Concert Programs for Bach's Lunch II and PipeScreams!

For this, my 50th post, I decided to share a couple of concert programs with you. Both took place yesterday (Tuesday, October 30). The first is the second in a series of noontime organ recitals at the Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill. The second is a Halloween program and fund raiser for Habitat for Humanity, in which I played a piece.

Bach's Lunch
Thomas A.J. Bloom, organ
Watts Street Baptist Church, Durham, NC

Program: An Abendmusik for the Eve of Reformation Day: Organ Music of Dietrich Buxtehude (1637 - 1707)

Voluntary: Ciacona in e minor, BuxWV 160
Psalm 46: Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott, BuxWV 184
The Canticles:

• Magnificat Primi Toni, BuxWV 203
• Nunc Dimittis: Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, BuxWV 76
• Contrapunctus [I]
  
• Evolutio [I]
  
• Contrapunctus [II]
  
• Evolutio [II]

The Hymn: Nun lob, mein Seel', den Herren, BuxWV 212
Voluntary: Praeludium in d minor, BuxWV 140

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PipeScreams! 2007
University United Methodist Church, Chapel Hill, NC

Vierne:

• Allegro Maestoso from Symphony III ("Ghost", actually the MIDI player on the Moeller organ)
• Scherzo from Symphony II (Tim Baker. He was the emcee of the entire event.)

Boëllmann: Toccata from Suite Gothique (Lyn Francisco. I played the Student, and wore my academic robes, minus Ph.D. hood.)

Albright: Nocturn (Tom Bloom. What a trooper, after having played that brilliant Buxtehude program at noon, he came back 7 hours later to perform in this program!)

P. D. Q. Bach: Toot Suite (Barbara Leder and Sandy Hobgood. She was dressed as a she-devil. He was dressed as a green-faced witch.)

• I - Preloud
• II - O.K. Chorale
• III - Fuga Vulgaris

Tournemire: Improvisation on Te Deum (Mila Karamushka. She played the part of the Firefly Fairy, but really looked more like a large orange butterfly up there.)

Lloyd Webber: All I Ask of You from Phantom of the Opera (Florence Peacock, soprano and Lewis Moore, baritone, accompanied by Tim Baker, organ, dressed as the Phantom. You can guess how Florence and Lewis were dressed.)

J. S. Bach: Toccata and Fugue in d minor (Tim Baker, de-Phantomed.)

Tim billed this as a "serious" piece; however, there were a series of "monsters", including a witch threatening to cast a spell on the organist before being chased away by a bucket of water; a big hairy gorilla, who threatened to slap the organist before being lured away by a bunch of bananas; a Duke Basketball Fan (Cameron Crazy?), who was chased away by Carolina Tar Heel pom-poms (you would have to know the Duke-UNC basketball rivalry to get that one); and Frankenstein, who threatened to strangle the organist but was lured away by his bride, who scolded Franky and led him away.

Throughout the program, there was funny commentary by a couple of women who played the part of bossy and nosy churchwomen, who at first were insulted that they weren't even consulted about this apparently serious organ program, but then insult turned to outrage as they threaten to report this to the Senior Pastor. In a stroke of comedic timing, just as they finished that line, guess who walks into the sanctuary? The Senior Pastor!

It was a fun program, and the audience was very generous, giving their shares of standing ovations to those of us performing either on the bench, singing, or acting.

The coolest thing - after the program, I was approached by a young mother and her daughter. The mother asked me if I was at the NC State Fair, doing the Chemistry Magic Shows. I said yes, I gave a couple of shows at the Fair. She said she thought she recognized me, and said her daughter was one of my assistants. I recognized her daughter as the one I had stuff an inflated balloon in a beaker filled with liquid nitrogen. Very cool indeed!