Fritts Organ for St Philip

It's almost here: the new Paul Fritts organ for St Philip was feted at an open house at Paul's shop this past Sunday and is due to arrive in Houston on Jan 3. It's looking and sounding fabulous, and we're eagerly awaiting it at the church (we've already sold the mighty Johannes electronic substitute!). The case is being painted a slightly darker, creamier off-white before it leaves Tacoma, the carvings will get some painted highlights as well, and a few facade pipes are still being made, but these pics should give a pretty good idea of the magnitude of the project. It's a great step for St Philip, and a very significant addition to the local musical scene. Inaugural festivities are already scheduled for Sunday, April 18 -- mark your calendars and come join us!

Red Priest red hot!

Red Priest gave an amazing performance tonight for Houston Early Music, complete with their trademark rearrangements of famous Vivaldi concerti and Halloween-inspired shenanigans. These four players, led by recorder virtuoso Piers Adams, have been compared to the Rolling Stones (among other groups), and now I see why. They play with an enthusiasm that goes well beyond the familiar swaying and ducking of even the most physical of early music practitioners. It's a fascinating combination of both spot-on playing with the imagination -- and sheer nerve -- of the best jazzers or rock musicians. Utterly fascinating, though some of the music -- particularly the Corelli "Folia" at the end -- came completely apart in their hands, though no one there (myself included) seemed to mind!

A Gramophone Review!

Ars Lyrica's debut CD on Naxos, with music by Alessandro Scarlatti, has gotten good reviews so far, including a great notice in the October issue of Gramophone, the leading magazine of the classical recording industry. Only sorry I can't put a link to it here, since Gramophone chooses not to make its monthly content available online unless you subscribe. So go to your local bookstore, get a copy, and read all about soprano Melissa Givens' "impassioned performance of strongly characterised and eloquent music," cellist Barry Sills' "exemplary skill and taste," and my own "impressive" work with a Scarlatti toccata. And if you haven't yet bought the CD, get one from us at Ars Lyrica.

New Solo Bach CD

I'm delighted to announce my just-released recording of Bach Organ Works for the Christmas Season, on the Centaur label. The disc was recorded on the Fisk-Nanney organ at Stanford Memorial Church. The Fisk, one of several organs in Stanford's "Mem Chu," can be seen in the center of this picture; surrounding it are the twin cases of the indestructable 1900 Murray Harris instrument -- which has survived numerous major earthquakes! The Stanford Fisk is a marvelous vehicle for Bach especially, since it plays in two historical temperaments and has a wide variety of German Baroque colors.

This new disc is available from Ars Lyrica or from Centaur. Enjoy!

Yesterday Ars Lyrica joined Block 7, a new local wine bar and retail shop, for a wine tasting and preview of the 09-10 season. It was great to see many of our supporters there, and even better to meet so many new people. Here's a toast to Ars Lyrica's new publicist, Monica Danna, and our fearless executive director, Kinga Ferguson, for organizing such a wonderful event!

The season gets underway in just a week, with "A Musical Offering" on Sunday Sept 20 at 5 pm, in the Hobby Center's Zilkha Hall. This program, the first stop on our season-long "Musical Grand Tour," offers music of Bach and Telemann written for princely patrons and famous cities. We'll sample from Telemann's "Paris Quartets" and hear a joyous birthday cantata Bach wrote for Prince Leopold of Cöthen, among other works. Good seats are still available, but we're filling up fast, so get your tickets at ArsLyricaHouston.org

St Philip organ update

The new Paul Fritts organ for St Philip is coming right along, with installation scheduled for the end of this year. Here's a computer model of how it will look in the space, with the proposed painted walls and ceiling of the rear bay. The exact color is to be determined, to complement the mosaic wall in front of the church. Thanks to Sixto for his work on this model! More pics from our recent visit to Paul's shop in Tacoma are at St Philip organ.

Judith Leyster at the National Gallery

Our nation's capital had an abundance of 17th-century art on display last week, from Monteverdi at Wolf Trap to the beautiful Judith Leyster exhibit at the National Gallery. Leyster was a rarity for her time: a prodigiously gifted female artist, who left only a handful of pieces. This self-portrait suggests a spirited and fun-loving character, one who might have done more had she not gotten married and run a household. At the very least, her work puts in perspective that of her contemporaries, by whom she is lovingly surrounded in this wonderful show. It's on view until the end of November, so if you happen to be in DC...