Holiday Dreams

Some of the most memorable presents are ones we’ve made ourselves, and on the next Pipedreams, you’ll listen to six stupendously talented organists who need only a theme to spark their imaginations, and they make it up from there. Delight in the inspired fantasies of Merrill Davis, playing for a concert audience in Prague; Earl Miller, rhapsodizing at a parish church in Danville, Virginia; Gerre Hancock in New York City; Hector Olivera in Los Angeles; and the inimitable Pierre Cochereau at the mighty pipe organ of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

All set off into uncharted waters and all will bring the ship safely back home filled with seasonal cheer. It’s the miraculous product of Holiday Dreams, improvisations for organ, this week on Pipedreams.

Listen to the program

Program Broadcast dates:

December 10, 2001

Music played in the program

PIERRE PINCEMAILLE: 4 Improvisations in Old Style on Vom Himmel hoch –Pierre Pincemaille (1996 Kuhn/Minden Cathedral, Germany) Wergo/Organ CD-7001

HECTOR OLIVERA: Improvisation on In dulci jubilo –Hector Olivera (1991 Casavant Frères; 1996 Rodgers/Bel Air Presbyterian, Los Angeles, CA) Rodgers CD-876015

AARON DAVID MILLER: Improvisations on 3 Christmas Carols: Angelus ad Virginem; The Kings; The Holly and the Ivy –Earl Miller (1979 Andover/Epiphany Episcopal, Danville, VA) AFKA SK-547

MERRILL N. DAVIS III: 3 Christmas Concert Improvisations: Joy to the World; Jingle Bells; Good King Wenceslas. JOHANNES BRAHMS (arranged by Jennings): Lo, how a rose –Merrill N. Davis III, recorded December 6, 1996 (1995 Rieger-Kloss/Unicov Concert Hall, Prague, Czech Republic) Rieger-Kloss CD-1996

PETER HALLOCK: The Lord is my Light. JOHN AYER: Choral Response –Harvard University Choir, Murray Forbes Sommerville, conductor; Nancy Granert (1932 Aeolian-Skinner/All Saint’s Episcopal, Worcester, MA) Pro Organo CD 7085

GERRE HANCOCK: 3 Christmas Improvisations: I saw three ships; What child is this? Personet hodie –Gerre Hancock (1996 Taylor & Boody/St. Thomas Episcopal, New York, NY) Gothic G49109

PIERRE COCHEREAU: 2 Christmas Improvisations: Communion de noël; Sortie sur ‘Adeste fidelis’ –Pierre Cochereau (1868 Cavaillé-Coll/Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France) Solstice CD-152