679 Farmington Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06119
ONLINE Pipes Alive! – Benjamin Straley, organist
The 2020 Pipes Alive! series continues with Benjamin Straley playing the St. John’s organ on Sunday, June 7 at 12:30 p.m. ONLINE ONLY.
The Rev. Benjamin Straley is the former Organist and Associate Director of Music at Washington National Cathedral. Prior to this appointment, he was Organ Scholar at Trinity Church (Episcopal), New Haven as well as Director of Music for the Episcopal Church at Yale.
Upon the completion of his undergraduate studies with Marilyn Keiser at Indiana University, he entered the Yale Institute of Sacred Music in 2008, where he studied with Martin Jean and Jeffrey Brillhart. In 2010, he became one of the few Americans in the history of the Haarlem Organ Festival to compete in its world-renowned improvisation contest. He was featured in the May 2015 issue of The Diapason as one of the “Top 20 under 30” young organists in the country. He holds both Masters in Music and Divinity from Yale, as well as a Certificate in Anglican Studies from Berkeley Divinity School, and is a priest in the Episcopal Church.
He currently serves as Assistant Rector of St. John’s, Essex, Connecticut, and is the Director for the Anglican Singers, a choral ensemble dedicated to music of the English Cathedral tradition, based in New London, Connecticut.
Program:
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Praeludium pro Organo pleno, BWV 552, 1
Allein Gott in der Höh sei Her, BWV 676
Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordan kam, BWV 648
Fuga a 5 con pedale pro Organo pleno, BWV 552, 2
This selection from Bach’s Clavierübung III’ has been chosen especially for Trinity Sunday, June 7, 2020.
Praeludium pro Organo pleno, BWV 552, 1 Eb
prelude of three themes in E-flat major (three flats in key signature)
Allein Gott in der Höh sei Her, BWV 676 G
trio (three voices) on a German chorale in praise of the Trinity
Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordan kam, BWV 648 c
A chorale prelude on the subject of Jesus’ Baptism, in which the Trinity
is present in Scripture (Jesus in the River Jordan, the Spirit as a dove,
& the voice of God the Father) in C minor (three flats in key signature)
Fuga a 5 con pedale pro Organo pleno, BWV 552, 2 Eb
triple fugue in E-flat major (three flats in key signature)
The four pieces comprising today’s program (three, if we yoke the Prelude and Fugue together) are related tonally by relationships of a third, together forming a minor triad: c – Eb – G. Though the progression of the program is not in that order, it seemed fitting that the E flat which establishes the relationship of a third in either direction is the key in which we begin and end today’s program.
For more: Subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on Facebook to receive the most up-to-date info, and sign up for email updates.
Join us for half-hour organ concerts featuring St. John’s magnificent Austin pipe organ, on the first Sunday of the month, January through June, 12:30 p.m. with regional organists. Free!
Music at the Red Door is supported in part by the Richard P. Garmany Fund of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, the Edward C. & Ann T. Roberts Foundation, the George A. & Grace L. Long Foundation, the Ensworth Charitable Foundation, the William & Alice Mortensen Foundation, and the Marjorie Jolidon Fund of the Greater Hartford Chapter, American Guild of Organists.
