Fourth of July Fireworks for Organ
Members of the American Guild of Organists joined the regular RH crowd and many newcomers for a rousing performance of patriotic songs and American favorites. What a wonderful way to celebrate our nation's birthday -- with great music, new friends, beautiful weather, and free food!
John and Cathy are enjoying their first-ever RH experience. They found out about the series through Sarah.
Here are just a few of the more than 5900 pipes that comprise the organ at St. James Cathedral. They were brought to life by Robert MacDonald, and the whole room shook with excitement!
While in Chicago to attend the organ convention, Noel (on the left) invited her sister Tara, who lives in Chicago, to the concert event. Tara, we hope to see you back!
Former staff organist for Radio City Music Hall Robert MacDonald is joined by Phil Bordeleau for a four-hand version of Sousa's The Stars and Stripes Forever.
Organist Robert MacDonald (on the left) greets audience members and fellow organ enthusiasts following the performance.
posted by Andrew at 11:32 PM
2 Comments:
This concert was quite the organ spectacular!
I remember at the very last piece, there were tiny bells chiming, and I was so confused. Finally, I looked up and saw a little wheel of bells spinning. It turns out that it's called a Zimbelstern, and my friend Cathy later told me that in the concerts she'd been to, organists put it on during the final piece. You can see a picture of it in the second photo (of the organ pipes) in this post.
I was also interested to read that it's similar to those holiday decorations where candles turn a windmill which strikes small cymbals...I remember having one of those as a kid. Who knew that years later, I would see its cousin nesting high up in some organ pipes?
I guess you learn something new every day.
11:42 AM
Sarah, those bells - the Zimbelstern - always delight me as well...and I've seen so many have the same reaction as you did when Bruce Barber, Music Director of St. James Cathedral, brings them into the mix. Visually, they're very pleasing as well.
I was very pleased to be able to attend the Fourth of July Rush Hour concert. I had just arrived back in the States from two and a half weeks in China. Jetlagged as I was, it was so moving for me to be able to take part in the singing of patriotic hymns and hear the great warhorses of that great national holiday of ours. It felt particularly poignant to me this time for two reasons: 1. having just seen a host of artifacts from 6,000 years ago in a very different culture, I realized that our country isn't even a blip yet on the screen of human history.... and 2. blip or no blip, I was a proud and grateful as ever that this "experiment" of a group of 18th century farmers, teachers and lawyers proved successful....also, it was particularly wonderful to be able to SING ALONG in a Fourth of July celebration....instead of the usual passive "watching" of fireworks, either live or on TV...I felt I had really celebrated the holiday.
5:07 PM
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