New Recordings

French Eclat in the Roanoke Valley, Thomas Baugh, organist; 2004 Fisk organ, 32 stops, Christ Episcopal Church, Roanoke, Virginia. Raven Recording OAR 850,
www.ravencd.com.
It is always interesting to me to hear a recording of a modest sized-instrument of great effectiveness played with style and imagination, which is the case here. Thomas Baugh has been director of music of the church for twenty years. This varied program, well played, gives a convincing demonstration of the tonal possibilities, beginning with Gerre Hancock’s typically complex Toccata.
Following familiar de Grigny (Récit de tierce en taille) and Balbastre (Noël, Où, s’en vont ces gais bergers) is a very fine arrangement of Gabriel Fauré’s Pelleas et Melisande Suite, done by Mr. Baugh—it includes the charming “Fileuse” and the more familiar “Sicilienne.” This organ transcription should be published. Effective treatments of the hymn tune Nyland by Roanoke colleague Richard Cummins and Robert Roth’s Improvisation on “The Infant King” follow, then Searle Wright’s Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue, an important work by any standard, is beautifully performed with imagination. Two works by Bach are the final selections: Wir glauben, BWV 740, and the Prelude and Fugue in C, BWV 547. It is worth noting that four of the twelve compositions have a premiere recording here. Kudos!

--Charles Huddleston Heaton
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
[email protected]