Mailbag: The Cathedral of Saint John The Devine in NY

November 30, 2005

Dear Michael:
Some years back, 1989 or 1990, I think, you hosted a wonderful program from The Cathedral of Saint John The Devine in NY. I was able to record most of it on my cassette recorder but have literally wore it out. Do you still have the program of the selections of music? I remember Joan Lippincott and Michael Murray. I would love to purchase some of the CDs of that program. Please help me if you can. I live in Austin now and your program is not broadcast here. I lived in Los Angeles when you broadcast this particular program. Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Wayne Robinson
Austin, Texas


Dear Wayne:
Ah, how time flies when we’re having fun.  Your guess at 1989/1990 was pretty accurate, as the program to which you refer was broadcast as #9017 in the week of April 23, 1990.  We rebroadcast is as #9543 in October 1995.  Unfortunately, that was about a month before we began our website, which is why you were not able to find a reference via the ‘search’ engine at pipedreams.org

Fortunately, I do have a computer file of the program playlist (from the rebroadcast; the original program documents were created on a typewriter and exist only in analog/paper format!):

REGER:  Toccata & Fugue in d/D, Op. 59, nos. 5/6 –Marsha Long (Koch International Classics CD-7008)
MARCELLO:  Psalm 19 –Michael Murray (Telarc CD-80169) http://www.telarc.com
LEIGHTON:  Festival Fanfare –Joan Lippincott (Gothic CD-78624)
DUNSTABLE:  Agincourt Hymn –John Rose (Towerhill Records, out-of-print)
HALLEY:  Improvisation, Sunset/Dusk, from Nightwatch –Paul Halley (Pelagos Music CD-1002) http://www.pelagosmusic.com
WINTER:  Grand Canyon Sunrise –Paul Halley, o; Paul Winter, sax; Glen Velez, drum (Living Music CD-0006)http://www.livingmusic.com
BACH:  Prelude & Fugue in e, S. 533 –Michael Murray (Telarc CD-80169) http://www.telarc.com
KARG-ELERT:  Harmonies du soir.  JONGEN:  Toccata.  DUPRÉ:  Resurrection, from Symphonie-Passion –Marsha Long (Koch CD-7008)

The disappointing realization about the passage of time is that nothing stands still, and I am pretty certain that the Marsha Long (whose album is still, in my opinion, the most ‘atmospheric’ solo album ever recorded on this remarkable Skinner/Aeolian-Skinner instrument), Joan Lippincott and John Rose discs above are no longer available ‘new’, though you might be able to find them through second-hand sources.

The Organ Historical Society online catalog (http://www.ohscatalog.org), an excellent resource for organ recordings, books and sheet music, lists a booklet outlining the restoration project in which the Cathedral organ is at present involved. Quimby Pipe Organs of Warrensburg, MO, is doing the lion’s share of the restoration work. I do not know if a reinauguration date has yet been set.

Good luck in your search. And sorry about Austin, TX…perhaps one day they will wake up to the delights of PIPEDREAMS on radio there, though you can listen online at any time here on our website, with more than 200 programs available.

JMB

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