Episodes: 1984

…A variety of music ancient and modern, in celebration of this special holiday, from domestic and imported recordings.

…A program of French organ music for the Christmas season.

…Another program featuring historic American instruments, with comments from William Van Pelt of the Organ Historical Society. These performances were recorded in Western Massachusetts during the 1983 OHS Convention.

…A concert on the 1983 Karl Wilhelm organ (3-manuals, 58-ranks) at Christ Presbyterian Church, Edina, Minnesota. Mr. Rübsam is Associate Professor of Organ and Church Music at Northwestern University, and a prolific and prize-winning recording artist.

…The world-famous British recitalist performs the dedicatory program on the new J.W. Walker & Sons organ (2-manuals, 30 stops) at the Breck School chapel, Minneapolis. This is the first instrument by this reputable English firm to be installed in the United States.

…Martin Luther loved music, and was determined that the Devil shouldn't have all the good tunes. The rich body of Lutheran hymns has been an inspiration to composers for centuries. Luther’s “good tunes” are heard in music by Bach, Pepping, Walcha, Reger, Sifler, Krapf, Schroeder and Langlais. These concert performances feature John Eggert and David Craighead at Jehovah Evangelical Lutheran Church, St. Paul, MN (1983 Van Daalen organ, 59 ranks) and John Ferguson at Trinity Lutheran Church, Moorhead, MN (Holtkamp organ).

…the music of American composer Leo Sowerby, introduced by one of his former pupils, Professor Robert Rayfield of Indiana University.

…another in an occasional but continuing series of programs featuring recordings from the archives of the Organ Historical Society and comments from the OHS executive director William VanPelt. Among the historic instruments in this broadcast are several by the excellent but little known St. Louis builder John George Pfeffer.

…another quarterly sampling of recent organ discs, with emphasis on the unusual and the unusually attractive. Our choices are wide-ranging, covering a variety of musical styles, performers and instruments. Domestic and imported LPs and CDs will be aired.

…an all-improvisation concert of music inspired by themes suggested by members of the audience, as recorded on the 1979 Virtanen organ (4 manuals, 52 stops) at the Church of the Cross.

…a concert of music for two organists, recorded at the Church of the Cross in Lahti, plus performances of Finnish music recorded at St. John's Church, Helsinki.

…the first of three programs from the annual Lahti organ Festival, recorded in concert at the contemporary Church of the Cross. The instrument, a modern, neo-classical mechanical action organ (4-manuals, 52 stops) was completed in 1979 by the factory of Veikko Virtanen.

…a recital by Finnish organist Markku Ketola on the organ (by Robert Sipe, 1979) in the Center for Faith and Life at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. Since 1969, Ketola has served as organist at the Porvoo Cathedral, where the Linjama work was recorded.

…a recital by Dr. Frank Speller on the new Visser-Rowlands pipe organ in Bates Recital Hall at the University of Texas, Austin. This instrument (4-manuals, 97-ranks) is one of the largest mechanical-action organs in America.

…an exploration of several little-known organ concertos, some with and some without extra instruments.

…music and instruments mostly from the 16th and 17th centuries recorded in Stade, Innsbruck, Imbach, Ossiach, and Metz. Three of these instruments were built recently, though designed in a strict, historic manner.

…an appreciative look at America's organ-building past. Special guest William van Pelt of the Organ Historical Society is convinced of the importance of preserving antique instruments, and demonstrates their variety and character with many recorded examples.

…the world premier performance of a new cantata for chorus and organ by American composer William Albright.