Organist Robert Reilly at Wendell Christian Church

Since January, 2013, I have been serving as Music Director and Organist for Wendell Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Wendell, NC. WCC is a small congregation with a big heart. You will not find a more warm and welcoming church family. If you are not familiar with the Disciples of Christ, I can assure you that they do not handle live serpents or speak in tongues (not that there’s anything wrong with that). The worship is Eucharist centered (Holy Communion every Sunday), and folks from any protestant denomination will probably feel right at home.

What the church’s little choir lacks in numbers and voices it makes up for with great courage and enthusiasm. A weeknight choir rehearsal is not feasible, so everything is learned on Sunday morning, and these devoted singers are always game for anything I throw at them! Since the church’s repertoire of hymns had been somewhat limited, both choir and congregation have welcomed the opportunity to learn some wonderful new hymns from the Chalice Hymnal.

The church’s Pastor, The Rev. D. Thomas Hill, is a kind and caring shepherd with great imagination and humor. His sermons are always provocative- you will always take home something helpful for your spiritual journey.

More than one parishioner has described Wendell Christian Church as “an eating church”. They will never pass up an opportunity to include good food with fellowship. In the short time I’ve been serving WCC we’ve already enjoyed a Valentine’s Dinner, a chicken barbecue and a Fish Fry. On Mother’s Day there will be a Sunday morning breakfast at the church.

The wonderful folks at this church have welcomed Julie and me with open arms, and I’m sure they will do the same for you, so feel free to come and worship with us any Sunday!

Here are some recent photos:

[Show as slideshow]

Robert Reilly at Church of the Holy Family, Chapel Hill

On September 23, September 30 and October 7 I served as Guest Organist at The Church of the Holy Family (Episcopal) in Chapel Hill, NC, while the church’s talented resident Organist, Celia Lata, was on a church trip to the Holy Land. I enjoyed participating in the church’s eclectic music liturgy, which included traditional hymns and chant as well as music from the African American tradition. The church’s Music Director, Boyd Gibson, is a prolific composer, and has contributed volumes of original music for the church’s choir and congregation, including several unique hymn collections and organ compositions. Boyd is also String Orchestra Director at the Durham School of the Arts.

The church’s pipe organ is a 9 rank Zimmer, which speaks with great presence directly into the Nave, but this instrument is extremely limited in its tonal scope, and hardly an appropriate match for the talented musicians and ambitious musical worship in this parish. While Celia and Boyd are all too aware of the severe limitations of this instrument, I strongly encourage the Rector and congregation to join with them in forging a plan to rebuild/expand or replace this organ with an instrument that will support the full spectrum of the Parish’s heartfelt and enthusiastic expressions of devotion, praise and thanksgiving.

It was a pleasure getting to know Celia, Boyd, and many of the talented choristers and parishioners at Holy Family. Thanks to all for extending such a warm welcome to me!

Here are some photos from September 30. Click on any thumbnail to view a full sized image:

[Show as slideshow]

Grammy Award Winning Organist Paul Jacobs – This Guy Rocks!

If you’re tired of  boring, uninspiring organ playing, or thought that was the only kind there was, or have never experienced rock-solid dazzling classical organ music and would like to broaden your musical world, mark your calendar for this performance at Hayes Barton United Methodist Church on Sunday afternoon, September 9 at 3:30. This will be a dedication recital for the church’s new 52-rank Buzard pipe organ.

Listen to Him Play:

More on YouTube
Saint Paul Sunday
Pipedreams
Paul Jacobs Website

Called “precisely what the organ scene needs right now” by the Los Angeles Times, Grammy Award-winning organist Paul Jacobs has been lauded by critics and audiences alike for his tremendous technical abilities and for the wide range of emotions he is able to coax from the instrument. First receiving acclaim for his sweeping marathon performances of the complete works of Bach and Messiaen, Jacobs has proven himself a tireless advocate for new organ works and core repertoire for nearly two decades.

Jacobs’s career began when, at the age of 15, he was appointed head organist of a parish of over 3,000 families in his hometown of Washington, Penn. After graduating from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he double-majored in both organ and harpsichord under the tutelage of John Weaver and Lionel Party, Jacobs began his professional career with a splash: he made musical history at the age of 23, when he played Bach’s complete organ works in an 18-hour marathon performance on the 250th anniversary of the composer’s death. Two years later, while completing graduate studies at the Yale School of Music with Thomas Murray, he would perform the complete organ works of Olivier Messiaen in marathon performances throughout the U.S. At 26, Paul Jacobs was invited to join the faculty of the Juilliard School, and in 2004, at age 27, was named chairman of the organ department, one of the youngest faculty appointees in the school’s history.

In the 2011-2012 season, Jacobs joins Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony at Davies Hall and at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall for the American Mavericks series and at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. With the San Francisco Symphony, which also presents him in recital this season, Jacobs will perform the Lou Harrison Concerto for Organ with Percussion Orchestra and a new work by Mason Bates. Another new work, by Michael Daugherty, will be performed by Jacobs with the Pacific Symphony. Jacobs plays recitals throughout the U.S., including engagements in Nashville, Houston, Washington D.C., Denver, Birmingham, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis. The Pittsburgh orchestra will present him in recital, and Jacobs will perform with the Kansas City Symphony. The same week, the Kansas City Symphony will present Jacobs playing a solo concert.

Highlights from the 2010-2011 season included re-inaugurating the restored Kuhn pipe organ in Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, performing Bach’s monumental Clavier-Übung III; joining Michael Tilson Thomas for performances of Copland’s Organ Symphony with both the Chicago and San Francisco symphony orchestras; and appearing with the SFSO at both Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco and the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland. He also joined with living legend Pierre Boulez and the Chicago Symphony for Janácek’s Glagolitic Mass. In Cincinnati, Jacobs was delighted to perform the Janácek with the Cincinnati Symphony under the baton of James Conlon. His recording of Messiaen’s Livre du Saint Sacrement was released by Naxos in September 2010 and received a Grammy Award in the category of Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra). This marks the first time in its history that an organist has won this award.

In addition to his concert and teaching appearances, Paul Jacobs is a frequent performer at international and national festivals, and has appeared on American Public Media’s Pipedreams, Performance Today and Saint Paul Sunday, as well as NPR’s Morning Edition, Robert Schuller’s Hour of Power from the Crystal Cathedral and ABC-TV’s World News Tonight, among others. He recently performed for an NPR Tiny Desk concert, filmed behind host Bob Boilen’s desk at the NPR offices.

8 A.M. Warm-up & Wake-up!

Sunday, August 5 marked my 4th opportunity to serve as Guest Organist & Choirmaster & Pianist at Front Street United Methodist Church in Burlington, NC. I’m grateful to the church’s resident Organist & Choirmaster, David Ratchford, for another opportunity to perform with his wonderful choir and participate in worship with this warm and welcoming congregation. Front Street UMC is really beginning to feel like home.

This Sunday provided another occasion to conduct and accompany the choir from the organ console for the Anthem Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether by Harold Friedell, and to accompany tenor soloist Davis Kelton on the piano. Mr. Kelton proved to be an extremely talented musician and an amazingly quick study. Due to an email glitch, he had only received the first page of the solo in advance, yet learned the entire piece at 8:15 A.M. and sang it beautifully at both services- very impressive!

Thank you to everyone at Front Street UMC for the opportunity to worship and make music with you this summer, and for always making me feel so welcomed.

I did not have my photographer, Julie with me on this trip, but here are some photos from some of the other Sundays:

View Service Leaflet

[Show as slideshow]

Robert Reilly at Front Street United Methodist Church

Sunday, July 22 was my third opportunity to participate as Guest Organist and Choirmaster at Front Street United Methodist Church in Burlington, NC. It was a pleasure to once again work with the church’s talented choir, this time conducting and accompanying the Anthem, Cause Me to Hear Thy Loving Kindness by Raymond Haan, from the organ console. I also had the pleasure of again accompanying Soprano Karen Hovey in a lovely arrangement of Brother James’ Air by Malcom Archer.

I was filling in for the church’s resident Organist & Choirmaster, David Ratchford, who was participating in the Church’s Adult Missions Ministry team at the Appalachia Service Project Guyan Valley Center in Brenton, West Virginia, doing home repairs for families in Wyoming County.

Front Street UMC maintains an ambitious Missions Ministry, and while David was doing his part in West Virginia, many of the choir members were involved in the Church’s Mission Man Triathlon. Check out the T-shirts in the photos below.

View Service Leaflet

[Show as slideshow]

St. Michael’s Episcopal Church

1520 Canterbury Road,  Raleigh, NC

Click here to order tickets ($25)

On Friday, July 13, at 7:30 P.M., concert organist David Briggs will perform on the fabulous Nichols & Simpson organ at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church. He has built a reputation as an exciting performer and communicator, with particular emphases on orchestral transcriptions and the art of improvisation. David is increasingly in demand as a composer. David Briggs is also Organist Emeritus of Gloucester Cathedral. See and hear David improvising to Phantom of the Opera at Ripon Cathedral here and part of the Messe pour Notre-Dame here.

On July 1 it was a pleasure to serve again as Guest Organist at Macedonia United Methodist Church in Cary. I’m so grateful to this congregation and its Pastors Jesse Staton and Carl Clark for their kind hospitality in allowing me to practice on the church’s organs. This Sunday was an uplifting worship occasion that included rousing National hymns, a fine performance by the Maker’s Dozen Handbell Choir and a thoughtful sermon by Pastor Staton describing how faith in Christ transcends and empowers the blessings we enjoy as Americans. Again, I forgot to take pictures! I will try to keep my camera (or phone) handy and use it next time.

Robert Reilly at Front Street United Methodist Church

On Sunday, June 24 I returned to Front Street United Methodist Church in Burlington, NC as Guest Organist and Choir Director. It was a pleasure to participate in worship once again with the church’s congregation, talented choir and soprano soloist Diana Thompson-Brewer. I apologize to the choir for losing track of the time during our pre-service rehearsal and working right up until Service time, but our efforts did result in a lovely performance of the Anthem How Can I Keep From Singing by Eric Nelson. We also didn’t get any photos of this handsome choir, but will try to rectify that during my next visit on Sunday, July 22. Below are some of the other photos taken by Julie. Click on any thumbnail for full size image.

View Service Leaflet

[Show as slideshow]

On May 27 I was the Guest Organist at historic Front Street United Methodist Church in Burlington, NC. It was a pleasure accompanying the church’s talented choir, conducted by Lucas Cecil, and soprano soloist Karen Hovey, who performed a lovely Handel aria. I enjoyed performing on the church’s 60-rank organ, built in 2002 by Harrison and Harrison of Durham, England. Front Street UMC host a full and ambitious music ministry under the direction of Organist & Choirmaster David Ratchford. Thanks to all at FSUMC for the warm welcome and an uplifting music and worship experience!

View Service Leaflet

Harrison & Harrison Console