San Diego, CA

Spreckels Organ Pavilion

Carol Williams at the console of the Spreckels Pavilion organ.

Spreckels Organ Pavilion at night.

Sunshine from San Diego

…we anticipate the upcoming 100th birthday of America’s most popular outdoor pipe organ at the Spreckels Pavilion in Balboa Park.

Program Broadcast dates:

• Week of December 1, 2014

Links and Resources:

• Printable program listings

Music played in the program

Hour 1

ANDREAS WILLSCHER:  Toccata cum Jubilo –Carol Williams

G. F. HANDEL:  Largo, fr Xerxes –Carlo Curley

ENRICO BOSSI:  Scherzo in g, Op. 49, no. 2 –John Scott

ROBERT ELMORE:  Night Song (1940) and Donkey Dance (1939) –Robert Plimpton

FREDERIC CURZON:  March of the Bowmen –Simon Gledhill

CAROL WILLIAMS:  Daisy Violin and Dragon Dance! –Annelle K. Gregory, violin; Carol Williams (2012  Quimby/St. Paul Cathedral, San Diego, CA)

FRANZ LEHAR:  Merry Widow Waltz.  FELTON REPLEY:  Serenade to Moonlight.  AMILCARE PONCHIELLI: Dance of the Hours, fr La Gioconda –Simon Gledhill

Hour 2

MAX REGER:  Intermezzo, Op. 59, no. 3.  DIETERICH BUXTEHUDE:  Magnificat primi toni, BuxWV 203 –Larry Smith (1993 Ott/St. Brigid Parish, San Diego, CA) Ott 1993

CHARLES CALLAHAN:  Canticle, Op. 71 –Susan Barrett, English horn; Alison Luedecke (1993 Ott/St. Brigid Paris, San Diego, CA) Millennia Consort 2004

DAVID CONTE:  Antiphon –Millenia  Consort; Alison Luedecke (1968 Aeolian-Skinner/St. Paul’s Cathedral, San Diego, CA) World Library 3070

ALEXANDRE GUILMANT:  Recitativo & Scherzo, fr Sonata No. 5, Op. 80 –Gordon Turk (1989 Blackinton/1st United Methodist Church, San Diego, CA) Shaw 9313

IVER KLEIVE: Toccata, Store Gud, vi lover deg –Carol Williams (1912 Stahlhuth-2001 Jahn/St. Martin’s Church, Dudelange, Luxembourg) Melcot 019

GIOACHINO ROSSINI:  William Tell Overture –Clive Driskill–Smith

 

Unless otherwise identified, these performances were recorded on the Austin pipe organ housed in the open-air Spreckels Organ Pavillion of San Diego’s popular Balboa Park, the world’s largest outdoor pipe organ.  Presented to the city on December 31, 1914 by its donor, transportation mogul and real-estate developer John D. Spreckels, this remarkable instrument (now boasting some new pipes and other mechanical upgrades) has been heard in regular weekly concerts for a century.  The organ celebrates its 100th birthday in the hands of Municipal Organist Carol Williams during a gala performance this coming New Year’s Eve (December 31, 2014 at 7 p.m.).  Free concerts continue every Sunday at 2 p.m. throughout the year, with additional Monday evening programs during the summer months.

The majority of performances used in this broadcast were drawn from the archives of the Spreckels Organ Society, documented on the organ’s archival playback system during live public concerts and later replayed, without edits, for the recording microphones at night when proximate airline and traffic noise was at a minimum.  Two albums, featuring performances by Carol Williams (SOS 10) and Simon Gledhill and others (SOS 7), are currently available, but most of the other CDs at present are out-of-print, though some copies may be available from the Spreckels Organ Society or found second-hand on AmazonMusic. 

Ms. Williams performances also may be found in a library of online Spreckels Organ video features.