Listening Guide to REPEAT THE SOUNDING JOY

LISTENING GUIDE to REPEAT THE SOUNDING JOY

Christmas Favorites Played by Rodney Barbour on the Harrah Symphonic Organ

(watch for ordering information–available after December 2)

A CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION, arr. Don Phillips  This upbeat opening selection was chosen as several familiar carols (The First Noel, Joy to the World, O Come Let Us Adore Him, Angels We Have Heard on High) quickly intoduce the listener to many different sounds!  WIthin a few measures are heard traditional pipe organ, digital pipe organ, and orchestral instruments both through MIDI (computer) and acoustic.  Here’s a list: Full Organ, Organ Trumpets, Strings and Flute, Orchestral Strings, Glockenspiel, French Horns, Vocal Aahs, Chime, Pizzicato Strings, Organ Reed Combination, Harpsichord.

O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL, arr. David Lowe  This song of invitation uses only sounds from the Harrah Symphonic Organ.  The opening is played on two contrasting Festival Trumpets (right and left sides in the room) and then Front Pipes and Back Pipes.  Quiet Organ Strings and Celestes follow supporting two contrasting Solo Reed combinations creating a haunting timeless effect of waiting for Emmanuel to come  The piece grows more urgent with a full  ensemble from the very unique String Division played with both hands which accompanying a 4’ Clarion Pedal Solo.  Full Organ drives the piece home with a surprise quiet ending on the Ripieno Division Clarinetto 8 and 16.   

BRIGHT, BRIGHT THE HOLLY BERRIES by Alfred Burt  Alfred Burt was a jazz musician, son of an Episcopalian Rector.  His unique carols are full of holiday imagery-holly berries, happy faces, snowy meadows, mistletoe, children’s voices filled with laughter and glee.  He seamlessly turns to the spirtual with the angel’s  song, the heaven’ly host, the Tiny King from God above.  The Harrah Symphonic Organ can quickly negotiate between various styles and sounds, in this piece including: Bagpipes, Taiko Drum, Orchestral plus Organ Strings and Celestes, Vocal Aahs, Bells, and Full Organ. 

NOEL PROVENCAL by Robert Leech Bedell  Here,we again feature only the pipe organ stops of the Harrah Symphonic Organ.  This French Carol opens with the beautiful Doppelflote echoing with Swell Strings.  The melody moves to a Flute Combination on the Choir including the unusual II Rank Jeu Du Clochette.  The rich middle section is played on the massive STRING DIVISION with the echo section adding Strings and Vox Humanas from the Swell, Great, and Choir Divisions.  A return to the opening registrations completes the A-B-A form and paints a light, delightful picture of the birth of Christ.

O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL arr. David Willcocks  Adeste Fideles is the perfect carol for singing the Good News of the birth of Christ on Christmas Day.  This arrangement is presented with the familiar organ accompaniment by the esteemed Sir David Willcocks in the English Choral Tradition.  We hear Principal Chorus, Solo Trumpet, Full English Organ. 

MARY, DID YOU KNOW?, arr. Joseph Martin  This arrangement is adapted from a SATB Choral score and has many opportunites to show the Harrah Symphonic Organ as the perfect controller of orchestral voices.  This opens with quotes from “Let All Mortal Flesh” heard on the Orchestral Flute and the English Horn.  As this melody is from plainsong chant, a phrase is quoted on the Vocal Aahs and Chime played in the pedal.  A build-up on organ celestes with orchestral strings leads to Full Organ with a Cymbal Crash—-all before the first phrase of Mary, Did You Know? begins on a solo English Horn accompanied by a Nylon String Guitar.  After verse one, the melody repeats with a new accompaniment—this time a “swingle singer” vocal “doo”, before building to a chorus on Full Organ.  The arrangement quiets back down at the end, with final statements of the theme on Vocal Aahs, a solo orchestral Flute and Chime.  (P.S. By the way…Mary DID know!  The Bible tells us so!)

BREATH OF HEAVEN, arr. Sandra Eithun  While this song is several years old, it is one of the newer Christmas songs which has reached “classic” status.  The angel visits Mary and tells her “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”  The orchestration adapted from a handbell arrangement, begins with Choral Aahs, Bass Drum and a repeating pattern on the Handbells.  Verse One is played on tuned percussions including Organ Harp, Celesta, with Warm Pad and Fantasia from MIDI.  Verse Two replaces a couple of sounds with the Glockenspeil.  When the song text moves to Mary singing “Breath of Heaven,” the Holy Spirit is symbolized by the Zimbelstern (rotating mechanical bells), the Choral Aahs, and the Orchestral Harp.

IMPROVISATION on GOD REST YOU MERRY, GENTLEMEN, arr. Myron Roberts  God’s plan for our salvation is proclaimed in this carol: remember Christ, our Saviour was born on Christmas day to save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray…O tidings of comfort and joy.  Strong statements of the carol melody begin on full organ in contrapuntal (echo) fashion.  The middle section is played on a beautiful solo reed, then performed on the Viola D’Amour and Viole A’Pavillon accompanied by the Flute Celeste and Pedal Flute 4.  To close, the opening theme returns through a gradual build-up to Full Organ.  In this recording, though the sound is HUGE, only about one-third of the potential sound and volume of the Harrah Symphonic Organ is heard!

SILENT NIGHT, arr. Virgil Fox  The story of Franz Gruber writing Silent Night to “save the music of the Christmas Eve Service when the organ was broken” is well-known! Thank goodness the Harrah Symphonic Organ is NOT broken for this orchestral arrangement played with only organ stops (no MIDI)!  Verse One features the DoppelFlote accompanied by Chimes and quiet flutes.  Verse Two is organ flutes plus organ strings and celestes plus the Voxes from the Swell and the Orchestral Divisions.  Verse Three shows beauty and simplicity with Organ Celestes accompanying the 8’ Hollow Flute and Orchestral Vox 3.  As you listen, picture yourself lighting a candle in worship on Christmas Eve.                             

JOY TO THE WORLD, arr. Virgil Fox  The text for this jubilant carol is adapted from Psalm 98 which reads in part:  Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn…let them sing before the Lord for he comes to judge the earth.  He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity. The arrangement alternates between chimes and quaint reeds, chimes and English Swell, chimes and full String Ensemble and Full English Organ.  “Repeat the Sounding Joy” is a phrase from the carol as well as the title of this collection of Christmas Music played on the Harrah Symphonic Organ.  This collection has songs from each of the Christmas programs Rodney Barbour has played at Forrest Burdette since 2008.  It is intended for repeated listening and for you to discover a “new sound” each time you hear it as each year you experience new memories of Christmases past, present and to come.