Village Chapel Concert & Upcoming Bach’s Lunch

For the past two weeks I have been practicing two hours during the day at The Village Chapel, and then again at night, in preparation for a concert I performed last night. In the spring, Organist and Director of Music Stephen Gourley invited me to share an organ concert with him as the opening concert of their Village Chapel Concert Series. Stephen had conceived of the concert as a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the dedication of the organ, which was last reworked in 2001, but also as a celebration of Director of Music Emeritus John Shannon, who served from 1983-2013 as the organist and choirmaster at The Village Chapel.

The pipe organ at The Village Chapel has an interesting history. The original organ, Austin Organs Opus 1269 of two manuals and 21 stops, was installed in 1925 at the opening of the chapel, and was dedicated on March 1, 1925, by organist Harold Phillips of Trinity Church, Pittsburgh. It was the third organ in the village, the first being the 1922 Robert Morton Theatre organ in the Carolina Theatre, and the second a 1924 Estey house organ in the George Dunlap residence. The organ cost $10,000 and was given by Mrs. Melvin B. Johnson and sons, in memory of her husband. In 1970, the organ was replaced by a new Austin organ of three manuals and 45 ranks. The 16’ Open Wood, 8’ Vox Humana, 8’ Voix Celeste, and some additional low pipes were retained from the 1925 organ in the 1970 instrument. On Easter of 2000, in the middle of John’s Easter morning prelude, the organ failed. It was rebuilt and reimagined as the current 2001 Austin/Cornel Zimmer organ of four manuals and 80 stops. The preserved pipework from 1925 remains, meaning some pipes have been singing in that space for 101 years, as well as all the pipework from the 1970 Austin.

In my preparations for the concert, I wrote to John in April, asking him as discreetly as I could, what his favorite organ pieces were. He responded, and I programmed Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in D Major and the “Little” Fugue in G Minor, which are both favorites of John. With those bookends, I programmed the tumultuous, emotional, and incredibly beautiful Choral No. 3 in A Minor by César Franck. Franck wrote his Trois Chorals in 1890, as he was recovering from a buggy accident. Complications from those injuries led to his death in November of that year. His Choral No. 3 is his most famous organ work, being the most musically mature and brilliantly compositionally formed. I will perform the Choral in A Minor as part of my Bach’s Lunch Concert on Friday, October 16th. For those that attended the Village Chapel concert and attend the Bach’s Lunch Concert, you’ll be able to contrast the experience of hearing the work performed in a large acoustic on a large organ (Village Chapel) with a performance heard in a much more intimate venue (Emmanuel), akin to the musical parlors of Europe, with an organ (our C.B. Fisk) designed specifically to

authentically render French Romantic music, such as the work by Franck. Both venues bring different dimensions to the piece.

Stephen played the concluding half of last night’s concert, performing the energetic Toccata in G by Theodore Dubois, another of John Shannon’s favorites, followed by two quieter works by Whitlock and Widor to show off the subtleties of the organ. Gourley concluded the program with the Carillion de Westminster by Louis Vierne, which uses the Westminster Quarters melody.

These past few weeks, practicing and rehearsing in a space different from the one I normally occupy has been a real gift. It is always a treat to play an organ that is unfamiliar, as it brings out new ideas and nuances in my playing. It creates new challenges and new opportunities. But the organ is completely dependent on the room in which it resides, and it has been a true delight practicing in the 1925 Hobart Upjohn designed Village Chapel. It is a true architectural gem, and its barrel vault ceiling makes for a striking and supportive acoustic for the organ. For us Episcopalians, for reference, Hobart Upjohn designed the current sanctuary of the Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill. His grandfather, Richard Upjohn, co-founded the American Institute of Architects and designed Trinity Church, Wall Street.

After my evening rehearsals, I would leave the chapel around 10 P.M., oftentimes at the moment when the Village Chapel chimes would ring out across the Village Green announcing the 10 o’clock hour, the night air scented with pine and a soft comforting breeze rustling the needles high above me. We truly live in a magical place, and I dare say, a sacred place. In those moments of quiet, I found myself thanking God for the gifts that surrounded me - the gift of place, and the gift of God’s providence in bringing those lucky enough to call this place their home together under the pines.

A very special thanks to everyone from Emmanuel that attended last night’s concert. It was wonderful to have “family” there to support me and love me.

If you were unable to attend, there is a link to the concert here: https://www.youtube.com/live/3GzvlFgedvY?si=UhGZXqo46yTCPYdH

Thank you, Stephen, for the invitation. Thank you, John, for your leadership in this community as a musician, and your friendship and support in the work I do here. Thank you, Emmanuel, for your love and the gift of trust in allowing me to serve you here in your spiritual lives through music.