MONROE - Midday Masterworks, a quarterly organ mini-recital series played by Monroe organist Deborah Krauss Smith, will present programs Wednesday at 12:15 p.m. at the United Methodist Church at 2227 4th St. and at 5:15 p.m. at St. Victor Church at 1760 14th St.
Although the second program at St. Victor Church is usually a reprise of the first, this time two different programs will be presented to honor the memory of two local men.
The program at the United Methodist Church will be played in memory of the organist's "always fun-to-be-around" uncle, LaVerne "Mike" Schmerse, who died July 15, 2015. Themed "Just for Fun," it will include whimsical pieces that would not be heard at a Sunday morning church service, including a piece titled "The Squirrel," a jazz piece called "Mozart Changes" and an arrangement of "Drunken Sailor" interspersed with classical themes. The program also will include two of the organist's own compositions, "On, Wisconsin," written for the funeral of Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch in 2004, and "Kidbits," a medley of nursery rhymes that was performed and included in a publication compiled last fall by the Association of Church Musicians in Madison.
The program at St. Victor Catholic Church, played in memory of Michael E. Klarer, will feature music and pieces for organ that were favorites of Klarer's, including a setting of the Navy Hymn, Ralph Vaughan Williams' setting of "Rhosymedre" and the "Suite Gothique" by Leon Boellmann. Klarer, who died April 24, was the visionary and guiding force behind the 2006 installation of the Matthew Ronald Buholzer Memorial Pipe Organ at St. Victor Church, as well as the sanctuary renovation, which resulted in its outstanding acoustics.
Now in its 15th season, Midday Masterworks was established in 2002 to feature the Monroe United Methodist Church's new three-manual, 39-rank Berghaus pipe organ. Midday Masterworks-Reprise, a repeat of the same program later in the day, was added in 2008 to showcase St. Victor Church's new organ installation, a hybrid combination of a Moller pipe organ and Rodgers digital organ.
Both churches are handicapped-accessible. More information is available at http://coldspringsroad.com/middaymasterworks.html.
Although the second program at St. Victor Church is usually a reprise of the first, this time two different programs will be presented to honor the memory of two local men.
The program at the United Methodist Church will be played in memory of the organist's "always fun-to-be-around" uncle, LaVerne "Mike" Schmerse, who died July 15, 2015. Themed "Just for Fun," it will include whimsical pieces that would not be heard at a Sunday morning church service, including a piece titled "The Squirrel," a jazz piece called "Mozart Changes" and an arrangement of "Drunken Sailor" interspersed with classical themes. The program also will include two of the organist's own compositions, "On, Wisconsin," written for the funeral of Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch in 2004, and "Kidbits," a medley of nursery rhymes that was performed and included in a publication compiled last fall by the Association of Church Musicians in Madison.
The program at St. Victor Catholic Church, played in memory of Michael E. Klarer, will feature music and pieces for organ that were favorites of Klarer's, including a setting of the Navy Hymn, Ralph Vaughan Williams' setting of "Rhosymedre" and the "Suite Gothique" by Leon Boellmann. Klarer, who died April 24, was the visionary and guiding force behind the 2006 installation of the Matthew Ronald Buholzer Memorial Pipe Organ at St. Victor Church, as well as the sanctuary renovation, which resulted in its outstanding acoustics.
Now in its 15th season, Midday Masterworks was established in 2002 to feature the Monroe United Methodist Church's new three-manual, 39-rank Berghaus pipe organ. Midday Masterworks-Reprise, a repeat of the same program later in the day, was added in 2008 to showcase St. Victor Church's new organ installation, a hybrid combination of a Moller pipe organ and Rodgers digital organ.
Both churches are handicapped-accessible. More information is available at http://coldspringsroad.com/middaymasterworks.html.
