Inaugural Recital on the Goodson Chapel Organ

The always abfab David Arcus presented the Inaugural Recital on the Goodson Chapel Organ at Duke Divinity School last Friday, 24 October. He gave a nice program that highlighted the features of the organ.

First of all, click here for the stoplist for the Richards, Fowkes & Co Opus 16. It is a lovely instrument, and I'd love to have a go on it sometime.

Here is the program.

Georg Böhm: Præludium in C Major
David Arcus: Variations on SIMPLE GIFTS
César Franck: Prière, Op. 20
Olivier Messiaen: Communion: Birds and Springs of Water (from Messe de la Pentecôte)
Felix Mendelssohn: Sonata No. 5 in D Major, Op. 65

• Andante
• Andante con moto
• Allegro maestoso

Johann Sebastian Bach: Fantasy and Fugue in g minor, BWV 542
Charles-Marie Widor:

• Andante sostenuto (from Symphonie gothique, Op. 70)
• Finale (from Symphonie No. 6, Op. 42)

Improvisation on a submitted theme

• Lauda anima
• Sine nomine
• Lobe den Herren

David is well-known for his improvisations, and he solicited hymntunes from the audience. He asked for three hymntunes, and those were the three he chose. I actually thought of giving him one of the cheesiest choices from the United Methodist hymnals that were in the chairs, but then considering how close to All Saints' Day we are, I was in the mood for some Sine Nomine. And David certainly did not disappoint.

And I feel so incredibly spoiled because I have the happy opportunity to listen to his improvisations every Sunday after Compline. He truly is a treasure.