MONROE - Midday Masterworks, a quarterly organ mini-recital series, will present a program titled "Mostly Manuals" from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. April 25 at the United Methodist Church, 2227 4th St. A repeat of the program, which is normally scheduled for later in the day at St. Victor Catholic Church, will not take place this time due to a scheduling conflict at the church.
The program, played by Monroe organist Deborah Krauss Smith, will feature organ music specifically written for only the keyboards for the hands, which are called manuals. In past centuries, many small church or chamber organs had no keys for the feet, known as pedals. Likewise, 19th century and early 20th century house organs, some of which were reed organs or harmoniums, had only a keyboard for the hands. With a bit of renewed interest in chamber organs, some 21st century organ composers have written pieces specifically for organ without pedals. The music selected for this program will include pieces written by J.S. Bach, French romantic composers Theodore Salome and Jean-Baptiste Maillochaud, harmonium composer Hermann Wenzel of Germany and a piece from 2016 by Ad Wammes of the Netherlands.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the organist has a double applied major in both organ and voice, having begun organ studies in Monroe with the late Merruth Seaton, continuing with Jerry Evenrud and David O. Parsons while at UW-EC, and then for many years with the now late Lawrence G. Kelliher, former longtime organist/music director of Bethel Lutheran Church in Madison. She has served congregations of varying denominations as a church musician in Monroe, Eau Claire and Madison for over 40 years. In 2012 and 2014, she led Madison Symphony Orchestra-sponsored hymn sings, playing the Klais organ in the Overture Hall of the Overture Center for the Arts in downtown Madison. A member of the American Guild of Organists, Smith is past president/AGO chapter dean of the Madison-based Association of Church Musicians. The granddaughter of Swiss and German immigrants to Green County, she also has directed the Monroe Swiss Singers mixed choir since 1985.
Midday Masterworks began in 2002 as a quarterly Wednesday noon-hour organ mini-recital series featuring the new three-manual keyboards, 39-rank different sets of pipes/sounds of the Berghaus pipe organ at the Monroe UMC. In 2008, a repeat later in the day of the noontime program was added, featuring the newly-built hybrid combination of a 1968 Moller pipe organ with a three-manual Rodgers digital organ at St. Victor Catholic Church. The half-hour programs are themed and include organ music enjoyable by all ages.
The United Methodist Church of Monroe, located near the hospital, is handicapped-accessible and has ample parking. A free-will donation is accepted, all of which goes to the maintenance fund for the church's instrument. More detailed information is available at http://coldspringsroad.com/middaymasterworks.html.
The program, played by Monroe organist Deborah Krauss Smith, will feature organ music specifically written for only the keyboards for the hands, which are called manuals. In past centuries, many small church or chamber organs had no keys for the feet, known as pedals. Likewise, 19th century and early 20th century house organs, some of which were reed organs or harmoniums, had only a keyboard for the hands. With a bit of renewed interest in chamber organs, some 21st century organ composers have written pieces specifically for organ without pedals. The music selected for this program will include pieces written by J.S. Bach, French romantic composers Theodore Salome and Jean-Baptiste Maillochaud, harmonium composer Hermann Wenzel of Germany and a piece from 2016 by Ad Wammes of the Netherlands.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the organist has a double applied major in both organ and voice, having begun organ studies in Monroe with the late Merruth Seaton, continuing with Jerry Evenrud and David O. Parsons while at UW-EC, and then for many years with the now late Lawrence G. Kelliher, former longtime organist/music director of Bethel Lutheran Church in Madison. She has served congregations of varying denominations as a church musician in Monroe, Eau Claire and Madison for over 40 years. In 2012 and 2014, she led Madison Symphony Orchestra-sponsored hymn sings, playing the Klais organ in the Overture Hall of the Overture Center for the Arts in downtown Madison. A member of the American Guild of Organists, Smith is past president/AGO chapter dean of the Madison-based Association of Church Musicians. The granddaughter of Swiss and German immigrants to Green County, she also has directed the Monroe Swiss Singers mixed choir since 1985.
Midday Masterworks began in 2002 as a quarterly Wednesday noon-hour organ mini-recital series featuring the new three-manual keyboards, 39-rank different sets of pipes/sounds of the Berghaus pipe organ at the Monroe UMC. In 2008, a repeat later in the day of the noontime program was added, featuring the newly-built hybrid combination of a 1968 Moller pipe organ with a three-manual Rodgers digital organ at St. Victor Catholic Church. The half-hour programs are themed and include organ music enjoyable by all ages.
The United Methodist Church of Monroe, located near the hospital, is handicapped-accessible and has ample parking. A free-will donation is accepted, all of which goes to the maintenance fund for the church's instrument. More detailed information is available at http://coldspringsroad.com/middaymasterworks.html.
