Another view: Bach Lunch delights at First Presbyterian Church
There are times when you hear a piece of music that is so evocative of the season in which it is played that you cannot wait to tell friends and colleagues about it.
That was the experience today, March 10, 2023 at the 28th Annual Bach’s Lunch series at First Presbyterian Church.
The lunchtime organ concerts are held at different churches in Amarillo during Lent. They begin precisely at 12:05 PM and end at 12:30 PM.
They are free of charge and allow people who have to return to work plenty of time to attend, and also allow retirees and others with flexible schedules an opportunity to enjoy a sack lunch with free coffee and tea following the performances.
Today’s concert was unique in many ways. The pieces were both traditional (for example, “Oh Sacred Head, Now Wounded” and “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”) and modern. It was the latter, final opus that had a profound impact on me.
At first glance, the composition did not seem connected to Lent or any other holy season at all. The piece was the Cornfield Chase Scene from “Interstellar” by three composers, primarily Hans Zimmer, known for his work as a film score composer.
Mr. Zimmer has won numerous awards, including two Oscars and four Grammys, and has been nominated several times for Emmy and Tony awards. Many people think of him as the “new” John Williams.
The arrangement by Norman Goad, one of Amarillo’s organists extraordinaire, was breathtaking. As Mr. Goad, Director of Music and Organist at First Presbyterian Church, explained in the program notes, the scoring demonstrated “the extreme dynamic capabilities of the organ at First Presbyterian Church.”
Right on point. But here is where the piece and arrangement reflected the season of Lent to me. It started off slowly and softly and had a quiet meditative quality. As we enter the holy season of Lent, we become reflective.
We may take ourselves to task for failure to live up to our promise to be the kind of human beings we want to be. We may decide to make a sacrifice or two to show our contrition and to prepare for the most sacred time of the year.
As time progresses and momentum builds, so does our anticipation for the most blessed event, Easter Sunday, the resurrection of the Lord and the hope and joy that day brings.
Just as expectation begins to escalate for us, so did the arrangement of the “Interstellar” piece. The dramatic, swelling music, filling the beautiful nave of First Presbyterian Church, evoked the sense of promise.
We are getting closer and closer to the time of jubilation. It is within our grasp, and we have just a few more weeks to be as humble and contrite as possible to make room for this new Life, this new way of being in the world.
Mr. Goad’s arrangement of the music from “Interstellar” brought all of these thoughts and feelings together: humility, remorse, reflection, prayer, hope, excitement and, finally, exhilaration.
There are few opportunities to experience this spectrum of feelings in the space of 25 minutes. If you can, listen to this arrangement, thank Norman Goad for his talent and, please, do not let this season of Lent slip away without experiencing the unique, powerful and profound effect of organ music.
Andrea Elise, Amarillo
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Another view: Bach Lunch delights at First Presbyterian Church
