Along with about 50 other organists, I
attended the McGill Summer Organ Academy in Montreal July 20-30. This Academy is held every two years and this
was the 10th Academy offered.
This academy offered 9 courses with 8 faculty
from Canada, the United States, Italy, France, Sweden, and the Netherlands. The courses were held over two weeks and
participants could register for the same or different courses for each week. The courses were Master Classes and participants
could audit or be an active participant in each course. Active participants prepared organ pieces
ahead of time to perform for the professor and the class. I was active for two weeks in the Continuo
class with Hank Knox, and active for the first week and audited the second week
in the French Classical course with John Grew.
I learned a tremendous amount in both classes and I plan to attend again
in two years.
In the Continuo Class I learned the standard
17th and 18th Century sequences and cadential formulas
and to recognize the common figured bass chord symbols. We used a harpsichord for this class and we accompanied
a singer near the end of the class.
With Hank Knox at the harpsichord in Schulich
Hall
In the French Classical class, we learned
about the music of Clérambault and
Couperin in the first week, and the music of
de
Grigny, and d’Anglebert in the
second week. This class included how to interpret
this style of music: the articulation, fingering, various types of ornaments
and notes inégales. We were very fortunate to have our classes on
the Hellmuth Wolff French classical organ, Opus 24 (1981) in Redpath Hall. In preparation for the class, I learned three
pieces by Clérambault: the Récit de Nazard and the Duo from
his second suite, and the Fugue from the first suite.
With John Grew at the console of the Hellmuth Wolff
organ in Redpath Hall
The McGill Academy included 10 faculty concerts, so
we had a concert almost every evening, and two concerts on Saturday and two on
Sunday. Some of these concerts were at
McGill University in Redpath Hall, and some were in area churches. One of the most memorable concerts was
presented on July 22 by William Porter and Edorardo Bellotti in Redpath
Hall. This concert began with Bellotti
playing music of Pasquini and Storace on the harpsichord. Then Porter played music of Nivers, Jullien,
and de Grigny on the organ. The
highlight of this concert was Bellotti and Porter on two harpsichords
improvising on the theme “Follia.” This
was billed as competition between the Italian and French styles. This was delightful and the audience gave
them a standing ovation.
On Saturday, July 25, the class took a field trip on
a bus to the St.
Benoit du Lac Abbey for an all-Bach concert by William Porter on the Karl
Wilhelm organ and then to the Old Brick Church in West Brome for a concert by
Edoardo Bellotti. He played music of
Frescobaldi, Merula, Zipoli, and Marcello on a replica of an early Italian
organ and music of Frescobaldi and Pasquini on the harpsichord.
Replica of an Italian Organ at the
Brick Church, West Brome
The McGill Academy was also an
opportunity to meet organ lovers from around the world. About half of the participants were students
in a degree program and the other half were working organists.
With Linda Raney, Music Director at
First Presbyterian Church in Santa Fe, New Mexico
