Last spring, I planned an organ recital that I thought would be really fantastic. The problem was that I had gotten in over my head and, for a number of reasons, some of which were related to burnout, found myself unprepared as the recital neared and having to cancel it.
I have not failed to reflect on this, and I have come up with a program for this Fall (exact date--sometime between October 31 and November 9--to be announced later) which should be much more manageable, and dare I say more enjoyable, to prepare for. This lineup is based on an All Saints/All Souls theme: I suppose you could call it the high art version of the all-too-common “Halloween concert.” (I have nothing against Halloween as such, but the things people do to mark it really can be gauche. Sometimes it seems as if no one could possibly outdo the cheesiness of some of the October organ concert programs I've read about over the years.)
In any case, I thought it would be worth sharing this idea with the other musicians out there.
Henry Walford-Davies: Solemn Melody
J.S. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 543
Bach: Alle menschen muessen sterben (from the Neumeister Choraele)
improvisation on the Dies Irae
Olivier Messiaen: Le Banquet Celeste
Messiaen: Transports de joie
Hymn: O Quanta Qualia (assuming there are enough people there to make the singing of it thrilling)
Calvin Hampton: In Paradisum
Marcel Dupre: Cortege et Litanie
