Organist Cathryn Wilkinson

WILKINSON PERFORMS IN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ORGAN RECITAL

Organist Cathryn Wilkinson played a delightfully warm and entertaining recital of mostly organ transcriptions August 7 at the First Presbyterian Church of Santa Rosa. The music was happy and cheerful despite the dry church acoustics, and was intelligently and carefully played. The only missing element was room for dancing!

Ms. Wilkinson’s program was entitled “Childhood Memories” and included were Prince Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar’s three-movement Concerto in G Major, BWV 592, transcribed by Bach, and “Praise Him All You Little Children,” six pieces based on children’s hymns by Philip Gehring (b. 1926). Additionally she performed St. Saëns’ The Carnival of the Animals, transcribed for organ by Ekaterina Melnikova, and seven of Brahms’ sixteen Waltzes, Op. 39, originally for piano and transcribed by C. Wilkinson. The artist concluded with “In Fairyland,” a Suite for Organ in three movements, composed in 1919 by R. Spaulding Stoughton.

Ms. Wilkinson played the program with ease and artistic familiarity. There was great pedaling throughout and her choices of organ registration demonstrated knowledge of her chosen music and the voicing of the church’s newly refurbished three-manual instrument. The audience was small and no encore was offered.

It was a fine summer Sunday afternoon concert!

The organist is Dean of Arts and Humanities at Napa Valley College and a frequent contributor to professional organ journals The Diapason and The American Organist.