texas! First the Hancocks moved back there; Ken Cowan and Isabelle Demers will be teaching there; and now you. Any thoughts on this?

SD: Several people have commented on the fact that Ken, Isabelle, and I are all heading to Texas at the same time. I can only speak for myself when I say that while I never pictured myself in Texas, I have found there an exciting  position that will challenge me and allow me to grow in new ways. And I will be very happy to have such excellent colleagues nearby.

JR: What are your goals and plans for the future?

SD: My main goal is to continue to grow as a musician, both in the church and on the concert stage. That means continuing to challenge myself with new projects, new repertoire, and new ways of doing things. I would like to grow as a conductor, an aspect of my musical life I haven’t spent a great deal of time cultivating thus far. I would also like to continue to record, but only when I feel I have something interesting to say about a particular part of the repertoire. I also have non-musical goals and dreams, such as earning my private pilot’s license and hiking the Appalachian Trail.

JR: Thank you, Lee and Scott—happy trails to you!

The Instituto de Órganos Históricos de Oaxaca (IOHIO) offered a unique celebration of Oaxacan culture based on the historic pipe organs

Cicely Winter grew up in the state of Michigan, but has lived in Oaxaca since 1972. She studied piano and harpsichord at Smith College and the University of Michigan, where she obtained a B.A. in music and an M.A. in European history. She later studied piano performance at the post-graduate level in the School of Music at Indiana University. She presents organ, piano, and harpsichord concerts regularly, many of which benefit community service projects. In the year 2000 she co-founded the Instituto de Órganos Históricos de Oaxaca A.C. (IOHIO) and since then has served as its director. The IOHIO focuses on the protection and promotion of the sixty-nine historic pipe organs known to date in the state of Oaxaca.

The ninth festival had barely finished before people were clamoring to know when the next one would be! Once again, the Instituto de Órganos Históricos de Oaxaca (IOHIO) offered a unique celebration of Oaxacan culture based on the historic pipe organs. Over the course of five and a half days, participants could enjoy concerts on six Oaxacan organs; two choral concerts in splendid colonial venues; one harpsichord and flute concert in a village church; visits to eleven unrestored organs with guided tours of their churches, many of which are usually inaccessible to the public; a guided tour of the archeological site of Monte Albán; a guided tour of the colonial churches of Oaxaca City; the opportunity for organists to play some of the organs; a presentation about the Oaxacan organs; an exhibit of manuscripts related to the organs from local archives; and a chance to savor the famous Oaxacan cuisine in three villages.

The festival attracted more than 100 experts, students, and aficionados in fields related to organs, music, colonial art, and Oaxacan culture in general. The concerts were packed, and there were more local people in the audience than ever. Attendance was approximately 260 people in the cathedral, 150 in Huayapam, 380 in La Soledad, 230 in San Pablo, 150 in Tamazulapan, 150 in Yanhuitlán, 180 in Zautla, and 150 in Tlacochahuaya. The star performer was the internationally acclaimed Brazilian organist Elisa Freixo, who played the inaugural and final concerts. Twenty-five Mexican musicians were invited to participate as well: four organists, 14 singers, three guitarists, two percussionists (both Oaxacan), a flutist, and a harpsichordist, as well as a chorus of 14 singers. Also in attendance were 11 young Mexican organists and organ students from Guanajuato, Morelia, Mexico City, and Oaxaca. In addition to the musicians, we were honored to have with us Richard Perry, author of several books on Mexican colonial art, who guided the church tours.

Wednesday, February 15

The events began with the inauguration of the festival and reception in the Oaxaca Philatelic Museum (MUFI). María Isabel Grañen Porrúa, president of the Fundación Alfredo Harp Helú Oaxaca, and Eloy Pérez Sibaja, director of the Oaxaca Regional Center of the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH), offered words of congratulations and the support of their respective institutions, after which Cicely Winter, director of the IOHIO, spoke about the goals of the festival.

The first concert of the festival took place in the Oaxaca Cathedral. Elisa Freixo offered a program of 16th–
18th-century repertoire by composers of diverse nationalities, and her characteristically elegant style set the high tone for the musical events to follow. Because of the position of the organ in the choir loft, the organist’s back is to the audience, so the concert was projected onto a screen in the church. In this way it was possible to see how the registers were changed and watch Elisa’s hands as she played. The monumental organ (1712) retains its opulently carved and gilded upper case, but its lower case has been rebuilt several times and there is no evidence of its original appearance. However, one can assume that it was once as richly decorated as the upper case.

Thursday, February 16

The first full day of activities began with a visit to the church of San Matías Jalatlaco, located on the edge of the historic center of Oaxaca City. We ascended the first of the many winding stone staircases we would encounter in the days ahead, in order to view the organ from the front in the choir loft. This elegantly proportioned blue 8′ organ was built in 1866 by the distinguished Mexican (Oaxacan?) organbuilder Pedro Nibra and was recently evaluated by organbuilder Gerhard Grenzing (Barcelona) for a possible future restoration.

It is always interesting see how the group splits up when we enter a church, with the organbuilders scurrying up to the choir loft, the lovers of colonial art gravitating to the altarpieces (retablos), those with anthropological inclinations talking to the local people, and others just wandering around enjoying the overall experience.

Our next stop was in San Juan Teitipac, where Richard Perry and art historian Janet Esser offered an explanation of the famous 16th-century Dominican mural at the entrance of the former convent. Inside the baroque-style church, we viewed the empty 18th-century organ case, which was painted light blue and converted into a confessional in the 1970s. It was later abandoned in a storeroom, where the IOHIO found it some years ago and moved it back into the church.

We proceeded to the church of San Jerónimo Tlacochahuaya, considered to be one of the loveliest in Mexico, with its exuberant interior floral decoration and exquisite baroque altarpieces, all recently restored. The focus of the visit was the church art rather than the organ, since there wouldn’t be time to view it calmly after the upcoming concert on Sunday.

Mexico City artists Santiago Alvarez (harpsichord) and Jazmín Rincón (baroque flute) presented the second concert of the festival, entitled “A musical voyage through 18th-century Europe,” in San Andrés Huayapam on the outskirts of Oaxaca City. Their delightful program was enhanced by the main altarpiece behind them, one of the most beautiful in Oaxaca, whose intricate carving is referred to as “gilded lace.”

The 4′ table organ (1772), originally painted bright red, has been evaluated for a restoration, since it is nearly intact. We were refreshed by a drink of tejate, of pre-Hispanic origin and a specialty of this community, followed by a delicious meal of mole amarillo in the atrium of the church.

That night Cicely Winter presented the third concert of the festival in the Basílica de la Soledad, accompanied by Oaxacan percussionist Valentín Hernández. Joel Vásquez and Andrea Castellanos were indispensible in pulling the stops, since this music required many changes of registration. The huge church was packed and the crowd most enthusiastic, even singing along and swaying in time to a program of well-known Oaxacan folk music, played on a Oaxacan historical treasure. The case of this monumental 8′ organ is elaborately decorated and bears the earliest date of any Oaxacan organ: 1686. The interior components were rebuilt during the 18th century, and the organ was restored in 2000.

Friday, February 17

Participants could choose one of three options for the Friday morning activity: a visit to the archeological site of Monte Alban with Marcus Winter (INAH), the opportunity to play the organs in the Basilica of La Soledad and the Cathedral, or a guided tour by Richard Perry of the most beautiful colonial churches in Oaxaca City.

That afternoon, Cicely Winter presented a talk in the Francisco de Burgoa Library about “The Historic Organs of Oaxaca and the Work of the IOHIO.” Although the title of the talk does not change from year to year, the content does, and the images of the organs and of the various IOHIO projects spoke for themselves. The talk was followed by a spirited discussion among the organists and organbuilders about conservation and restoration issues.

This was followed by an exhibit of documents related to music from various Oaxacan archives. Entitled “Musicógrafos y Melómanos,” the exhibit included 16th–20th-century printed documents and manuscripts from Europe, Mexico, and Oaxaca.

The fourth concert of the festival took place in the newly restored Centro Académico y Cultural San Pablo. The baroque ensemble Melos Gloriae, directed by Juan Manuel Lara, offered a captivating program of “Polyphonic Music—Francisco López Capillas (1614–1674),” the most prolific Mexican composer of baroque Masses. The acoustics were splendid as the choir sang from the second story of the former convent.

Saturday, February 18

Our caravan of seven vehicles journeyed through the mountainous Mixteca Alta region to Santa María de la Natividad Tamazulapan for the fifth concert of the festival. Organists Laura Carrasco and Elisa Freixo played charming pieces appropriate for this 2′ processional organ, situated in a high side balcony overlooking the huge nave of the church. They were joined by IOHIO organist Joel Vásquez and his young student Isaí Guzmán.

As in years past, we have featured music on other instruments to alternate with this small organ. Oaxacan percussionist Gabriela Edith Pérez Díaz and the Terceto Cuicacalli guitar ensemble from Mexico City (Diego Arias Ángel, Miguel Ángel Vences Guerrero, and Eduardo Rodríguez de la Torre) added variety to the program with pieces by J. S. Bach transcribed for marimba, and by Vivaldi and more modern composers for guitars. Afterward, we admired one of the most splendid altarpieces in Oaxaca, which includes paintings by the renowned 16th-century Spanish painter Andrés de la Concha.

No matter how carefully we try to plan the schedule, there are always “surprises” beyond our control. This time it was the highway construction that detained us for an hour en route to Santo Domingo Yanhuitlan.

Luckily, the sixth concert of the festival by the choral ensemble Melos Gloriae had just started when we finally arrived, and we were able to savor the program of “Sacred Music from the Museo Nacional del Virreinato” in the vaulted stone space of one of the most imposing 16th-century buildings in the Americas. Organist Abraham Alvarado played a selection of French pieces to demonstrate the sound of the organ. Built around 1700 and restored in 1997, this magnificent 8′ instrument is decorated in a style closely resembling that of La Soledad.

As in years past, the Federal Road and Bridge Commission (CAPUFE) opened an entrance from the superhighway, allowing us direct access to San Andrés Zautla and saving us over an hour of travel time. The fiesta and concert in Zautla are always a highlight of the festival. We were received in the atrium of the church by the local band with mezcal, necklaces of bugambilia, and dancing. We then followed the band to the patio behind the church for a sumptuous meal featuring estofado de pollo, a delicious Oaxacan stew.

The seventh concert of the festival, presented by various Mexican musicians, took place in Zautla’s lovely baroque church. Organist Laura Carrasco played works from archive manuscripts in Morelia and Puebla, as well as a set of verses from the Notebook of Psalm Tones of Sor María Clara del Santísimo Sacramento (the 19th-century Oaxacan nun who compiled the pieces in the notebook) from the Oaxaca Cathedral.

As in Tamazulapan, the organ alternated with the marimba (Gabriela Edith Pérez Díaz) and the guitar ensemble Terceto Cuicacalli. The concert was projected on a screen, which allowed the public to watch the action in the choir loft: the bellows pumped by hand and the registers controlled by lateral slider tabs.

After the concert, interested local folks and visitors climbed up to the choir loft to hear an explanation of the organ’s history and construction and admire it up close. The case of this 4′ table organ (1726) is exquisitely painted with images of Saints Peter and Andrew and four archangels.

Sunday, February 19

The first stop in our second Tlacolula Valley tour was Santa María de la Asunción Tlacolula. Once again we experienced the exciting moment of reaching the top of the winding stone staircase to see yet another unique instrument face to face in the choir loft. Dating presumably from the 18th century, this stately 8′ organ is nearly complete and has the most elaborately painted façade pipes in all Mexico. A proposal for its restoration by Gerhard Grenzing is being evaluated by the INAH in Mexico City. We also viewed the little 2′ 18th-century processional organ, the smallest in Oaxaca, which was built for the baroque chapel of the Señor de Tlacolula, currently undergoing restoration.

This year for the first time, we programmed a visit to the church of San Miguel del Valle, whose bell towers are decorated with glazed pottery dishes imbedded in the stucco. The 4′ table organ appears to date from around 1800 and has neo-classic design features. Even though the pipes and keyboard no longer exist, the organ still retains its windchest and original bellows.

We then traveled to San Dionisio Ocotepec to view one of Oaxaca’s earliest and most important organs (the date 1721 appears on a label in the inside of the case). The lower case of this tall 4′ stationary instrument is narrower than the upper, an unusual design in earthquake-prone Oaxaca. The organ came close to being destroyed just around the time the IOHIO made its first visit in 2001. Its decorated doors had fallen off and were luckily retrieved, framed, and hung in the sacristy. The sacristans brought the former doors to the choir loft so that participants could see on one of them, King David playing his harp, and the other, Santa Cecilia playing the Ocotepec organ, with the bellows behind and the original façade decoration.

Elisa Freixo presented the eighth concert of the festival in San Jerónimo Tlacochahuaya, which culminated the musical aspect of the festival. Her varied program highlighted the musical possibilities of the organ and projected rich sounds and tone colors rarely heard on this instrument. Built sometime before 1735 and restored in 1991, this is the most famous of the Oaxacan organs. The case and pipes are exquisitely decorated with floral motifs, and the organ harmonizes beautifully, both visually and acoustically, with the architecture of the church. As in some of the other churches, the concert was projected on a screen. In this way people could see how the registers were changed and watch the organist’s hands as she played.

We were delighted to have with us at several of our festival concerts Don Alfredo Harp Helú and his wife, María Isabel Grañen Porrúa, president of the
Alfredo Harp Helú Foundation in Oaxaca (FAHHO). The IOHIO is honored to be included among the many cultural projects of the Foundation and especially appreciates Don Alfredo’s interest in supporting organ restoration projects over the past years. These include five of the seven restorations in Oaxaca (though Fomento Social and Fomento Cultural Banamex) and the restorations of the two monumental organs in the Mexico City Cathedral (the second of which is in process) in collaboration with the organbuilder Gerhard Grenzing.

Monday, February 20

Our second all-day trip to the Mixteca Alta began with a visit to the unrestored organ in Santa María Tinú. The little stone church houses two baroque altarpieces and a disproportionately large organ (1828). Perhaps the organ was originally commissioned for a bigger church or perhaps the community simply wanted something grand. The organ, completely intact and played just a generation ago, still grunts and wheezes when the bellows located in the loft above are pumped.

Some years had passed since we last included a visit to the organ in San Andrés Sinaxtla in our festival tour, so it was of particular interest to our regular participants to see it this time. This instrument is neo-classic in design, richly carved but unpainted. Most unusual is the inscription across the façade of the organ including the date of construction (1791), the cost, and the name of the donor (a personal statement unthinkable a half century before).

Just up the road from Sinaxtla, the community of San Mateo Yucucui sits on a promontory overlooking the Yanhuitlán Valley. It is said that when this 8′ organ was played, it could be heard for miles around. The organ (1743) was never painted or gilded, probably because the parish ran out of money, but is richly carved and still has its original keyboard. The floor of the high balcony on which the organ sits is much deteriorated, but the custodian had laid down some planks so that participants could get a closer look at the organ.

Because of the delay on Saturday due to highway construction, we decided to change our plan so as not to venture beyond Yanhuitlán and unfortunately had to eliminate the visits to Tejupan and Teotongo. Instead we returned to the church of Yanhuitlán, since there hadn’t been adequate time to appreciate the church art and architecture after Saturday’s choral concert. Although the church was closed that day, our friend the custodian opened it for us specially. This church is one of the jewels of 16th-century architecture in all the Americas, and it was amazing to have this space all to ourselves.

Our final church and organ visit was in Santa María Tiltepec—for some, the crowning visual experience of the field trips. Built in the 16th century as an open chapel atop a pre-Hispanic temple, the 17th-century church has long been appreciated by art historians for its richly carved, asymmetrical façade. The organ is one of Oaxaca’s oldest (1703) and is unique in its technical design and colorful, whimsical carved (not painted) decoration.

We then walked down the hill and across the river to the home of the Cruz Martínez family for our farewell dinner. We feasted on barbacoa de borrego, lamb barbecued Oaxacan style, cooked in the ground over hot rocks and covered with maguey leaves. Mezcal from San Bartolo Yautepec flowed freely, and everyone had one last chance to relax and enjoy the festival company before returning to Oaxaca. 

Participants in the ninth festival were enthralled by their Oaxaca experience, and the village authorities, who always received us with ceremony and respect, were equally pleased by our attention to the organs in their communities. It is clear that the promotion of the organs during our festivals is one more step toward guaranteeing their preservation.

The IOHIO has many pending projects between now and the tenth festival (tentatively planned for February 2014), including organ concerts in city and village churches, more CDs of festival concerts, a book about the Oaxacan organs, continuing documentation and conservation work, and at least one organ restoration. By the time we meet again, there will be a lot to celebrate! n

On Saturday, June 2, Christopher Houlihan kicked off his six-city tour of the six Vierne symphonies with two recitals at the Church of the Ascension on Fifth Avenue in New York City

On Saturday, June 2, Christopher Houlihan kicked off his six-city tour of the six Vierne symphonies with two recitals at the Church of the Ascension on Fifth Avenue in New York City. This church has been since 2010 the home to a large and very successful Pascal Quoirin organ. There is no doubt that the program performed on it that day will stand as one of the greatest of its career.

There were two recitals with three symphonies apiece. First, we heard the odd-numbered symphonies. After a leisurely dinner break, the even-numbered were offered. In addition, a shorter intermission was inserted before the final symphony on each program. The programming design is astute, as it balances early, middle, and late works; the recitals were well matched in terms of sheer musical heft.

A native of Somers, Connecticut, Houlihan earned a bachelor’s degree at Trinity College in Hartford, where he studied with John Rose, and a master’s degree at the Juilliard School,  studying with Paul Jacobs. He is Artist-in-Residence at St. Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church in New York. During concert season 2010–2011 he performed at two AGO regional conventions, made a European tour, and inaugurated the new pipe organ at the Sondheim Performing Arts Center in Iowa. His first recording, made after his sophomore year in college, was reviewed by David Wagner (The Diapason, January 2009, pp. 19–20). An interview with Houlihan was published in the November 2011 issue of The Diapason (“A Conversation with Christopher Houlihan,” by Joyce Johnson Robinson). Christopher Houlihan is represented by Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists.

To play all six Vierne symphonies is a formidable undertaking, as anyone who has learned even one of them will understand. The sheer audacity of the project—all the greater, as it comes from a man not yet twenty-five years old—is enough to elicit several bravos. The recitals themselves elicited quite a few more.

I arrived at Ascension about fifteen minutes early. It was a warm day, and I soon shed my blazer. I’d chosen a seat discreetly removed from the bulk of the audience, in order to write uninhibitedly without raising curiosity or causing distraction. Dennis Keene, the gracious music director of Ascension, politely remanded me to an acoustically ideal seat in the center of the nave. Before the recital began, Keene was visible in the narthex and aisles, warmly greeting audience members. He was clearly relishing his role as host, and was a most gracious and friendly presence.

There was an attractive Vierne 2012 booklet, listing the entire tour itinerary, the ordering of the recitals, and biographical information on both Vierne and Houlihan. Also, a smaller printed program gave the history and specifications of the Manton Memorial Organ, as the Quoirin at Ascension is officially called. (See The Diapason, November 2011, pp. 1, 30–32.) Finally, I was also given a button to wear, with the same tour logo as on the booklet. Others in the audience were wearing another pin, with the words HOULI FAN in large letters. I was struck at the forthrightness and cleverness of the marketing side of the tour, which extends to a very savvy Internet presence as well. Many friends and well-wishers of Mr. Houlihan were in attendance.

It was just a minute or two after three o’clock—on the very day when, seventy-five years before, Louis Vierne had died at the console—that Dr. Keene announced the artist, and Christopher Houlihan emerged to warm applause. He began without spoken preliminaries, and launched into the First Symphony.

First Symphony

From the first notes, on the Swell, I was impressed. The opening movement was played with the dignity and restraint called for. The registrations were expert: silky-smooth crescendi and decrescendi, complete mastery of the swell-boxes. The mutual chemistry of organist, composer, and instrument was apparent from the start.

It must be acknowledged that not everything was perfect in subsequent movements. In particular, I think we may envision Vierne’s characteristic chromaticism as carrying the emotional content of the music; but the form of the movements, and in particular the rhythmic aspect of the music, provide a vital intellectual balance. One of the most important functions of Vierne’s characteristic ornamented ostinati, for example, is precisely to provide relief and emotional distance, while building up positive energy. Absent these, we are apt to find ourselves in a sea of existential chromatic anxiety.

At certain moments, this rhythmic element was not yet as completely well-controlled as it might have been. Even in a lighter and lyrical movement, such as the pastorale—where the singing line was exquisite, and the registrations both authentic and really beautiful—I missed the rhythmic shaping that would have strengthened what is otherwise, honestly, a rather light movement. Something similar came up in the scherzo-like fourth movement, marked allegro vivace. Here, the common performance issue (at least for organists) of cramping smaller note values caused some problems in the upward arpeggios. (I have always found the scherzo in the Twenty-Four Pieces to have more musical depth than this movement. There is scant room here for even the smallest drop in fluency.)

Also, Vierne is very fond of what I like to call his “cello solos”:  brief transitional bridges in the pedal. There were times when I missed the point of these. They were always accurate, never fear: Houlihan has formidable pedal technique, as he would often demonstrate. But they didn’t always take on the full rhythmic shape, and structural import, that they might have.

I suspect that all of these issues, whatever their cause, will settle out during the remainder of the tour. Taken all together, they are light in the balance next to the positives.

Third Symphony

In the Third Symphony, after a somewhat more aggressive take on the first movement than I would personally choose, there was a beautiful and convincing cantilène. Here, Houlihan’s real affinity for this music shone, with elegant shapings of the phrases, a loving and lingering touch on the solo voices, and other signs of great art. The penultimate movement in this symphony was simply gorgeously done, on all levels, and the familiar finale was just right.

Fifth Symphony

After a brief intermission, we heard the Fifth Symphony. I’d taken advantage of the break to re-seat myself in a more secluded spot. I was rather closer to the Swell and farther from the rest of the organ, but found I could compensate without much trouble. In addition, I was by now convinced of how deeply Houlihan “got” this organ. The first movement was masterful—in terms of its spacious breadth and harmonic language, clearly later and reminiscent (to me) of Sowerby. By this point in the recital, Houlihan seemed to be “in the zone.” Gone were the minor uncertainties, the feints at too much aggression or too much reserve. The scarifying last movement, in particular, he handled with both musical depth and technical insouciance—making one of Vierne’s most devilish moments look easy.

After a well-earned standing ovation, there was a substantial dinner break; perhaps even longer than necessary. I walked with a colleague to a favorite nearby diner, and then a post-prandial coffee. The evening recital began right on time, and again I seated myself in a new location, this time on the left side, nearer the Great. Here, the combination action was surprisingly noisy at times, but it was a nice vantage point overall.

Second Symphony

The recital opened with the Second Symphony, which Houlihan played from memory. He made a good, strong start of it, which he carried through to the end; despite, again, a little rhythmic “crowding” in a few spots. In this movement, the transitional passages and contrasting materials were handled perfectly. 

The second movement—one of the most extraordinary and affirmative things Vierne ever composed—contained some wonderful registrational and interpretive moments. The second largo section is represented in my notes as “bell-like . . . luscious . . . dreamy.” The agitato sections presented almost too great a contrast to these; a study in emotional struggle, though on the fast side. The scherzo showed great insight into the pathos hidden inside Vierne’s merriment. The cantabile gave us altogether new sounds, not heard before in this recital; the use of supercouplers and tremulant was fascinating. The left-hand melody, on a reed, was exquisitely musical. Finally, the finale took off very convincingly and thrillingly after a strikingly rubato opening. There was no doubt that, again, Houlihan can cut to the emotional heart of a piece and communicate it to an audience; witness the tremendous applause this piece met at its conclusion.

Fourth Symphony

The brooding Fourth Symphony, so unlike anything heard previously, came off very well indeed from start to finish. The first movement brought out the crepuscular mood perfectly, as did the subsequent “allegro to nowhere” (my nickname for it). The menuet was played flawlessly if a little quickly; my notes read “a diamond, but Vierne is an opal.” But overall, the emotional content of this symphony came across in all its complex darkness. Houlihan’s vision led him to a strong, almost rough, reading of the final movement—technically perfect, and an honest and believable interpretation of the psychology of the work.

Sixth Symphony

Finally, after the briefest of technical problems in the organ, the Sixth Symphony crowned the day. Here, rhythmic precision and control were the order of the day, without any detriment to the emotional element. The second movement was shaped beautifully; and the scherzo was masterfully controlled, and came out in all its Halloween glory. The penultimate movement ended with simply gorgeous registrations: shimmery and ghostly, fear yielding to a moonrise.

As for the final movement, I wonder if a new tradition is in the wings? Several of us who were seated near the back found ourselves standing during the final pages, watching the entire gestalt of the performance, especially the pedal passages. These were pulled off as well as they ever have been before, ever. The fact that we were standing helped us to see, and also saved us the trouble of jumping up as the music concluded. Needless to say, the whole house was on its feet in a second.

This ambitious program of all six Vierne symphonies is a musical event that should be experienced if at all possible. It will long be remembered, I am sure, as one of New York’s all-time great organ recitals. I daresay the same will be said, or has already been said, in the remaining cities on the itinerary. Bravo to Christopher Houlihan for taking on such a massive project, and for carrying it off with so much intelligence, artistry, and communicative power. Houlihan has a bright future indeed, and it was a joy to witness this milestone in his career.