Author: william

Endlessly Ascending Canon     J.S. Bach (1685-1750) "Jesus Shall Reign" Improvisation A ’canon’ is basically a round like "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" — but on steroids. Whereas in a  ’round’ each group starts on the same note, in canons each group might start on a different note. Or the second group might sing the same…

Gymnopedie No. 1 Erik Satie (1866-1925) [PIANO] Chorale Prelude on “The Church’s One Foundation” Improvisation Erik Satie was a French pianist and composer during the Impressionist period (early 20th century). After his mother’s death when Satie was 6, he and his younger brother were sent to live with his grandparents. There he received his first…

“If Only I Could Kiss it and Make it Better”    W. Zeitler [PIANO] “We Cannot Measure How You Heal” Amidst all the loud allelujas and trumpets that rightfully characterize Easter and its season, there’s a little detail of the story that recaptures my imagination again and again, namely: The Resurrected Christ still has the…

Andante grazioso & Allegro   Maria von Paradis (1759-1824) [PIANO] "Open My Eyes, That I May See" Improvisation Maria Theresia Paradis (1759-1824) was the daughter of Joseph Anton Paradis, Imperial Secretary of Commerce to the Empress Maria Theresa. Around three years old Maria awoke one morning completely blind. Dad was sufficiently affluent to afford the best…

Tiento (Fantasy) No. 23   Francisco Correa de Arauxo (1584–1654)  [ORGAN] "Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies" Improvisation Francisco Correa de Arauxo (1584–1654) is considered one of the major composers and music theorists of the late Spanish Renaissance. What little biographical data we have is that he was born in Seville and baptized probably in September 1584.…

Allemande, Sarabande     W. Zeitler  "If Thou But Suffer God To Guide Thee" Improvisation At least in ’classic’ Presbyterianism, a distinguishing doctrine is that our eternal fate is ’predestined’ since before the Beginning. Now I’m no theologian or church historian, and I’m certainly not going to go into the pros and cons of that view.…

Prelude in Bm     F. Chopin One evening, when all were assembled in a salon, Liszt played one of Chopin’s nocturnes, to which he took the liberty of adding some embellishments. Chopin’s delicate intellectual face, which still bore the traces of recent illness, looked disturbed; at last he could not control himself any longer, and…

Toccata in Gm D. Buxtehude (1637/39-1707) “Spirit of the Living God” Improvisation In a former life I found myself on the road (with my glass armonica) in a Motel 6 in the middle of nowhere. There were maybe 4 channels on the TV — CNN, a couple shopping channels, and Trinity Broadcast Network. Trinity is…

"A Prayer in the Still of the Night" W. Zeitler "Open My Eyes That I May See" Improvisation In the Old Testament we find the story of Samuel — a prophet who ultimately anoints David as King of Israel. At a young age Samuel is apprenticed to the priest Eli, and one night he thinks…

Chaconne W. Zeitler  [ORGAN] "Now the Green Blade Riseth" Improvisation The 'chaconne' (sha-KONE) is a musical form consisting of a repeating bass pattern, or alternatively a repeating chord sequence, with variations carrying on all the while. Some scholars have argued that a 'chaconne' is a repeating chord sequence while a 'passacaglia' has a repeating bass…