Organist James Harrod (R. Crockett photo)

VILLIERS STANFORD SONATA HIGHLIGHTS AGO RECITAL

The Pipe Organ Mini Recital Series at Santa Rosa’s Church of the Incarnation continued March 12th with a program by Jim Harrod honoring St. Patrick’s Day. Mr. Harrod is assistant organist at Star of the Valley Catholic Church, Oakmont, in Santa Rosa.

The one-half hour recital consisted mostly by the Organ Sonata No. 4, “Celtica,” by Charles Villiers Stanford. In three movements, it opened with an Allegro Molto Moderato that wove Irish themes in a grand fashion. Mr. Harrod selected sonorities of the Casavant organ at Incarnation that matched the period piece perfectly. The second movement, Thema con Variazioni, was carefully articulated and registered and masterfully played. The Allegro maestoso finale was nothing but grand, featuring a fantasy ending with a full organ passage on the hymn St. Patrick’s Breastplate. This hymn’s text came from the ancient 9th Century Book of Avmagh. St. Patrick is said to have written this prayer to strengthen himself with God’s protection when he prepared to confront and convert the high king of Ireland, Loegaire.

Mr. Harrod ended his program with a requested rendition of Slane, choosing the composition “Voluntary on Slane” by English composer Noel Rawsthorne. Slane is a familiar old Irish folk tune for the hill in County Meath, Ireland, where St. Patrick’s lighting of an Easter fire against the Pagan King Leogaire led to his unlimited freedom to preach the gospel in Ireland. The combination of tune, rendition, registration (the string stops just made one melt), the organist’s smooth legato playing, and the setting of the program in the 130-year old redwood church interior capped a evening which many wished would continue far longer.

The programs in the series will continue April 9th (second Friday of each month) at 6:00 p.m., and will feature compositions based upon German Chorales and written by German composers. Harold Julander will be the performer and, as with all of the series’ recitals, attendees are invited to join the artists and others in a dinner at a local restaurant following the music.