Celebrating the pipe organ, the King of Instruments

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Johann Sebastian Bach

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1993 Jones organ at Cathedral of the Madeleine, Salt Lake City, Utah

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1992 Fritts organ at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona

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1993 C.B. Fisk organ, Opus 101, at Caruth Auditorium, SMU, Dallas, Texas

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1990 Nordlie organ at the First United Methodist Church, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

The United States of Bach

It is as simple as Bach’s instructions, “Push the right key and the right time and the organ plays itself.” With that in mind, we’ll discover just how much diversity there is behind that seemingly obvious instruction. Listen to six American soloists on as many American instruments will treat us to Preludes and Fantasies, melodious chorale-settings and vibrant fugues.

In a cross-country survey, from churches in South Dakota, Georgia, Michigan and Utah and university halls in Arizona and Texas, we celebrate Baroque organ music at its best and show Johann Sebastian the American way. It’s the United States of Bach.

Audio Listen to the program

Program Broadcast dates:

•March 18, 1996 as Show #9612

•June 23, 2003 as Show #0325

Links and Resources:

Music played in the program

J.S. BACH: Fantasy in G, S. 572 –Paula Pugh Romanaux (1993 Dobson/St. Luke Episcopal, Kalamazoo, MI) Independent Arts CD-100

J.S. BACH: 2 Schübler Chorale-preludes: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, S. 645; Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten, S. 647; Fantasia & Fugue in c, S. 537 –Peter Sykes (1990 Nordlie/FUMC, Sioux Falls, SD) Titanic CD-181

J.S. BACH: Ricercare in 6 Parts, from A Musical Offering, S. 1079 –Wolfgang Rübsam (1993 C.B. Fisk/Caruth Auditorium, SMU, Dallas, TX) RMC Classics CD-Op101

J.S. BACH: 4 Orgelbüchlein Chorale-preludes: O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig, S. 618; Christe, du Lamm Gottes, S. 619; Da Jesus an dem Kreuze stund, S. 621; Christus, der uns selig macht, S. 620 –Madeleine Cathedral Ensemble; Douglas E. Bush (1993 Jones/Cathedral of the Madeleine, Salt Lake City, UT) HoTay CD-46829-28741

J.S. BACH: Prelude & Fugue in A, S. 536 –Jonathan Biggers (1992 Fritts/Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ) Calcante CD-009

J.S. BACH: Prelude & Fugue in a, S. 543 –Sue Goddard (1994 Schantz-Widener/Grace UMC, Atlanta, GA) Goddard CD-1001

J.S. BACH: Schübler Chorale-prelude, Kommst du nun, S. 650 –Peter Sykes (1990 Nordlie/FUMC, Sioux Falls, SD) Titanic CD-181