Joe Utterback has written an organ solo, When in Our Music God Is Glorified, subtitled “Prelude on Engelberg,” commissioned by organist Nancy Henson to acknowledge 63 years of service as a church organist, and to celebrate 40 years as organist at Austin Avenue United Methodist Church in Waco, Texas. The premiere will take place at an honorary concert May 17 at Austin Avenue UMC for Henson’s 80th birthday. She chose the tune “because to me, it exemplifies what I want my playing to do—glorify God.”
Nancy Henson began organ study with Henry Whipple in Montgomery, Alabama, circa 1946. She then studied with Arnold Blackburn at Oberlin Conservatory and did graduate work with Robert Markham at Baylor University. She has served as organist at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Montgomery, Alabama; Central Baptist Church, New Orleans, Louisiana; and First Baptist, Seventh & James Baptist, Lake Shore Baptist, Central Christian, and Columbus Avenue Baptist churches in Waco, before her long tenure at Austin Avenue UMC.
The new composition is a set of variations exploring the tonal resources of the church’s 69-rank Casavant Frères, Opus 2307, including the Swell Trompette, the warm strings, flutes, cornet, Royal Trumpet, and zimbelstern, added in 1989 on Henson’s 20th anniversary at Austin Avenue. The work is available from Jazzmuze, Inc. after May 17. For information: 732/747-5227;
www.jazzmuze.com.
