Sunday, October 20, 2024 at 8:00 PM
Brenda Portman
(Cincinnati, OH, USA)
Brenda Portman
(Cincinnati, OH, USA)
|
Following a decade of successes in performance competitions, and now with her compositions increasingly in demand, Brenda Portman has established a well-respected dual career as both a concert organist and composer. She serves as the Resident Organist at Hyde Park Community United Methodist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she is also the Executive Director of the church’s renowned Organ Concert Series. She is the Organ Instructor at Xavier University in Cincinnati, and also teaches organ and piano privately.
Raised in Grafton, Wisconsin, Brenda’s earliest musical studies were at the piano with her mother, Cheryl Heck, and later with Clarice Wysocky of Grafton. Her organ studies began in high school, also with her mother, and with John Behnke at Concordia University. She furthered her study of the organ and church music with Edward Zimmerman at Wheaton College (B.Mus.Ed.), Douglas Cleveland at Northwestern University (M.Mus.), and with Roberta Gary and Michael Unger at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (D.M.A.), where she received a full scholarship as first prize winner of the Strader Organ Competition and served as a teaching assistant for the organ department. Between the years 2006 and 2016, Brenda received numerous awards in national organ competitions. In October 2014 she was the only female American organist to compete in the prestigious Canadian International Organ Competition in Montréal. Her performance there led to a collaboration with acclaimed Canadian composer Rachel Laurin and a recording entitled "Pilgrimages: Organ Music of Rachel Laurin Inspired by Sacred Themes," which was released in 2016 on the Raven label. Some of Portman’s compositions have won awards as well, in competitions hosted by the Twin Cities AGO, the District of Columbia AGO, the Palm Beach AGO, and the University of Notre Dame. She has been commissioned numerous times in recent years for solo organ, organ-plus-instrument, and choral works, including by the American Guild of Organists and various musicians across the country. Her compositions are primarily published by Sacred Music Press and Augsburg Fortress, though others are self-published or in print from Paraclete, Selah, and Wayne Leupold Editions. More information can be found at her website, www.brendaportman.com. Recent activities include a 3-day teaching residency at the University of Iowa, teaching at the AGO’s Pipe Organ Encounter at Wheaton College, adjudicating the Sursa American Organ Competition at Ball State University, and teaching 4th graders about how pipe organs work. When not doing music, she enjoys gardening, taking walks with her husband, and trying to keep up with her three children’s activities. |
Program
Brenda Portman (b. 1980)
Fanfare, Chorale, and Exultation
J. S. Bach (1685-1750)
Sonata No. 4 in E minor, BWV 528
Gioseffo Guami (1542-1611)
Canzon decimasettima
Toccata del Secondo Tono
Rachel Laurin (1961-2023)
Petit Triptyque, Op. 93
i. Prélude
ii. Légende du Vent
iii. Toccatina
Joseph Jongen (1873-1953)
Prière, Op. 37, No. 3
Ad Wammes (b. 1953)
Wind + Unwind
Iain Farrington (b. 1977)
Lay my burden down
i. When I lay my burden down
ii. Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
iv. Steal away
v. Every time I feel the spirit
Brenda Portman (b. 1980)
Fanfare, Chorale, and Exultation
J. S. Bach (1685-1750)
Sonata No. 4 in E minor, BWV 528
Gioseffo Guami (1542-1611)
Canzon decimasettima
Toccata del Secondo Tono
Rachel Laurin (1961-2023)
Petit Triptyque, Op. 93
i. Prélude
ii. Légende du Vent
iii. Toccatina
Joseph Jongen (1873-1953)
Prière, Op. 37, No. 3
Ad Wammes (b. 1953)
Wind + Unwind
Iain Farrington (b. 1977)
Lay my burden down
i. When I lay my burden down
ii. Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
iv. Steal away
v. Every time I feel the spirit
Program Notes
by Brenda Portman
Commissioned by Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, Kansas, for its 75th anniversary, Fanfare, Chorale, and Exultation was composed in 2023 at the request of Elisa Bickers, principal organist at Village Church, and premiered on March 1, 2024. A single movement with three clearly delineated sections, the piece takes inspiration from the wind ensemble repertoire in its form, rhythm, and texture. The opening section is a fanfare in G# minor, using 7-beat and 5-beat meters (primarily 7/4 and 5/4 – for the 75th anniversary) which weaves in fragments of the hymn tune "Aurelia", although they may not be entirely noticeable. This hymn, “The Church’s One Foundation,” was sung on the first Sunday of Village Church’s existence in 1949. The second section becomes quiet and meditative, in A-flat major, quoting from the hymn “How Can I Keep from Singing,” a favorite of Elisa Bickers and the Village Church. This moves directly into a joyous, dance-like third section in G# minor and 5/8 meter, beginning quietly and gradually growing. The hymn tune Aurelia returns partway through, in long notes, alternating between the pedal and the top voice, during which the toccata-like figurations continue to intensify until the end.
Bach’s six trio sonatas for organ, composed for his eldest son Wilhelm Friedemann, are works of incredible beauty and also daunting complexity for the performer. Dating from Leipzig in the late 1720s, each sonata has three movements, some of which are reworkings of prior compositions of Bach from cantatas, chamber music, or organ works. The first movement of Sonata No. 4, for example, is a transcription of the sinfonia that begins the second part of the cantata Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes, BWV 76, scored for oboe d'amore, viola da gamba, and continuo.
Gioseffo Guami (c1540-1611) was an important sixteenth-century Venetian organist and composer whose career was highly regarded by his contemporaries, yet his fame suffered from neglect after his death. He was the eldest of an Italian family of musicians from the village of Guamo, near Lucca, hence the family name. During his career, he served as organist at the court of Duke Albert V of Bavaria and at St. Mark’s Venice, San Michele in Lucca, and the Lucca Cathedral. He produced numerous vocal works, including four books of madrigals and three books of motets, a single organ toccata, and a number of instrumental canzonas, twenty-five of which are extant. The organ Toccata was printed in Part I of Girolamo Diruta’s treatise Il Transilvano, an important document that gives us insights into organ technique, counterpoint, and fingering in the late 1500s and early 1600s. The Canzona heard today has been transcribed to be playable on the organ. It resembles the French chanson from which it emerged, in its rhythmic figures, sectional divisions, clear tonal schemes, and predominant four-voiced texture.
Petit Triptyque, Op. 93, was written in May 2019, at the request of French organist Yannick Merlin, who was editing “L’Orgue contemporain pour les premiéres Années,” a collection of contemporary organ music for Éditions Delatour, in France. The collection’s objective was to provide beginning organ students with easy repertoire in different styles by contemporary composers. In this triptych, Canadian composer Rachel Laurin demonstrates her prowess at displaying the many tone colors of the organ, no matter what the difficulty level of the piece. Much of her compositional output is extremely difficult, accessible only by the most accomplished organists, but in this piece she has created something attainable for a much wider range of organists without compromising on quality or her signature effervescent and jovial style.
Joseph Jongen was born in Liège, Belgium, and studied at the Liège Conservatory. He composed a great deal of music throughout his life, in many genres including symphonies, concertos, and chamber music, but today the only works performed with any regularity are his organ works. He is best known for his Symphonie Concertante, Op. 81 and Sonata Eroïca, Op. 94. Jongen’s style can be classified as romantic, with inspiration from Mendelssohn, Chopin, Wagner, Franck, and Fauré. The Prière, Op. 37, No. 3 comes from a set of four pieces composed in 1910-1911 and is a beautiful adagio featuring the string and flute stops.
Ad Wammes is a Dutch composer with an eclectic background. He studied piano, composition, and electronic music, played keyboards for the symphonic rock group Finch, composed music for 5 Sesame Street albums and 35 serials on Dutch television, and now concentrates more on concert music. His organ solo piece Miroir (1989) brought an international breakthrough and has been played by organists all over the world. Composed in 2016 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Piet van der Steen as organist at St. Gertrude’s Cathedral in Utrecht, The Netherlands, Wind + Unwind explores the concept of a gradual rhythmic “wind-up” at the beginning of the piece and “wind-down” at the end, with many unique, energetic, and toe-tapping rhythms in between. The concept extends not only to the tempo but to the texture as well: it is built in rhythmic layers, beginning with one and increasing until there is one layer for each foot and at least one per hand, resulting in a complexity that requires intense concentration and coordination for the performer!
Iain Farrington has a busy and diverse career as a pianist, organist, composer, and arranger. British-born and raised, he studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London and at Cambridge University. Some career highlights include composing and performing on numerous occasions for the BBC Proms, playing piano in the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, and arranging orchestral works for the 2023 coronation of King Charles III. His concert programs often mix popular and jazz elements into the traditional classical repertoire. Lay my burden down is a series of organ pieces based on African-American spirituals and traditional songs. It features five compositions, each one being based on a particular melody and freely using influences of gospel, soul, and jazz, with four of the five being heard today. The collection opens with When I lay my burden down, an energetic, positive and gospel-inspired work. Sometimes I feel like a motherless child is an elegiac and solemn piece, building to a passionate climax before subsiding into a reflective resignation. Steal Away is mostly simple and reflective, the melody sounding over a rocking accompaniment, becoming gradually more intense, then disappearing in the highest register. The final number in the set is Every time I feel the spirit, a jazzy display piece that develops into a toccata to finish the group. The set of pieces was composed mostly in February 2017, except for Steal Away, which was composed in September 2015 for Damian Howard at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Lancaster.
by Brenda Portman
Commissioned by Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, Kansas, for its 75th anniversary, Fanfare, Chorale, and Exultation was composed in 2023 at the request of Elisa Bickers, principal organist at Village Church, and premiered on March 1, 2024. A single movement with three clearly delineated sections, the piece takes inspiration from the wind ensemble repertoire in its form, rhythm, and texture. The opening section is a fanfare in G# minor, using 7-beat and 5-beat meters (primarily 7/4 and 5/4 – for the 75th anniversary) which weaves in fragments of the hymn tune "Aurelia", although they may not be entirely noticeable. This hymn, “The Church’s One Foundation,” was sung on the first Sunday of Village Church’s existence in 1949. The second section becomes quiet and meditative, in A-flat major, quoting from the hymn “How Can I Keep from Singing,” a favorite of Elisa Bickers and the Village Church. This moves directly into a joyous, dance-like third section in G# minor and 5/8 meter, beginning quietly and gradually growing. The hymn tune Aurelia returns partway through, in long notes, alternating between the pedal and the top voice, during which the toccata-like figurations continue to intensify until the end.
Bach’s six trio sonatas for organ, composed for his eldest son Wilhelm Friedemann, are works of incredible beauty and also daunting complexity for the performer. Dating from Leipzig in the late 1720s, each sonata has three movements, some of which are reworkings of prior compositions of Bach from cantatas, chamber music, or organ works. The first movement of Sonata No. 4, for example, is a transcription of the sinfonia that begins the second part of the cantata Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes, BWV 76, scored for oboe d'amore, viola da gamba, and continuo.
Gioseffo Guami (c1540-1611) was an important sixteenth-century Venetian organist and composer whose career was highly regarded by his contemporaries, yet his fame suffered from neglect after his death. He was the eldest of an Italian family of musicians from the village of Guamo, near Lucca, hence the family name. During his career, he served as organist at the court of Duke Albert V of Bavaria and at St. Mark’s Venice, San Michele in Lucca, and the Lucca Cathedral. He produced numerous vocal works, including four books of madrigals and three books of motets, a single organ toccata, and a number of instrumental canzonas, twenty-five of which are extant. The organ Toccata was printed in Part I of Girolamo Diruta’s treatise Il Transilvano, an important document that gives us insights into organ technique, counterpoint, and fingering in the late 1500s and early 1600s. The Canzona heard today has been transcribed to be playable on the organ. It resembles the French chanson from which it emerged, in its rhythmic figures, sectional divisions, clear tonal schemes, and predominant four-voiced texture.
Petit Triptyque, Op. 93, was written in May 2019, at the request of French organist Yannick Merlin, who was editing “L’Orgue contemporain pour les premiéres Années,” a collection of contemporary organ music for Éditions Delatour, in France. The collection’s objective was to provide beginning organ students with easy repertoire in different styles by contemporary composers. In this triptych, Canadian composer Rachel Laurin demonstrates her prowess at displaying the many tone colors of the organ, no matter what the difficulty level of the piece. Much of her compositional output is extremely difficult, accessible only by the most accomplished organists, but in this piece she has created something attainable for a much wider range of organists without compromising on quality or her signature effervescent and jovial style.
Joseph Jongen was born in Liège, Belgium, and studied at the Liège Conservatory. He composed a great deal of music throughout his life, in many genres including symphonies, concertos, and chamber music, but today the only works performed with any regularity are his organ works. He is best known for his Symphonie Concertante, Op. 81 and Sonata Eroïca, Op. 94. Jongen’s style can be classified as romantic, with inspiration from Mendelssohn, Chopin, Wagner, Franck, and Fauré. The Prière, Op. 37, No. 3 comes from a set of four pieces composed in 1910-1911 and is a beautiful adagio featuring the string and flute stops.
Ad Wammes is a Dutch composer with an eclectic background. He studied piano, composition, and electronic music, played keyboards for the symphonic rock group Finch, composed music for 5 Sesame Street albums and 35 serials on Dutch television, and now concentrates more on concert music. His organ solo piece Miroir (1989) brought an international breakthrough and has been played by organists all over the world. Composed in 2016 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Piet van der Steen as organist at St. Gertrude’s Cathedral in Utrecht, The Netherlands, Wind + Unwind explores the concept of a gradual rhythmic “wind-up” at the beginning of the piece and “wind-down” at the end, with many unique, energetic, and toe-tapping rhythms in between. The concept extends not only to the tempo but to the texture as well: it is built in rhythmic layers, beginning with one and increasing until there is one layer for each foot and at least one per hand, resulting in a complexity that requires intense concentration and coordination for the performer!
Iain Farrington has a busy and diverse career as a pianist, organist, composer, and arranger. British-born and raised, he studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London and at Cambridge University. Some career highlights include composing and performing on numerous occasions for the BBC Proms, playing piano in the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, and arranging orchestral works for the 2023 coronation of King Charles III. His concert programs often mix popular and jazz elements into the traditional classical repertoire. Lay my burden down is a series of organ pieces based on African-American spirituals and traditional songs. It features five compositions, each one being based on a particular melody and freely using influences of gospel, soul, and jazz, with four of the five being heard today. The collection opens with When I lay my burden down, an energetic, positive and gospel-inspired work. Sometimes I feel like a motherless child is an elegiac and solemn piece, building to a passionate climax before subsiding into a reflective resignation. Steal Away is mostly simple and reflective, the melody sounding over a rocking accompaniment, becoming gradually more intense, then disappearing in the highest register. The final number in the set is Every time I feel the spirit, a jazzy display piece that develops into a toccata to finish the group. The set of pieces was composed mostly in February 2017, except for Steal Away, which was composed in September 2015 for Damian Howard at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Lancaster.
