Organ recital marks completion of Cathedral renovations

His fingers were just flying so fast! It was like they were a blur. And then the music, it was just such a melody.”

Cecelia Wiskirchen

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“We honor and adore you, our great and mighty Lord!”

The people’s voices kept up as the purring pipes steadily segued to a roar.

In Jefferson City, the Cathedral of St. Joseph’s new organ was doing its job.

“I thought that was the best part, with us singing with it. It was on another level,” said Joseph Adams, a teenage member of Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Lake Ozark.

Joseph, his mother and about 220 other people from points throughout the diocese were gathered in the Cathedral the evening of June 20 to hear nationally renowned organist Ken Cowan give the dedication recital on the recently completed instrument.

Finishing the organ was the last major step in the expansion and renewal of the Cathedral that began in early 2022.

“It’s basically completed now,” said Father Stephen Jones, pastor of Cathedral of St. Joseph Parish. “The doors, all the stained glass, the tympanum and the organ are all complete.”

Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, rededicated the Cathedral on May 5, 2023.

Parts of the new organ, with custom woodwork and 41 ranks of pipes, were played publicly for the first time last December.

Completion of the installation and tonal finishing took several more months.

“We’re grateful for all those who worked so hard and so long to bring this instrument into being, and to tweak it and to prepare it for tonight’s recital,” Fr. Jones said in his introductory remarks.

Mr. Cowan greeted the assembly while standing beside the console, which had been moved to the center aisle in front of the sanctuary.

The Most Blessed Sacrament had been reposed in another location.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled than to be part of the celebration of the installation of a new pipe organ,” Mr. Cowan stated. “And a magnificent one it is that you have here.”

Good vibrations

Mr. Cowan, professor of organ and head of the organ program at Rice University, is regarded as one of North America’s finest concert organists.

The Cathedral bells were ringing the “Angelus” as he began running his fingers up and down the three rows of keys.

Performing compositions from several centuries, he summoned forth a panoply of tones, colors and textures by turning on sets of pipes of different sizes, shapes and materials.

The music bombarded the stained glass, caressed the rafters and effortlessly ascended the sun-bathed oculus.

Mr. Cowan introduced each piece in simple terms with a bit of humor, helping to create anticipation.

The chords could be amply heard and felt, augmented by the occasional cooing of babies and the whispering of children.

“Now, it’s your turn,” Mr. Cowan told the assembly. “The challenge for an occasion like this is to out-sing this organ.”

He set about accompanying “The King of Love, My Shepherd Is,” also known as “St. Columbia.”

The pipes and human voices maintained impressive equilibrium as Mr. Cowan opened up more stops with each stanza.

“You’re good,” he told everyone at the end of the hymn.

“So are you!” a member of the assembly responded.

The organist conducted the instrument with hands and feet, stirring up circular tides of harmonics against the curved walls.

Some in the pews gently nodded their heads to the lilting rhythm of Bach’s “Prelude and Fugue in E-minor” (known as “The Wedge”).

Mr. Cowan brought whispering vibratos to bear on the Andante espressivo of Elgar’s “Sonata in G.”

The people then stood and joined in singing the triumphant “O God Beyond All Praising,” again matching each crescendo, measure per measure.

How could they keep from singing?

Many parts

The previous organ, intended to be temporary when the Cathedral was new, wore out in over 50 years of service.

The new, larger instrument, built by Buzard Organ Co. of Champaign, Illinois, fills the Cathedral’s aural space much more effectively, with help from acoustically-resilient stained glass, mosaics, marble, wood and terrazzo.

Buzard Organ Co. representatives, including John-Paul Buzard, president and artistic director, were present for the recital.

Before closing with a performance of Wagner’s rousing “Prelude to ‘Die Meistersinger,’” Mr. Cowan congratulated everyone once more for commissioning, creating and installing an organ for the ages.

“We see the pipes in the front, but all of the mechanisms — thousands and thousands of moving parts — need to be refined to sound just so,” said Mr. Cowan. “Once it’s all in place, then for generations to come, this will be here accompanying worship.”

The people gave him a protracted standing ovation while the final chord of the Wagner piece was still in the air.

The Cathedral parish hosted a reception with Mr. Cowan and people from the Buzard company afterward.

Cecelia Wiskirchen, age 10, was spellbound by what she saw and heard.

“His fingers were just flying so fast!” she stated. “It was like they were a blur. And then the music, it was just such a melody.”

Her sister Charlotte, age 7, was fascinated by what the organist had to do to make all of that music.

“I liked watching his feet,” she said. “And his hands and his face.”

“I just liked all of it,” said Cecelia. “I like the organ.”

Joseph and his mother came to Jefferson City from Lake Ozark for the recital.

“It was absolutely amazing,” he said. “I was blown away with how loud it was, how full, and all the different stops he had on. It was just amazing. I was impressed.”

Joseph is convinced that such an impressive organ can draw people more deeply into worship at Mass.

“Absolutely,” he stated. “That, combined with a really good organist, just makes it so much more lively. Especially with the people singing.”

Johnhenry Cordia will be a freshman at Sacred Heart School in Sedalia this fall. His goal is to play the organ at his home parish for Sunday Masses and at school Masses during the week.

“It was interesting to hear a musician of that caliber playing the organ at the Cathedral,” said Johnhenry, 14, a member of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Sedalia. “It sounded beautiful and inspired me to continue learning to play the pipe organ.”