REJOUISSANCE with the Cincinnati Brass Band

What a spectacular Cincinnati Brass Band concert Sunday March 10, 2024 at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Montgomery, Ohio, ending with Curnow’s Rejouissance with me playing the marvelous St. Barnabas Rodgers Pipe Combination Organ! For the last page, there were no stops left to pull and all Super and Sub Couplers were ENGAGED!  For the final Chord I had the 64″ stop, and all six 32 foot stops, Principal, Bourdon, Violone, Bombarde, Posaune, Trompette. I got thumbs up from all Tuba Players as their fannies vibrated towards the front of their padded seats! Everything resonated in the near perfect acoustics. It was a great joy (which I guess accounts for the title of the piece)!  The arrangement is based on the reformation hymn:  A Mighty Fortress.   I admit it was a bit ironic to be playing such a powerful arrangement of the “Lutheran National Anthem” in an Episcopalian Parish!   A side note:  this was the MAGNUM OPUS organ my close friend Jerry Dulski sold and installed in the Cincinnati Area.  I was able to help with the installation and voicing.  Playing today brought back memories of many good times with my friend Jerry (who was one of a kind!)  I also enjoyed speaking with several folks at St. Barnabas who remembered and comment on previous performances I’ve presented at St. Barnabas, including being one of several organists on the dedication program (the only performer who used orchestral voices!-no surprise there!) and for a Veterans Day Patriotic Performance presented with the acclaimed pianist of the Cincinnati Symphony, Dr. Michael Chertok.