Issue 20 - Well-known and well-loved!

Can you hum any of Edward Elgar's music? Let me answer for you... yes! Whether or not you realize it, we can all probably hum the music that is played at commencement and graduation ceremonies all over the world, Pomp and Circumstance. It's probably the most often played composition of Elgar's. However, the Enigma Variations are a close second for this English composer of Romantic works. Comprised of 14 variations on a theme, they were originally composed for orchestra. Elgar accompanies each variation with a set of initials and therein lies the mystery or "enigma" as to whom the variation is dedicated and depicts.

The 9th variation is the prelude music for this Sunday. Titled "Nimrod", it refers to Elgar's best friend. Some people would describe this piece as the portrait of English Romantic music. It is noble and generous in character ~ understandable why it is loved by so many. I am specifically excited about playing this on Rally Sunday because our opening hymn, "O God Beyond All Praising", is another English Romantic iconic composition taken from Jupiter from Gustav Holst's The Planets. It's an honor to play these two pieces so close to each other at the start of our worship!

In regards to Rally Sunday: if Larry Christensen is going to be splashing around in the dunk tank this Sunday, then I guess I need to play something equally as splashy for the postlude! The Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by J. S. Bach is the most famous work for pipe organ. Whenever I meet someone in an airport and they ask what I do, their eyes brighten as I inevitably get their rendition of the opening trill of the Toccata.

This is one of those pieces that, trust me... you know it and can hum it (or at least the beginning of it). I have, over the years, shied away from playing this piece in church for various reasons... Is it too showy? Is it played too often? Has this piece become exhausted through it's abundant use in popular culture to where people can only hear Phantom of the Opera or Fantasia when listening to it? As of today, my answer to all these questions is... no! This piece is so well known because it is a great piece... and people like to listen to great music. So, why not start the Fall with a splash by playing Bach's most enduring organ work: The Toccata and Fugue in D Minor! (There's more to say about the history and composition of this piece - but I'll save writing about that for another year when I play it again!)

(Image: Oldest known manuscript of the Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565, J. Rinck)