The concert opened with a performance of Fantasia for Organ and Strings by George Andrix. Six notes, which punch out a heralding fanfare on the organ at the start, provide the basic thematic material for this work. A more lyrical second theme, first declaimed under a filigree motive in the right hand, leads into the development section that opens with a fugue based upon the initial motif. This section is climaxed by a jazz interlude with stride bass and quasi-improvisatory strings providing a strong cross-rhythmic impulse. Although this portion of the work appears to be an unrelated episode, it too is based on the initial six-tone motif. Organist Belinda Chiang played with some reservation at times; nevertheless, she delivered a compelling performance overall. The jazz section was a lot of fun!

Reinhard von Berg’s NOW was probably the most challenging piece for the listener on the entire programme. Perhaps a brief excerpt from the composer’s owns notes for the work will best provide the intention of the music. “NOW is when all music takes place. NOW is when the ideas first pop up in the mind; NOW is when a performance is heard (by the audience, not by the players . . . I have tried hard here to create something that from beginning to end sustains the listener’s awareness in the sublimity of the present moment.” This current focus on the present moment, or NOW, draws the listener directly into a complete and total awareness of the generation, emergence, development and transformations of sound at its essence. One hears imitations of kernels of tones and textures – then there are rhythmic cells, juxtapositions, modifications, and the like. The work brought meaning to R. Murray Schafer’s term “ear-cleaning.” NOW was a wrenchingly challenging musical exploration and Tammy-Jo Mortensen, the organ soloist, brought real life in four dimensions to the often-ephemeral music.

Songs of the Seven Strings by Siaw Kin Lee opens with sharply declamatory chords from both the soloist, Wendy Markosky, and the orchestra. Seven distinct songs, which are also dances, emerge from the tale of a playful nymph spilling flower petals from the sky, embodying the sonic dimensions of this work. Perhaps more than any other composition on the programme, in this work the organ was truly integrated as a part of the orchestra as opposed to being in contra-distinction to it as a more soloistic instrument. Markosky served up a wonderfully balanced chamber ensemble employment of the organ textures, giving us an insightful performance.

Charles Stolte’s Blumen for Organ and String Orchestra expresses the many layers and dimensions of the rustlings and emergence of spring – melting snow becoming rivulets and streams, cool air becoming warm and even balmy, thawing ground turning into mud, buds appearing on trees and flowers blooming – hence the title Blumen. Organist Robert Zylstra was given a demanding score, which required the assistance of a colleague to help with the changes of stops during the performance. What resulted was a magical performance of a colourful and evocative piece with elements shared by both the soloist and orchestra.

The final work on the concert was In memoriam Edward Boguslawski: Concerto per organo ed archi by Piotr Grella-Mozejko. After listening to the multi-layered technical, rhythmical and stylistic variety of the preceding works, this piece was a complete revelation. Many of Grella-Mozejko’s works are characterized by harsh dissonances and complex rhythms that always make for intense, driving and powerfully emotive music. This musical tribute to his revered mentor and first music teacher, while still full of the composer’s emotive power and musical drive, is extremely introspective. Each of its four movements, modelled on the traditional Baroque sonata da chiesa form of slow-fast-slow-fast, is based upon a series of mediaeval melodies that are first plainly stated, then gradually modified and eventually transformed into totally unrecognizable musical entities. There are many instances of sheer melodic and harmonic beauty intermingled with moments of technically challenging virtuosity. Organist Stillman Matheson sparkled in his convincingly polished and compellingly technical and musical interpretation of the work. The orchestra, too, really seemed to get “into” the piece.

The large audience consisted of organists from around the world attending the festival and its attendant workshops, along with members of the general public who came out of curiosity. They soundly acknowledged their appreciation of the fine quality of performances and musicianship presented by the individual soloists as well as by the fledgling Edmonton Chamber Players under the brilliant, firm and astute artistic direction of Polish composer and conductor Maestro Jacek Rogala with a hearty round of applause after each work was presented. It was a triumph of Canadian New Music, indeed!

Jerry A. Ozipko