featuring Kola Owolabi, Jonathan William Moyer & Erica Johnson, organ
Played on the Richards, Fowkes & Co. organ (2000) at The First Lutheran Church of Boston
e Voice of the Organ: Manifestations of Power and Love Kola Owolabi, organ
Kola Owolabi makes his BEMF début in a program celebrating both the power of music, and the pipe organ as the voice of that power: from Lutheran hymns that refer both to God’s power and his love, to themes of unrequited love in Peter Philips’s Le rossignuol, his setting of a Lassus chanson, to the tremendous power a composer like Handel held over those who performed under his direction.
e Abuse of Power and the Renewal of Love
Jonathan William Moyer, organ
In his BEMF début, Jonathan William Moyer presents four musical dualities that are manifestations of the abuse of power and the restorative nature of love. He begins with “War and Peace,” contrasting a Spanish battle piece with a Dutch prayer for peace, and ends with “Transgression and Pardon,” which features a monumental setting of a penitential Lutheran chorale by J. S. Bach.
PART THREE: 2PM–4PM
Reflection and Transformation: Struggles in Power and Love Erica Johnson, organ
For her BEMF début, Erica Johnson explores a programmatic reflection of power and love for the organ. From a biblical reordering of power, to the reform of corruption, and the scorn of love, the keyboard repertoire of the 16th to 18th centuries mirrors the struggles of a hierarchical society. The expressive power of this music is reflected not only in the subject matter but also in the rich tapestry of keyboard figuration.
The Boston Early Music Festival extends heartfelt thanks to Donald E. Vaughan and Lee S. Ridgway for their partial sponsorship of today’s Organ Mini-Festival and
The American Guild of Organists – Boston Chapter for their partial sponsorship of today’s Organ Mini-Festival
THE FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH OF BOSTON • THURSDAY, JUNE 12 • 9AM–11AM
e Voice of the Organ: Manifestations of Power and Love Kola Owolabi, organ
Komm heiliger Geist, BWV 651
Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele (4 verses)
Le Rossignuol
Symphony, from Love’s Goddess Sure
Toccata Sesta
Organ Concerto in F major, Op. 4, No. 4
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Johann Gottfried Walther (1684–1748)
Peter Philips (1561–1628)
Henry Purcell (1659–1695)
Arranged by Kola Owolabi
Johann Caspar Kerll (1627–1693)
George Frideric Handel Allegro (1685–1759) Andante Arranged by Kola Owolabi Adagio Allegro
Praeludium in D minor, BuxWV 140
Dieterich Buxtehude (ca. 1637–1707)
THE FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH OF BOSTON • THURSDAY, JUNE 12 • 11:30AM–1:30PM
e Abuse of Power and the Renewal of Love Jonathan William Moyer, organ
Tiento por A la mi re
Da pacem Domine in diebus nostris (4 verses)
War and Peace
Juan Cabanilles (1644–1712)
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562–1621)
Give peace in our time, O Lord. Because there is none other who fights for us, but only thou, O God.
Susana grosada a 4 sobre a de 5
Greed and Humility
Manuel Rodrigues Coelho from Flores de Musica, 1620 (ca. 1555–ca. 1635) She said to them: “If disloyally From my body you take pleasure, It is over with me!”
Recercar con obligo di cantare la quinta parte senza toccarla
Girolamo Frescobaldi from Fiori musicali, 1635 (1583–1643)
Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis. Holy Mary, pray for us.
O Nata Lux, Varied
Darkness and Light
Jonathan W. Moyer
Theme by Thomas Tallis (b. 1975)
Introduction
Perpetuum mobile
Inversions I
Inversions II
Ostinato
O Light born of Light, Jesus, redeemer of the world, Mercifully deign to accept the praises and prayers of your suppliants.
O you who once deigned to be hidden in flesh on behalf of the lost, grant us to be made members of your blessed body.
Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, BWV 686
Transgression and Pardon
What sin and injustice is done, Who can stand, Lord, before you?
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Ich ruf zu dir Herr Jesu Christ
Vincent Lübeck a 2 Clav. et Pedale (1654–1740)
Bestow your grace on me at this time, Do not let me despair.
THE FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH OF BOSTON • THURSDAY, JUNE 12 • 2PM–4PM
Reflection and Transformation: Struggles in Power and Love Erica Johnson, organ
The Biblical Reordering of Power
“He hath put down the mighty from their seat...”
Magnificat VI. Toni (4 verses)
“...It is not by sword or spear...”
Biblical Sonata No. 1: The Battle Between David and Goliath
Heinrich Scheidemann (ca. 1595–1663)
Johann Kuhnau
I. The boasting of Goliath (1660–1722)
II. The trembling of the Israelites at the appearance of the giant, and their prayer
III. The courage of David, and his keen desire to repel the pride of his terrifying enemy with the confidence he puts in the help of God
IV. The combat between the two and their struggle, the stone is thrown from the slingshot, Goliath falls
V. The flight of the Philistines, who are pursued and slain by the Israelites
VI. The joy of the Israelites over their victory
VII. The musical concert of the women in honor of David
VIII. The general rejoicing, and the dances of joy of the people
L’homme armé
“The armed man should be feared.”
Keyboard Intabulations of Josquin des Prez
Cabezon Tablature
Missa L’homme armé: Hosanna, Benedictus (16th c.)
L’homme armé Organ Mass: Agnus Dei
Margaret Vardell Sandresky (b. 1921)
Daphne and Apollo
“Beloved and wooed she wandered silent paths...”
Tell Mee Daphne Giles Farnaby (ca. 1563–1640)
Daphne Farnaby
The Power of Reform
“A solid castle is our God, a good defense and weapon” Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, BuxWV 184
Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, BWV 542
Dieterich Buxtehude (ca. 1637–1707)
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Richards, Fowkes & Co., Opus 10 (2000) at First Lutheran Church
Dedicated in December 2000, the organ first sounded forth with twenty-four stops on two manuals and pedal, played by mechanical tracker action. Designed and voiced in the North German Baroque style, it is unassailably the preeminent organ in Boston for performing the organ œuvre of J. S. Bach. In addition to its primary function as a strikingly flexible liturgical instrument, Op. X—its nickname among Boston aficionados—has become the popular focus of an annual concert series that draws performers of national and international stature.
In 2010, the congregation raised the funds necessary to bring the organ to its intended size of twenty-seven stops, in good time for its tenth anniversary. Over the summer of that year, Richards, Fowkes installed and carefully voiced a Schalmei 4ˇ in the Rückpositiv, a Vox Humana 8ˇ in the [Haupt]Werk, and a Cornet 2ˇ in the Pedal.
Disposition:
Werk Rückpositiv Pedal
Bourdon 16ˇ Gedackt 8ˇ Subbass 16ˇ
Principal 8ˇ Principal 4ˇ Octave 8ˇ
Viol D’Gamba 8ˇ Rohrflöte 4ˇ (1–10 common with Werk)
Rohrflöte 8ˇ Waldflöte 2ˇ Gedackt 8ˇ
Octave 4ˇ Quinte 3ˇ/Sesquialtera II (1–10 common with Subbass)
Spitzflöte 4ˇ Schar V Octave 4ˇ
Nasat 3ˇ/Cornet III Dulcian 16ˇ 1–10 common with Werk)
Octave 2ˇ Krummhorn 8ˇ Posaune 16ˇ
Mixture V Schalmei 4ˇ * Trompet 8ˇ
Trompet 8ˇ (common with Werk)
Vox Humana 8ˇ * Cornet 2ˇ *
* the three new reed stops (2010)
Tremulant, Cimbelstern, Vogelsang Temperament after Kellner; Wind pressure 70 mm Wassersäule; a=440Hz
Couplers: Werk to Pedal, Rückpositiv to Pedal, Werk to Rückpositiv
