Today was the last day of the Organ Historical Society convention and we boarded the buses for the Atlantic City Boardwalk on the New Jersey shore. Yes, the home of the Miss America pageant and the Trump Taj Mahal is also the home of the world’s largest organ in the Boardwalk Auditorium, seven manuals, 33,112… Read More The World’s Largest Organ (the Loudest?)
After getting back to the hotel so late after the Wanamaker concert, probably the last thing I wanted to do was to go to a hymn festival. What was unique about this festival, however, was that we had been given a newly published hymnbook by the OHS, and all of the hymns were by Philadelphia… Read More A day in Delaware
No doubt about it, tonight hearts and minds were moved and changed and 527 people from the Organ Historical Society underwent a profound religious experience — at Macy’s in Philadelphia, home of the famous Wanamaker organ. We arrived at the store about 7:00 pm where we went into the Greek Hall to hear Andrew Van… Read More A religious experience … at Macy’s
It’s Wednesday of OHS week and today we heard some very LOUD organs. The morning started out with a drive to the Chapel of St. Joseph at St. Joseph University, a contemporary building with an historic 1868 E. & G.G. Hook organ. Eric Plutz of Princeton University was scheduled to play and yet his program… Read More Is loud better? necessary?
If you are an organist, you know this is a famous work in C major by Johann Sebastian Bach. However it is also the title of the stunning work for organ and percussion which was premiered on Monday night by composer Kurt Knecht. This fabulous work was commissioned by the Organ Historical Society in celebration… Read More Toccata, Adagio and Fugue
This morning, I got a text message out of the blue while I was walking into St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Philadelphia: “Did I see you this morning from a distance? Will look for you at Girard tonight. Bruce” Surprise, surprise! It was from organist friend Bruce Bengtson who is visiting the Organ Historical Society… Read More You never know who you’ll run into …
Tonight was billed as “A Grand Celebration” commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Organ Historical Society and the 10th anniversary of the Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ. It took place at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, which is the home of the Philadelphia Orchestra. We learned that Fred Haas, whose family foundation has… Read More Dobson at the Kimmel
This morning we visited five historic churches in Philadelphia, some dating as early as 1761. The first three took place in Roman Catholic parishes, although in the first church, services are only held a few times a year. Organist Matthew Glandorf did an outstanding job on the 1892 Hook & Hastings organ at Holy Trinity… Read More Beautiful historic churches in Philadelphia
Today was the first official day of the Organ Historical Society convention, its 61st convention in this its 60th year since the founding in 1956. Its purpose is thus: The Organ Historical Society celebrates, preserves, and studies the pipe organ in America in all its historic styles, through research, education, advocacy, and music. And because… Read More The 61st for the 60th
It’s the day before the start of the Organ Historical Society in Philadelphia and I decided to play tourist before the onslaught of organ recitals. It only took me 11,022 steps to do a one-day tour! High up on my list to things to see was the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Sam Lam (an… Read More 11,022 steps in Philadelphia