AGO Monday

Monday started out the Basilica of St. Mary for a concert on the 1949 Wicks organ by Elke Voelker. Before I talk about the concert, let me talk about the space. It is immense and ornately decorated with incredible stained-glass windows. It's like being in a huge cavern - and it sounds like it too. Before her concert, Ms. Voelker tested the organ for the recording equipment by playing one chord. When she released that chord, it rolled to the back of the church and could still be heard a full five seconds after the release. Ms. Voelker specializes in the organ music of Sigrfrid Karg-Elert, but she played her Wagner transcription and Bach pieces with equal flourish. There were points that the acoustics worked against her. I could see her fingers working in spots that I couldn't hear notes being sounded - they were getting lost in that immense cave. The concert was amazing. If you are ever in Minneapolis and have an opportunity to see this church, you must go!

The next concert was at St. Olaf Catholic church and was played by Stepen Tharp. The organ, a 2001 instrument built by Lively-Fulcher, was well suited to the works of Widor, Jean Demessieux, and Messiaen. It was a very enjoyable concert.

Also at St. Olaf was an Eastern Orthodox Vespers service. (I know, it was only 11:30 am, but when you're at a convention, you have to make allowances for this kind of thing .) The service was sung by the Rose Ensemble and opened with a piece composed especially for the convention by Cary John Franklin, a Minnesota-based composer. As I write this, my program has been misplaced so I can't give you the title, but it was piece for organ and C-instument that was well-suited to opening worship.

Next, the exhibit hall was opened so it was time to go shopping for organ music! Augsburg Fortress and Concordia Publishing were both happy to see me coming. . .

St. Paul's Roman Catholic Cathedral was the site for the evening event: Evensong sung by the St. Paul's Cathedral Choir from London, England! For me, this was like dying and going to heaven. The space is immense and more than accomodated all 1,800 of the AGO attendees. The public was also able to buy tickets to the event. Superlatives can't define the exquisite music-making of this choir. If you ever have a chance to hear them (they did come to Jax once several years ago), then you must go.
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