By Robert D. Thomas
Music Critic
Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily
News
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Pipe Organs Inspire:
Ae-Kyong Kim, David
Wolfe, Timothy Howard, organists
Saturday, March 17, 2012 First United Methodist Church,
Paszdena
Free Admission
Information: www.pipeorgansinspire.org
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Churches often tend to be protective of their turf but three
of Pasadena’s oldest and largest churches — First United Methodists, First
Church of Christ, Scientist, and Pasadena Presbyterian — are combining on a
unique trio of free organ recitals that begin tonight at First United Methodist
Church, 500 E. Colorado Blvd.
Full disclosure: I
belong to PPC, sing with and am close friends with Timothy Howard. I like to
quote the late, great Molly Ivins in this regard: You’re free to take what I
have to say with grain of salt or a pound of salt).
Each of the church’s organists — Ae-Kyong Kim (FUMC), David
Wolfe (FCCS) and Timothy Howafd (PPC) will play on all three programs. The
music was selected with the unique qualities of each church’s organ (in the
case of this evening’s program, FUMC’s organ is an E.M. Skinner model that was
originally built in 1924).
Kim will open the evening with Mozart’s Fantasy in F minor,
K. 608 and will conclude with three movements from Symphony No. 6 in G minor by
Charles-Marie Widor. Wolfe will play October
Interlude by Clarence Mader (who once taught at Occidental College) and
three Chorale-Preludes by Johann Sebastian Bach. Howard will play Mendelssohn’s
Sonata No. 1, Op. 65, and Buxtehude’s Prelude, Fugue and Chaconne in C Major,
BuxW 137.
The recitals give you an opportunity to hear three fine
organist on three significant — and quite different — instruments in three
buildings from different architectural ages, all for no admission charge.
The second recital on the series will take place March 31 at
First Church of Christ, Scientist. The final program will be April 14 at
Pasadena Presbyterian Church. Programs, program notes, bios and information
about each of the organs can be found HERE.
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(c) Copyright 2012, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved.
Portions may be quoted with attribution.
