César Franck: Alive and Well in Worship

Is there still a place for the organ works of César Franck in today’s worship services? While the major Franck works have limited use in most worship settings, Franck’s musical voice still has a vibrancy that can speak today.  This workshop will investigate how L’Organiste, Franck’s collection of small works for harmonium, can be a useful source for today’s organist. While miniature in scope, these pieces are gems in their own right and deserve consideration.

The workshop will demonstrate how individual pieces can be combined in thoughtful and creative ways, or as stand-alone compositions. The movements which Franck titled Noels, Prayer, Offerings, and Postludes will be the primary examples in the collection. Demonstrating how performance practice can be applied from Franck’s larger works, like overlapping legato, use of the fermata, and rubato, will enhance these smaller works.