“Masterful.” That was my reaction at Sunday afternoon’s organ recital by James Kealey, the winner of the 2022 American Guild of Organists National Young Artists Competition in Organ Playing. James exploited the colors of the organ, and while sometimes the registrations were a bit boisterous, his playing kept me on the edge of my seat!

The concert was held at Central Union Church, home of a 4-manual Aeolian-Skinner organ, and the program was:

Hymne au soleil (Louis Vierne, 1870-1937)
First Flight (Cecilia McDowall, b. 1951)
Rhapsody No. 1 in D-flat major (Herbert Howells, 1892-1983)
Humoresque, op. 77 (Rachel Laurin, 1961-2023)
intermission
On the name MAURICE DURUFLÉ (David Hurd, b. 1950)
Prélude, adagio et choral varié sur le thème du Veni Creator, op. 4 (Maurice Duruflé, 1902-1986)

I think I have never heard a more exciting rendition of the Duruflé! My second favorite piece was by Cecilia McDowall, a British women composer. That piece, “First Flight,” fit in nicely with James’ original dream to become an airline pilot.

This was the 19th year of the Annual Organ Recital. Since 2006, the Hawaii Chapter of the American Guild of Organists has been offering the gift of an annual organ concert for the community. Each year a rising star in the organ world is invited to come to the Islands, and concerts are performed in Honolulu as well as the neighbor islands. Year and year, these concerts provide inspiration to local organists and other musicians, providing an experience that would otherwise not happen.

Organists are fewer in number, and yet people continue to be inspired by the organ virtuosos who perform on magnificent local pipe organs. Many of these visiting artists introduce the pipe organ to young children at school seminars and these children are captivated by such encounters. These concerts benefit the general public far beyond the main performance.

For that reason, the concert did not require tickets, but only a suggested donation of $25, as our goal is not to turn anyone away who is interested in the pipe organ. Readers of this blog may give to the local AGO on its website.

I put James on the plane yesterday morning for his flight to Lihue, Kauai, where he’ll play a recital on the Rosales organ at All Saints Episcopal Church on Friday. You can view the livestream at 6 pm on the church’s website, March 8, 2024.

He was such a fun houseguest and a masterful performer!