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January 2009, City Pipes

Organ Column

Thu, Apr 16, 2009

For ten years, Dr. Jan Kraybill, Principal Organist of the Community of Christ Church, has played an organ recital on Super Bowl Sunday. 2009 is no different...

A Super Star

For ten years, Dr. Jan Kraybill, Principal Organist of the Community of Christ Church, has played an organ recital on Super Bowl Sunday.  2009 is no different; she will play this year's recital on the great Aeolian-Skinner organ in the Auditorium at River and Walnut Streets in Independence on Sunday February 1st, beginning at 3:00 p.m.

The program consists of requests from the many people who have attended in years past.  In fact, Jan writes that she "was completely overwhelmed by the number of requests - I have over three single-spaced pages of them!"

Some of the works to be played: Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor; "I'm a Jayhawk"; a medley from the High School Musical Movies; the William Tell Overture; and, one that  I especially want to hear, "Outer Hebrides" by Paul Halley.  She'll play these and other pieces with consummate artistry.

And, the program is FREE!  Don't miss it!
Visit www.cofchrist.org/dome_spire for more information.
 

Old Wine in a New Bottle

Recently, one of the local newspapers featured an article about an E. and G. G. Hook organ, built in 1869 and recently re-installed in the Rainbow Mennonite Church.  This small jewel of an instrument is now in a beautiful, intimate acoustic and is the vehicle for an organ recital on February 16th, to be given by Bruce Stevens.  Mr. Stevens plays frequently for conventions of the Organ Historical Society; he crafts ingenious programs for relatively small pipe organs, showing the versatility of such instruments and the wide range of music for them.  The recital begins at 7:30; the church is located at 1444 Southwest Blvd.  It's a bit tricky to find - it is probably best to look for a map on the internet so as to determine how to get there.  Once you have arrived, you will be delighted with the sound of the organ and the room in which it is placed and with the recital given by Mr. Stevens.

Oh, yes, one other word - the company that put the organ in its new home is Quimby Pipe Organs of Warrensburg; the company just completed the re-installation of the massive and wonderful Aeolian-Skinner organ in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York.  And they are curators of Kansas City's finest instruments, including the Gabriel Kney organ at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral and the Auditorium organ.   They approach every instrument for which they are responsible with love and careful attention

 

 

By John Schaefer

City Pipes (Past writer)

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