At first blush, this appears to be little more than an esoteric gimmick: a disc of transcriptions for organ four hands (and four feet) of masterpieces from the orchestral repertory. Surprise - it's no gimmick, and it works. Weisflog and Kumer are the organists as well as the transcribers, playing the magnificent pipe organ of Chicago's St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church. They have gone about their job with the utmost taste and musicality, choosing such works as Beethoven's "Egmont" Overture, Strauss' "Voices of Spring" and symphonic movements by Mozart, Brahms and Mahler that lend themselves to the vast color resources available on the organ. The "Daybreak" section from Ravel's "Daphnis et Chloé" (based on the composer's own piano transcription) sounds surprisingly atmospheric in the new medium, while you would swear Brahms had originally conceived the Scherzo of his First Symphony for organ duo. As for the performers' imaginative re-creation of the opening movement of Mahler's Symphony No. 1, it emerges as a veritable tour de force. The sound is superb, the performances mostly so. In sum, a CD that should delight organists and lay listeners alike.

...Ravel's own transcription of 'Daybreak' from Daphnis et Chloé is a winner, beautifully played, and a dash of the 'mighty Wurlitzer', tremulant and all, would have transported Voices of Spring straight into the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool.

December 1998

Organ duettists are rare. This couple has mastered all the problems. A short, interesting booklet includes the specification of this 1924 Kimball organ with 25 pedal stops!

November 1998

When Thomas Weisflog came to Hyde Park some 30 years ago, it was to study chemistry at the University of Chicago. Like many who have studied at the university, he has found success. But few, if any, would have predicted the form his success would take. Weisflog does not make his living with the aid of test tubes, rather he is an accomplished musician, the director of music and organist at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church here in Hyde Park and also the director of instrumental music at Hyde Park's First Unitarian Church. In addition, he serves as the accompanist for K.A.M. Isaiah Israel Congregation and the William Ferris Chorale, and he has appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra numerous times.

His latest, and perhaps most intriguing, endeavor makes use of the magnificent organ at St. Thomas. He and Scott Kumer (a student studying musicology and music theory at the University of Chicago) spent two years working on a new CD entitled "The Symphonic Organ: Transcriptions of Orchestral Masterworks" (London: Meridian Records 1998, CDE 84372).

Kumer told the Herald that one of "the great tragedies of Western music" is that many of the world's foremost composers failed to write for the organ, so Kumer and Weisflog wanted to "bring the great repertoire to the organ and explore a whole different range of possibilities."

And so these two, working as duo organists, embarked on the painstaking process of transcribing great orchestral works. The organ itself was a vital component in the decision-making process. Works were selected in part based on how well they could be rendered on the St. Thomas instrument, which is a 1924 W.W. Kimball organ rebuilt and enlarged by David Skinner, Thomas Weisflog, and Scott Kumer in 1981 and in 1997. "It is a remarkable instrument," says Kumer, "and has a wide expressive range."

The result of the collaboration between two organists and one grand organ is a joyful collection of familiar music delivered in a most unfamiliar way. The sound is rich and full, but the orchestra has been completely replaced by the various sonorities and tone colors of the organ.

This CD includes a darkly expressive version of Beethoven's Overture to Egmont and a silky performance of Debussy's "Nuages" ("Clouds") from Nocturnes. The Overture to Don Giovanni is given appropriate power and played with virtuosic intricacy. The two performers do an impressive job of weaving the various orchestral sounds into the organ's vernacular.

Also by Mozart is the first movement of the 40^th Symphony. The mysterious-sounding opening seems perfectly suited to the organ, and the carefully drawn dynamics add to the vibrancy of the performance.

So much sound as well as detail is contained in the third movement of Brahms's Symphony No. 1, a listener will wonder at times if this is really just one organ and two organists. The third movement of Brahms's Symphony No. 3 has powerful dissonances which raise goose bumps.

The first movement to Mahler's First Symphony is given long, graceful lines and the Voices of Spring by Johann Strauss, Jr. is a cavorting frolic. The collection is rounded out by the only transcription not by Weisflog and Kumer: Ravel's own transcription of his "Daybreak" from Daphnis et Chloé.

Even those who are not organ lovers will find that this collection provides valuable insight into the versatility of this instrument, and Hyde Park lovers of music will enjoy getting to know a neighborhood treasure.

February 7, 1991

William Ferris, who studied composition with Sowerby..., conducts an alert and well-disciplined choir in what must surely be regarded as the definitive performance of this moving cantata.

March 1995

Maestro Ferris deserves a great deal of credit for successfully carrying out this valuable contribution to the recorded anthology of American Music. The Ferris Chorale sings very crisply and rhythmically, true to the stylistic demands of a piece written by Ferris' old teacher. The choir enunciates very clearly so that none of the sacred words goes unheard. Worthy of special commendation is the full rich choral sound which blends so well with the W.W. Kimball organ at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Chicago, masterfully played by organist Thomas Weisflog. This CD recording is highly recommended; proskynesis to the maestro and his chorale.

Fall 1992

This 1939 Good Friday cantata, with text by Edward Borgers and from the Gospels, is the mid-20^th-century equivalent of the German Baroque Passion settings and, as such, may well be Sowerby's finest work. In four parts, with Prologue and Epilogue, it is written in a sparse and bleak musical style which ultimately depends on the setting of the text for its effectiveness. A live performance is probably the most moving, but this first recording of the work does it full justice. Recorded June 9-13, 1990, in Chicago's St. Thomas the Apostle Church, it is well sung and deftly paced. The W.W. Kimball organ is expertly played by Thomas Weisflog, whose registrations convey the orchestral nature of the accompaniment. Bruce Hall as Jesus is a strong proponent of the major solo role, with Evangelist John Vorrasi a close second. The 50-member William Ferris Chorale, founded in 1971, sings its important part well, conveying its commentary on the drama with force or tenderness, as appropriate. The choral sound is clear and well focused. Founder-conductor Ferris, a composition student of Sowerby, seems the ideal interpreter of this intense work, producing a recording which many might envy but few could equal. The program booklet provides the complete text, as well as Ronald M. Huntington's interesting essay on the music.

Sowerby's 65-minute cantata, "Forsaken of Man" (1939), for soloists, chorus and organ, occupies a central place in his output of nearly 200 choral works. Based on texts of Edward Borgers and the Gospels, this is a somber, relatively austere setting of the Passion Story. One indication of the music's peculiar expressive appeal is the fact that the Chicago composer was called upon to perform it at every Lenten service from 1940 to 1962 while serving as director of music at Chicago's St. James Cathedral. This is its first recording.

Formally the work is clearly modeled after Bach's St. Matthew Passion. Great prominence is assigned the chorus' role as participants in the religious drama and omniscient commentator on its moral implications. Although conservative in style, Sowerby's harmonic sense is very much his own and his expert interweaving of solo sections and choruses lends the work formal coherence, even if the predominant mood is piously mournful.

A former pupil and protégé of Sowerby's, and a gifted composer himself, Ferris has an unusually deep appreciation of his mentor's music. He secures a reading of exceptional fervor, strength and expressive understanding from his well-drilled chorus. Tenor John Vorrasi's contributions as the Evangelist are particularly fine, as is Thomas Weisflog's execution of the demanding organ part. Excellent recording.