Prayers & Alleluias
Prayers & Alleluias
Artist: Kenneth Dake
Composers: Johann Sebastian Bach, McNeil Robinson, Horatio Parker, Louie White, Joseph Jongen, Calvin Hampton, Charles-Marie Widor
Format: 1 CD
DSL-92123
Organ music soars to heavenly heights with the release of Prayers & Alleluias from Dorian Sono Luminus. This recording marks Kenneth Dake’s debut organ CD, as well as the first commercially-released recording of the 84-rank Austin Organ (1984) of Marble Collegiate Church.
Organist, pianist and conductor Kenneth Dake has served as director of music of New York City’s historic Marble Collegiate Church since 1996. There he oversees a multi-choir program known for its extraordinary diversity and musical excellence. Known for his technical virtuosity and communicative passion, Mr. Dake is equally at home as organ recitalist or piano soloist, and his collaborative sensitivity has placed him in frequent demand as keyboard accompanist. Past performances have ranged from Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy and Bach’s Concerto in F minor (serving as both piano soloist and conductor) to a recent concert appearance at the organ of West Point’s Cadet Chapel. His particular love for the organ music of J. S. Bach and Felix Mendelssohn is reflected in his performances, but the wide scope of his repertoire also includes seldom-heard masterworks by American composers such as Horatio Parker and Calvin Hampton.
Marble Collegiate Church stands at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 29th Street in New York City. Continuing a ministry established in 1628, Marble Church’s current structure was built in 1854 and served as the base from which Dr. Arthur Caliandro and Dr. Norman Vincent Peale launched far-reaching innovations in practical Christianity. Marble Collegiate Church has had organs built by Odell & Co. (1854 and 1891), Skinner Organ Company (1925), and Austin Organs Inc. (1937 and 1984). The organ console and choir were first located in the rear gallery with the mechanical action Odell organ. In 1891 the Odell was enlarged and electrified, a chancel division was added, and the console and choir were moved forward to the chancel. With the installation of the new Austin organ in 1984, the choir and console were returned to the rear gallery where they had begun 130 years earlier.
This stellar album featuring works by some of the worlds most beloved composers not only demonstrates the beauty and majesty of this spectacular instrument but the technical precision and musical prowess of this stellar organist. Produced by GRAMMY Award winning producer David Frost, this album is sure to be a must have for organ lovers and audiophiles alike!
Track List
1. Sinfonia from Cantata, BWV 29: "Wir Danken Dir, Gott", J.S. Bach
2. Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor (BWV 582), J.S. Bach
3. Chorale-Prelude on Llanfair (1994), McNeil Robinson
Sonata in E-flat, Op. 65, Horatio Parker
4. Allegro moderato
5. Andante
6. Allegretto
7. Fugue
8. Reflection on Wondrous Love (1973), Louie White
9. Toccata pour grand orgue, Op. 104, Joseph Jongen
10. Prayer and Alleluias (1980), Calvin Hampton
11. Let Us Break Bread Together, arr. Dale Wood
12. Finale from Symphony No. 6 in G Minor, Op. 42, No. 2, Charles-Marie Widor
Total time: 73:08
Release date: November 2010
UPC: 053479212320
“...this is his debut recording as an organist, and it is an auspicious one. His playing is amazingly clean and precise, and he shows great sensitivity to the character of the repertory.”
