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1972 Harrison organ at Christ Episcopal Church, Savannah, GA
In Black and White
The pipe organ offers a player a rainbow of sonorous hues from which to draw, and while our next Pipedreams program exploits such opportunity, we also deal with a different facet of color. During the past century, composers such as William Grant Still, Thomas Kerr, Ulysses Kay, and Florence Price have made sizeable, if sometimes unheralded, contributions to the concert repertoire of the king of instruments. Whether in abstract visions or classical forms, responding to main-stream themes or spiritual influences, theirs is an important voice, as you’ll discover listening to a dozen remarkable works recorded by James Abbington, David Oliver, Mark Miller, Lucius Weathersby, Mickey Thomas Terry, and friends.
Color me intrigued by the richness and variety of music for pipe organ by African American composers. Is it a paradox that we experience the full range of color In Black and White? The African American impulse, this week on Pipedreams.
Program Broadcast dates:
- February 4, 2002
Music played in the program
FLORENCE PRICE: Suite for Organ No. 1 –Kimberly Marshall, movements. 1 & 4 (1987 Rosales/Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Portland, OR) Loft CD-1021 ; Calvert Johnson, movements 2 & 3 (1972 Harrison/Christ Church Episcopal, Savannah, GA) Calcante CD-14
WILLIAM GRANT STILL (arr. Weathersby): Summerland, from 3 Visions. VIOLET GEORGE BOWERS: Joie. TRADITIONAL (arr. Uzee Brown): Were you there? LUCIUS WEATHERSBY: Spiritual Fantasy –Lucius Weathersby (1864 Willis/Saint Michael & All Angels Church, Great Torrington, Devon, England, UK) Albany CD-4409
FLORENCE PRICE: Variations on a Folksong (Peter, go ring dem bells) -Frances Nobert (1998 Glatter- Götz, Rosales/United Church of Christ, Claremont, CA) Raven OAR-550
THOMAS KERR: Miniature Antiphonale on a Pedal Point. WILLIAM B. COOPER: Chorale-prelude, Steal Away -Mickey Thomas Terry (1964 Möller/National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, DC) American Public Media recording
FELA SOWANDE: Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho -Hans Uwe Hielscher (1982 Oberlinger/Market Church, Wiesbaden, Germany) Edition Lade CD-016
SAMUEL COLERIDGE-TAYLOR (arr. Swinnen): Scenes from an Imaginary Ballet No. 1 -Peter Conte (1930 Aeolian/Longwood Gardens, Kennet Square, PA) DTR CD-9703
ULYSSES KAY: Suite No. 1 -James Abbington (Aeolian-Skinner Opus 1118/Riverside Church, New York, NY) JAV CD-112
RALPH SIMPSON: Swing low, sweet chariot –David Oliver (1990 Ontko & Young/First Presbyterian “Scots” Church, Charleston, SC) FSPC CD-12422 (private issue)
MARK MILLER: Toccata, God rest ye merry –Mark Miller (Aeolian-Skinner Opus 1118/Riverside Church, New York, NY) Gothic CD-49122
Filler–STILL Summerland (see above)
A new anthology of organ works by African-American composers is available from MorningStar Music Publishers. The music of Florence Price, edited by Calvert Johnson, is available from CalNan Editions.