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Todd Wilson recital

mathetes1963

New member
Monday night (03/09/2009) I had the great pleasure of attending a recital given by organist Todd Wilson at St. John's Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC. He played, among other things, Lynwood Farnham's arrangement the Dupre' Cortege et Litanie (with which I was not previously familiar), J.S. Bach's Passacaglia and Fugue complete with improvised cadenza, the first movement of Widor's Symphonie V, and the Reubke Sonata on the 94th Psalm (why oh why hasn't he recorded this?).

Mr. Wilson play the church's new 3-manual Letourneau organ absolutely to the hilt; not a huge instrument, but just right for that room.

First real organ recital I've been to in years, and one of best I can remember. :cool:
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
I've heard Todd Wilson in a live concert once ... it was in June of 2003 at the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City (Utah). They performed Jongen's Symphonie Concertante and it was absolutely flawless and spectacular. There were about 19,500 people attending that even that night ... I was in the 5th row from the front and just off center.

Todd is a brilliant concert organist and draws huge crowds wherever he plays.
 

Contratrombone64

Admiral of Fugues
mathetes - the firm Letourneau is quite well known in Sydney, Australia as it was responsible for two major recent organ rebuilds: one at St Andrew's Cathedral (Anglican) and also at St Mary's Cathedral (Roman Catholic).
 

pcnd5584

New member
mathetes - the firm Letourneau is quite well known in Sydney, Australia as it was responsible for two major recent organ rebuilds: one at St Andrew's Cathedral (Anglican) and also at St Mary's Cathedral (Roman Catholic).

I wonder if you could supply further details of these, please. I think that I have seen the stoplists, but I am interested in a tonal assessment, their suitability for the job they have to do and the ease of handling (console, etc). Thank you.
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
He did the Jongen? With what orchestra? Egad, he seriously needs to record some of this stuff... :cry:

The orchestra that performed the Jongen is called The Orchestra of Temple Square which is comprised of many professional musicians.

Although that performance was video taped by BYU-TV, it was never produced into a VHS or DVD for public purchase ... but it was broadcast once over some PBS stations about a year after the original concert. It has not been aired since.

According to Bonneville Productions (the LDS production company) there were certain "licensing and royalty" issues that could not be resolved, so the video tape of this performance will never be produced for sale.

It was a spectacular performance though ... as was the entire evening which also featured the Tabernacle Choir singing the Willhousky version of Battle Hymn as well as many other pieces. In all, the concert lasted well over two hours ... none us as attending wanted it to end - It was a thrilling experience I will never forget.
 

dll927

New member
Not too many places can hold 19,500 people. The Conference Center (a.k.a. Hinckley's Palace) is probably unique. That organ isn't quite as large as the one in the Tabernacle, but it's probably grossed out enough to fill the place. Does anyone know if the acoustics are anywhere close to the Tabernacle?

Richard Elliot, one of the Tabernacle organists has (or at least had) a website in which he sort of debunks that acoustics reputation. According to him, it depends on just where you are in the Tabernacle, and they know how to put tourists in just the right places.

Would they record Jongen, or anyone else, in front of 19,500 people?

That organ is a Schoenstein, same company as First-Plymouth in Lincoln, NE. They seem to know what they are doing, especially since none of the other old-line companies are around any more.
 
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