Raymond Weidner plays his own fine compositions (all published by Paraclete and MorningStar) on the 1955 Aeolian-Skinner Op. 1257 (4m, 63-ranks) at Winthrop University, Rock Hill, South Carolina, the last large organ entirely finished by G. Donald Harrison before his death 10 months later while finishing the organ at St. Thomas Church, New York.

Scherzo, op. 2

Frescoes (suite for organ), op. 66
I. Prelude
II. Meditation
III. Chant
IV. Sortie
 
Divertimento in the French Style, op. 36

Biblical Sketches, op. 63
(Fantasies on scenes from the life of Christ)
I. Gabriel’s annunciation
II. God with us
III. The transfiguration of Christ
IV. “Ecce homo“
V. The entombment of Christ
VI. Alleluia

Larghetto from Sonata Brillante, op. 62, no. 2
 
Carillon, op. 19, no. 3

Toccata, op. 67

Notes on the Music
by Raymond Weidner

Scherzo (Alleluia), op. 2
Subtitled Alleluia, this early work was composed in a multi-metric style, incorporating all meters from 3/8 to 15/8, giving it a joyful, spontaneous, and syncopated feeling. It follows a three-part, ABA' structure that ends with a brief pedal cadenza. It was premiered at Salisbury Cathedral, UK, in 1998 and was previously featured on Raven OAR-942 Americana, recorded by Jeremy Filsell at the National Cathedral, Washington, DC.

Frescoes (suite for organ), op. 66
The great European churches and cathedrals that have been erected over the centuries stand as a testament to humanity’s faith in God. When entering such a place, one is immediately struck not only by the beauty, grandeur, and immensity of the space, but in contrast, by one’s own smallness in relation to it. The contrast between the vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows, intricate carvings, statues, and reverberation (seeming to convey a sense of eternity), and our relative insignificance in comparison, invokes a sense of humility. And, embedded in the walls of some of these divine edifices are the stories of the Christian faith: frescoes that have taught the history of salvation to generations of faithful worshipers.

These four movements have been inspired by such architectural masterpieces and pay homage, not only to the deference behind the artisans who created them along with the faith embodied in their work, but to the music that has enhanced the worship offered in these magnificent spaces. In these fantasies one will find, woven throughout their improvisatory style, themes and sonorities evocative of medieval music. Like the solid foundations upon which these cathedrals were built, these contrasting works are firmly rooted in the time-honored compositional vocabularies of thematic development and tonal harmony. They are meant to be evocative of the spiritual environment embodied in the great cathedrals that have been a source of spiritual inspiration for centuries.

Divertimento in the French Style, op. 36
This short whimsical piece is included in the collection Four Organ Solos in Various Styles (MorningStar Music) and is based upon two alternating musical ideas. It was composed in the style of the late French Romantic organists (Louis Vierne and Charles-Marie Widor, et al), employs a simple registration of flutes 8’ and 4’, and is constructed in a modified Rondo form, making modest use of the pedal.


Biblical Sketches, op. 63
(Fantasies on scenes from the life of Christ)
These six programmatic pieces take their inspiration from key events in the life of Christ, and are essentially free-form in construction (with the exception of number four). These fantasies attempt to invoke an image of the event described in the biblical text, and, as in all programmatic compositions, it is the listeners who become creative participants who, in their own imagination, create a picture of what is presented in sound. The formalistic elements which are the hallmarks of absolute music (like Frescoes) take on a secondary role to the image that has been created. Their relatively brief length, modest technical demands, and rhapsodic style make them particularly appropriate for the liturgical season to which each is associated.

I. Gabriel’s annunciation
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
– Luke 1:26-27

A solo trumpet heralding the appearance of God’s messenger breaks the silence, after which follows a musical dialogue suggesting the conversation between the angel Gabriel and the Virgin Mary. After the angel departs amid the closing fanfare, Mary’s joy is briefly tinged with consternation (represented by the conflict between the major and minor thirds) before the movement ends in a brilliant D major chord symbolizing her resignation at becoming the handmaid of the Lord.

II. God with us
And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
– Luke 2:7

In the sublime moments that followed the birth of God’s Son, before the arrival of the shepherds, Mary and Joseph quietly adore this newborn babe and ponder the divine mystery of God entering into the world in human form, and who now lies asleep in a rude manger. Soft strings creating an aura of repose underpin descending solo lines that symbolize the pre-incarnate Christ condescending to take on human form for the salvation of the world.

III. The transfiguration of Christ
As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.
– Luke 9:29

A brief fanfare announces to Jesus’ chosen disciples, Peter, James, and John, that something extraordinary is about to occur. The toccata-­like figure glistening over a series of three-­note motives suggests the transformation of Christ’s appearance amid his conversation with Moses and Isaiah in the cloud on Mount Tabor. Suddenly, the vision vanishes and the disciples are left in amazement, not fully comprehending what they had just witnessed.

IV. “Ecce homo“
And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha, where they crucified Him…
– John 19:17-18

In the Passion narrative found in the Gospel of John, after Jesus had been scourged, Pilate brought him out for public display and announced, “Behold the man!” then released him to be crucified. As the set’s only piece based upon an established compositional device, this movement lends itself to the passacaglia form which captures Jesus’ somber procession through the streets of Jerusalem until it climaxes at Calvary. The final ascent to where he is to be crucified is dramatically portrayed by a fragment of the passacaglia theme in a bold, unison statement where the emotional impact of his imminent crucifixion comes into stark focus, and the piece concludes with the dramatic raising of the cross for all to see.

V.    The entombment of Christ
Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen, and laid Him in a tomb…
– Mark 15:46

The Gospel of Mark records Joseph of Arima­thea providing the newly-hewn grave for Jesus’ burial; but scripture provides no details regarding Christ in the tomb on the day following his crucifixion. One is left only with the theological speculation of Jesus’ painful statement, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” The atonal clusters attempt to create an atmosphere of utter loneliness and Christ’s separation from God because of his taking the sin of all believers upon himself. The first solo depicts Christ’s descent into hell, and the second reflects the feelings of utter solitude and loneliness of one who has been abandoned. The closing measures are a brief lament over the tragedy of an innocent man so unjustly punished.

VI. Alleluia
Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen.

– Luke 24:5-6

The lively rhythms exude the disciples’ joy at finding the tomb empty and Christ’s body gone. The ascending nature of the movement’s many motives underscores the joy that Christ has arisen from the dead, and that we, as believers, can share in that uplifting joy as redeemed people who have been promised eternal life.

Larghetto
(from Sonata Brillante, op. 62, no. 2)
Buttressed by an opening in a modified French Overture style and a closing scherzo, this expressive lyrical piece in the dominant minor key makes use of the lush strings of the organ that underpin a delicate solo voice. It is composed in a three-part, ABA form, and stands in sharp contrast to the harmonically active movements that accompany it.

Carillon, op. 19, no. 3
From the collection, French Sketches, this impressionistic character piece suggests the tolling of a carillon’s bells in a village church, and like the Divertimento, takes its inspiration from similar character pieces by the great French masters. This three-part piece assigns the melody to the pedal throughout. It begins in D-flat major, is followed by an excursion to G major, then returns to D-flat by way of a short, dramatic modulation.

Toccata, op. 67
With a tonal center of D, this toccata juxtaposes chromatic sonorities amid a basically tonal framework. After a repetition of the main theme (announced by the entrance of the pedal), transitional material follows which leads into a softer, contrasting section (fles­sibile) in the key of G minor, performed on a secondary manual. As this section unfolds, it modulates back to the home key by ending with a chromatic flourish. In the final section, the main theme returns in the major mode, and the piece ends with a reiteration of the opening material, leading to a short pedal cadenza that draws the work to a close. This piece was composed especially for this magnificent instrument’s renaissance.

Raymond Weidner
Raymond Weidner was born on November 7, 1947, in Philadelphia, Pennysylvania, and began piano studies at the age of 6. At 13, he began organ studies with David Ulrich in Philadelphia, later studying with Reginald Lunt in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he won an area organ competition sponsored by the local chapter of the American Guild of Organists. Before attending college he performed on the famous Wanamaker organ in the Philadelphia department store. He attended Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, studying under George Markey and Donald McDonald. Further studies included a M. Mus. degree in organ performance at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, and a doctorate from Michigan State University under the tutelage of Corliss Arnold. His doctoral thesis focused on the improvisational techniques of French organist and composer, Charles Tournemire.

Since the age of 16, he has been active as a choir director and organist throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, Michigan, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Virginia. While in both Michigan and Oklahoma, he developed community choruses that have garnered prominent reputations. In Oklahoma, he wrote and produced a weekly radio program dedicated to choral music and aired over KCMA-FM. While in Mississippi, he became artistic director of the Metropolitan Chamber Music Society. He has also been a contributing writer to the Choral Journal as well as staff cartoonist for Creator Magazine.

His compositional activities began in 1993 with the publication of three organ works solicited under the auspices of Westminster Choir College and published through Carl Fischer, Inc. Beginning in 2003, Paraclete Press has continued to publish his organ and choral works on a regular basis. Additional works are found in the catalogs of MorningStar Music, St. James Music Press, Wayne Leupold Editions, and Zimbel Press. His choral works have been performed by prominent choral groups throughout the United States and United Kingdom, with premiers at Canterbury and Salisbury Cathedrals and at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, UK, by the Canterbury Singers USA, Carnegie Hall, and the Spoleto Festival. His Psalm 130 for baritone solo, chorus, and orchestra was featured on NPR’s Theme and Variation program and hailed, “a work of epic grandeur,” A review of his French Sketches in The American Organist stated, “If these pieces were advertised as recently discovered works by Mulet or the aforementioned composers [Dupré, Duruflé, et al] there’d be a run on the music store.” In 2011, he won two regional composition contests sponsored by the American Guild of Organists, resulting in works being published by Morning­Star Music (Biblical Sketches) and Wayne Leu­pold Editions (Greensboro Collection). Other significant compositions include: Sonata Brillante and Sonata Capriccioso for organ, Missa Brevis (a cappella choir with optional organ), Psalm 130 (for baritone solo, chorus, and orchestra), Song of Eros (orchestra), Psalm 23 (chorus with orchestra), a string quartet, Anna Lea (opera in two acts), Symphony in E, Caprice (for flute, oboe, and clarinet), and numerous hymns, anthems, and chamber music.

With the exception of Divertimento, all of the pieces on this album are published by Paraclete Press of Orleans, Massachusetts 02653.

Acknowledgments
The composer wishes to thank the following individuals for their support and assistance in making this recording possible: Dr. Eliza Koehler, former chair of the Winthrop University music department, who initially approved the project; Dr. Lorrie Crochet, current chair who oversaw its final stages; Dr. Matthew Manwarren, professor and coordinator of keyboard studies who was the liaison in overseeing the details of the organ’s use; Steven Spate, President of Lincoln Pipe Organs, Inc., for not only refurbishing of the Byrnes Auditorium organ, but bringing it back to its original state; and Joshua Sacco, of Sacco Sound Recordings, Huntersville, North Carolina, who recorded this album on April 19, 2025.

Notes on the Organ
by Raymond Weidner*

In the realm of organ literature, one of the more expressive periods of musical composition has been that of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Composers of the French Romantic School in particular have contributed a legacy that not only continues to leave its imprint upon contemporary music, but on the philosophy of organ building that has become known as the American Classic Organ.

The pieces on this recording not only pay homage to this great tradition of organ composition, but are especially suited to the tonal design of the late G. Donald Harrison’s final opus (1257), the D. B. Johnson Memorial Organ built by the Aeolian-­Skinner Organ Company in 1955 for Winthrop University’s Byrnes Auditorium in Rock Hill, South Caro­lina. The dedication concert was played by Virgil Fox on November 2, 1955.

Reflecting the blend of these national and period influences, the repertoire I have recorded in this program seeks to add a traditional perspective to the state of modern organ literature.

In 2007-2009, the organ was restored to its original glory by Orgues Létour­neau of St-­Hya­cin­the, Québec, Canada. Thanks to organ alum­ni and many community supporters, the organ renovation committee raised more than $400,000 to fund the project. No tonal changes were made in the restoration, though two tonal changes that had occurred years earlier were retained. They were the 1965 alteration of the Swell Plein Jeu and the 1975 relocation of the Trompette en Chamade with replacement of five of its half-length resonators with full-­length ones. A 256-level combination action was added, as were a few items as noted in the stoplist published in this booklet.

The organ was a keystone instrument featured in the 2015 Regional Convention of the Amer­ican Guild of Organists when it was played by Olivier Latry, titulaire (titular organist) of Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. Other prominent players since the restoration include James O’Donnell, Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey, London, for 22 years, and Richard Elliot of the Mormon Tabernacle, who played the first concert on the restored organ in 2009. Eric Plutz, Princeton University organist, recorded a program of French music in 2012 for the Pro Organo CD label.

As renovations at Byrnes Auditorium ensued on August 21, 2018, a small roof fire caused the auditorium to be closed, silencing this magnificent instrument for longer than seven years. Following years of negotiation and renovations, the facility was reopened, and the organ, refurbished by Lincoln Pipe Organs of Lincol­nton, North Caro­lina, became playable, allow­ing its historic voice to be heard once again and to be recorded for this album. This recording presents the first hearing of the organ since 2018.

On March 12-14, 2018, about five months before the fire, organist Parker Ramsay recorded music composed by the Ameri­can, George White­field Chad­wick (1854–1931), for the well-received album, Raven OAR-154.

Byrnes Auditorium seats 3,000 (reduced from 3,500 in the recent renovation) and was completed in 1939. It is named for U.S. Senator (later Secretary of State) James F. Byrnes, who secured funding for the building via the Works Progress Administration. After World War II, Dean of Music Walter Roberts was responsible for com­mis­sioning the Aeolian-Skinner organ as a memorial to David Bancroft Johnson (1856–­ 1928) who founded Winthrop Uni­versity in 1886.