Cue the snow.
Postponed a month by two snowstorms that had knocked out the power for a couple days at Abington Presbyterian Church in Abington, Pa., Two Meditations on Freu dich sehr received its premiere yesterday on the Dedicatory Concert for the Organ Restoration Campaign of the 1969 Möller organ. Alan Morrison played my work on an exquisitely performed program with J. S. Bach, Johann Bernard Bach, Widor, Duruflé, Vierne, Anne Wilson, and John Weaver. This was part of the 300th Anniversary celebrations of Abington Presbyterian Church.
My notes about the piece are here. Alan was remarkable, exploiting the tonal expansiveness of the instrument in Two Meditations and in brilliant and lucid playing throughout the program.
Music Director John Sall and I had two goals for the piece. We wanted it to be worthy of this occasion and of Alan’s tremendous gifts, but we also wanted it to serve afterward as a work useful in church settings by organists everywhere. The Two Meditations are “Comfort, Comfort Ye My People” and (the last phrase from the hymn’s last verse), “That His Word Is Never Broken.” These could be used as Prelude and Postlude, for instance.
Organists at the concert have been asking for copies of the music, and Alan and I are mulling over some registrations, so after some polishing up of the score, it’ll be ready soon. If you’d like a look, just let me know (contact information’s in the sidebar to the right).
We’re all relieved that we got the concert in, after that snow delay. Woke up this morning of March 17th and looked out the window. It’s snowing.