HITTING THE RIGHT NOTE Organ, harpsichord donation will have ‘major impact’ on Music Department “If it ain’t Baroque, don’t fix it,” goes an old play on words. The Music Department at Missouri Southern received a donation of two instruments this spring that will offer a major enhancement to its period repertoire. A Klop continuo organ and a Herz double manual harpsichord were recently donated to the department by Jim Dawson, Gary Dawson and their family.
THOMAS JABER
“When we did (John Rutter’s) ‘Requiem’ back in 2019, I was looking ahead and thought it would be great to do Handel’s ‘Messiah’ for the 10th anniversary of the Symphonic Chorus,” said Dr. David Sharlow, director of choral music at Missouri Southern. “I put it out there that we’d need the two period instruments for that to work. “Afterward, I was approached by the Dawsons who said they wanted to purchase the instruments.” The donation of the organ and harpsichord will have a major impact on the department, Sharlow said.
34
“We now have the instrumental capabilities to do some marvelous work in the orchestral repertoire,” he said. To help debut the instruments, MSSU welcomed Thomas Jaber, a professor of music at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Jaber offered a dedication and performance spotlighting the instruments, and also offered a master class for students. The Dawsons’ gift was facilitated by the Missouri Southern Foundation. “The Dawson family has roots at Missouri Southern that go back to our Joplin Junior College days,” said Kevin Greim, associate vice president for university development. “We are so appreciative that they have continued to support our mission throughout the years. Their gifts to our Department of Music will give our students access to state-of-the-art instruments which will benefit not only the students, but also the countless music fans who will enjoy their work for many years.”
CROSSROADS MAGAZINE
|
SPRING 2022
