1996 Eule organ in Saint Nicholas Church, Berlin-Spandau

Whether on a clear midnight or a morning glorious with heavenly splendor, our next Pipedreams sings its holiday message in many languages. Frenchman Jean Guillou improvises in Switzerland, Lebanese composer Naji Hakim does the same in Paris. From the first noel to the last shepherd’s pastorale, you’ll hear music and instruments from Ireland, England, Germany, the Czech Republic, Belgium, and here at home, promoting a universal message of hope and happiness. Join us for a multicultural expression, Celebration International, this week on Pipedreams.

Rather than fugues and canzonas, try a Pastorale Dance or a March with trumpet. On this week’s show, we temper European tradition with the iconoclastic visions of some composers here at in the U.S. Lukas Foss writes a celebratory choral work for a new church, Lee Hoiby sketches impressions of his California homeland, and Daniel Gawthrop has us kicking up our heals in rhythmic response. Beyond toccatas and tientos, we bring our focus closer to home and celebrate The American Muse.

Ours is a pilgrim’s progress of sorts, traversing a year in retrospect and looking into the future. Join us as we take measure of the year 2003 and celebrate the art of the organ and its practitioners the builders, players and composers whose lives contribute so much to our experiences each week. We’ll play some recent compact discs, share shapshots of a trip to Italy, honor the memories of those who have passed to their rewards, and prognosticate a bit about what might come along in 2004.

…from festival hymns to far-out fantasies, a further foray into our native-born repertoire for the ‘King of Instruments’.