#4655, Music for Organ
From cheap electric organs with buttons for chords, all the way up to grand cathedral-like sounds of a church organ, explore the rich sonic capabilities of organ for this New Sounds in music by Brooklyn-based toy organ lover Molly Joyce, church organ in work by Canadian electroacoustic composer Sarah Davachi, and farfisa, as played by David Moore of Bing & Ruth.
Listen to work by composer and adjunct faculty member in composition at NYU, Molly Joyce, featuring voice, toy organ, electronics, from her debut record, Breaking and Entering, which makes use of the vintage Magnus electric toy organ. This toy organ’s unique design of chord buttons on the left and keyboard on the right is “made for her body, made for her form, made for her deform.” Joyce was involved in a car accident at the age of seven that impaired her left hand (Molly Joyce’s Bandcamp).
Hear music by Canadian electroacoustic composer Sarah Davachi, who grew up as a classical pianist and studied at Mills College in Oakland. On her 2018 album Gave In Rest, Davachi took inspiration from the sonic environment and the ‘forced time out’ of old European churches and cathedrals, even referencing church terms like “Evensong,” “Matins” and “Third Hour.”
Then, there's work by pianist and composer David Moore, who started the minimalist ensemble Bing & Ruth. From the 2020 record, Species, listen to some of the sonic possibilities of a 1960s-vintage Farfisa organ - aided only by clarinet and double bass.
Also, hear music by one of the founders of minimalism, Terry Riley, and his late 1980’s piece “Across the Lake of the Ancient Word,” for synthesizers and live tape delay. Plus, work for choir and organ from Björk’s record, Biophilia, and more. - Caryn Havlik
Program #4655, Music for Organ (first aired 8/29/22)
ARTIST: Björk
WORK: Dark Matter [1:00]
RECORDING: Biophilia (Limited Deluxe Edition)
SOURCE: Nonesuch 528728
INFO: nonesuch.com
ARTIST: Keith Jarrett
WORK: Invocations V, Recognition [5:04]
RECORDING: Invocations/The Moth And The Flame
SOURCE: ECM Records
INFO: https://www.ecmrecords.com/home
ARTIST: Anne-Lise Berntsen and Nils Hendrik Asheim
WORK: Nu rinder Solen op [5:10]
RECORDING: Engleskyts
SOURCE: Kirkelig Kulturverksted
INFO: https://kkv.no
ARTIST: Molly Joyce
WORK: Breaking and Entering [6:50]
RECORDING: Breaking and Entering
SOURCE: New Amsterdam Records
INFO: mollyjoyce.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Björk
WORK: Dark Matter [3:25]
RECORDING: Biophilia (Limited Deluxe Edition)
SOURCE: Nonesuch 528728
INFO: nonesuch.com
ARTIST: Sarah Davachi
WORK: Third Hour [5:28]
RECORDING: Gave In Rest
SOURCE: Ba Da Bing Records
INFO: badabingrecords.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: David Moore, Bing & Ruth
WORK: I Had No Dream [6:36]
RECORDING: Species
SOURCE: 4AD
INFO: https://bingandruth.ffm.to/species
ARTIST: Terry Riley
WORK: Across the Lake of the Ancient Word [7:25]
RECORDING: Shri Camel
SOURCE: CBS Records / Columbia 35164 (1988)
INFO: Available at Amazon.com or AppleMusic
