Prelude, de la Premiere Symphonie des Noels Michel-Richard Delande (1657-1726)
Fantasia with Imitation in B Minor, BWV 563 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
“Humoresque” L’Organo Primitivo Pietro Yon (1886-1943)
Eight Short Preludes on Gregorian Themes, Op. 45 Marcel Dupre (1886-1971)
Salve Regina
Pange Lingua (Tantum Ergo)
Sacris Solemniis (Panis Angelicus)
Redemptoris Mater
Verbum Supernum
Rhosymedre Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Intrada Grayston Ives (b. 1948)
Triptych on “Lord, Our Creator, ‘Bountiful Provider” Tune by Peter Volodja Boe (1937-2018)
Prelude/Intermezzo/Finale Arr. By John S. Dixon (b. 1957)
Chinoiserie Firmin Swinnen (1885-1972)
Miniature Suite for the Organ James H. Rogers (1857-1940)
Prelude/Intermezzo/Pastorale/Toccatina
Jazz Prelude II : Bossa Nova (Wunderbarer Konig ) Johannes M. Michel (b. 1962)
Toccata, from Baruch Suite Aaron David Miller (b. 1972)
Program Notes
Michel-Richard Delande wrote music for the court of King Louis XIV. He was known most for his very French sounding baroque grands motets and orchestral suites, but his later revisions of his music incorporated more Italian nuances and more attention to polyphonic writing. Enjoy this stately organ transcription of a Prélude from the first symphony of Noëls. You will hear me play notes inégales in the performance, meaning syncopated or unequal time, even though the music is written in equal values.
After hearing the Imitation of the Fantasia in B minor by Bach, you will hear a lone flute stop played in the Humoresque. The right hand dances around with a harmonic rhythm complimented by the left hand while the pedal embraces a soft 16’ ostinato pattern. There’s a chromatic development in the middle section that leads us back to the beginning section and ends with a final C chord.
I’ve selected my favorite movements of Dupré’s Preludes on Gregorian themes which call for varied registrations on the organ. Each movement is based on an early Gregorian chant themes and are intricately woven into the beautiful artistry of each movement.
Rhosymedre is one of my favorite hymn tunes. John David Edwards, and Anglican priest, wrote the tune for his Welsh village in the 19th century and Vaughan Williams took the melody (nicknamed “Lovely”), and wrote this organ prelude in 1920 that seems timeless in its beauty. There are two other Welsh preludes in the set composition.
Intrada was written for Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee Thanksgiving service in St. Paul’s Cathedral on 7th June, 1977.
My father wrote several hymns as a Lutheran minister in Iowa. He was inspired to write music after all he had been through as a Holocaust survivor during WWII. One of his hymns was arranged for an organ setting after Mr. Dixon discovered his melody while visiting Christ Lutheran Church in LeMars, Iowa, where my Dad served. They used this melody for the church's 150th anniversary.
The next few pieces are whimsical and have the style of the theater organ. They are American pieces written about the same period. Firmin came to this country from Belgium after WWI and was known for his improvisations during silent films in NYC.
Michel is a Professor of music in Mannheim and writes music for choirs, organ, and wind instruments. He has several organ pieces based on different dance styles. You may feel like grooving while you listen to this cool fusion jazz!
Aaron David Miller, residing in Minneapolis, composed the Baruch Suite for First Lutheran Church in 2021. Bemidji is a town surrounded by three Native American Reservations. We renovated our space to include a first-ever Native American flute stop (Bibigwan) on our two-manual 25-rank 2017 Casavant organ. Some of the movements of the suite include Ojibwe words such as: 1) Prelude (Azamobidoon), 2) Gigue (Naamiwaad), 3) Meditation (naanaagadawendamowin), 4) Trumpet Tune ( minisiinoo), and 5) Toccata (baapinendamowin).
Biography of Sarah Boe Carlson
Sarah Boe Carlson obtained her B.A. from St. Olaf College and her M. M. from The University of Iowa in Organ Performance. Her instructors included Dr. John Ferguson, Dr. Delores Bruch, and Dr. Delbert Disselhorst. She has been a featured soloist at the Notre Dame de Paris; Harvard University at Busch Hall, Boston; St. Thomas Cathedral in New York City; Colton Recital Hall at The University of South Dakota; The Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina; St. Helena’s Episcopal Church, Beaufort, South Carolina; St. Mark’s Episcopal, Berkeley, California; the Dom Kirke in Kristiansand, Norway, St. Louis King of France Church in St. Paul and several other places.
Before coming to Bemidji, she was the Director of Music at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in South Carolina and a teacher in the Preparatory School of Piano at Coker College. She has invested her summers in the study of early music at the Longy School of Music in Boston where she studied harpsichord with Arthur Haas. Sarah enjoys performing and commissioning new works for the organ. She featured a new work for the organ written by Aaron David Miller titled “Baruch Suite” which was premiered in August 2021, at First Lutheran Church. Another piece premiered at the church is titled “Manidoog Nibikang” written by Joseph Z. Adams. The piece is written for the organ and Native American Flute. Her father, Peter Boe, wrote the hymn tune, “Lord, our Creator, Bountiful Provider”, for the newly composed Triptych arranged by John S. Dixon featured on her recent program in St. Paul.
Sarah enjoys directing the Music Program at First Lutheran Church in Bemidji and playing on the new Casavant Pipe Organ (Opus 3922) that was installed in 2017. The organ is the first pipe organ in the world to use the Native American Flute sound, “Bibigwan”, in the registration. She is also adjunct faculty at Bemidji State University and works as a collaborative keyboardist with students and faculty, and is the continuo player for the Chamber Singers. She also enjoys being part of the Bemidji Symphony Orchestra, accompanying high school students for their competitions, planning summer recitals series programs in Bemidji and Park Rapids, and teaching private organ lessons. She has a daughter and son who are students at Gustavus Adolphus College, and a son who is a junior in high school.