The Newly Dedicated Taylor and Boody Opus 85 in Christ Church, New Bern
NEW BERN – Thanks to excellent advance publicity by the church, there was a beyond-SRO crowd in attendance for the dedicatory recital of Taylor and Boody’s new Opus 85 in Christ Church, New Bern. The church was half full already when I arrived fifty minutes before the start. At seven o’clock the Reverend H. Paul Canady, Rector, hushed the crowd and introduced Jacqueline Nappi-Ferrell, Director of Music, who briefly and succinctly introduced Nathaniel Gumbs.
The organ is the culmination of the Sacred Sound and Space capital campaign, which provided not only for a new organ, but improving the church acoustics by removing carpet and reinforcing the 150-year-old ceiling, which was structurally strong but acoustically flimsy. Removing the carpet meant refinishing the floors. Since the pews had to be removed for the refinishing, they went away to be refurbished. One of the few good things to come out of the Covid epidemic was that this work was all done when the church was having only online services, so there was no further disruption to parish life.
Taylor and Boody workshop building of the Opus 85
The dedication of a new organ is a great excuse for bringing as many strong resources to bear as possible. This concert follows the day after a dedicatory Eucharist with trumpets, the church choir, and a massed choir from throughout the community. A new organ doesn’t come along very often. This instrument, although the fourth or fifth in the church’s history, replaces a failing electro-pneumatic instrument of 1967. The reliability of mechanical action is in addition to its musical superiority. That’s why all the newer organs in New Bern are mechanical action; the Fisk organ at the Presbyterian Church, the Létourneau organ at Centenary Methodist Church, and now the Taylor and Boody. There is also a hundred and twenty-five or so year old tracker organ at St. Cyprian’s Church. That this instrument is still playing after many years of use, hurricane damage, and a few years of neglect is one of the prime reasons that our committee chose a tracker builder like Taylor and Boody. Long may it sound!
Nathaniel Gumbs, Organist
Gumbs began with “Jubilate” by Fela Sowande. This bright piece including fanfares on the reed stops, then a broad part on the plenum, and followed by a trumpet stop solo against flue-pipe accompaniment, is typical of the specialized programming to be expected at a festal event like this. Although Taylor and Boody have developed their own distinct style, it is largely in the north German tradition of the seventeenth century. Nevertheless, the organ as registered by Gumbs was perfect for this piece of modern music.
Gumbs had his own microphone at the organ and introduced the next pieces with commendable restrain.
Sigfrid Karg-Elert‘s Harmonies du soir offered a chance to hear one of the beautiful flute stops of the organ, accompanied by string stops. Gumbs’ keyboard technique was fluid, nuanced, and beautifully polished; the swell was used very judiciously.
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s rousing Sonata No. 1 was the main course of the first half of this concert banquet. The opening Allegro is for full organ. Gumbs’ powerful and precise playing produced great clarity. The Adagio was as delicately played as one could possibly wish for. The Andante recitativo was a perfect back-and-forth contrast between one flute versus full organ. Gumbs again played cleanly and effortlessly. The Allegro assai vivace was again full organ with reeds. Gumbs’ clarity was a perfect complement to the clarity of the Taylor and Boody. This powerful performance brought the entire audience to its feet in a standing ovation prior to intermission.
It took the rector’s return to the lectern to still the loud crowd.
Carl Haywood‘s Spirit Fantasy is based on the spiritual “Every Time I Feel the Spirit.” This surprisingly straight fantasia (think single-minded, sedate Charles Ives) on a spiritual was impeccably played; although the composition is about as un-Baroque as possible, it was a perfect fit for the resources of Opus 85.
The Andantino from Florence Price’s Sonata for Organ began with a soft reed, then moved onto louder flue pipes. The Finale from the Sonata was described by Gumbs in his spoken notes as in the style of a French toccata; Gumbs’ registration was very convincing and well-suited to the music; his playing was always so facile!
In his spoken notes, Gumbs said that he had failed to include a single hymn in this dedication of a church organ and asked if the audience would prefer a hymn instead of the scheduled Bach fugue. Several cries of “BOTH!” echoed my sentiments exactly.
So Gumbs played the listed Bach Fugue in E-flat (St. Anne), BWV 552. This fugue, which with its prelude bookends the Clavier-Übung III, is well understood to be Bach’s best understanding of defining the Trinity in music. Gumbs began with the first of the three themes on one eight-foot principal. The second theme entered, bubbling up like a spring on a flute stop. There was further augmentation when the third theme entered, but it was not excessive. The crowd was well pleased and jumped to their feet in adulation when it was finished.
Gumbs then asked everyone to remain on their feet and sing “Guide Me, Oh Thou Great Jehovah,” to Cwm Rhondda, of course. Gumbs improvised an introduction, beginning with high note flourishes and progressing imperceptibly into the tune and all of a sudden, we were there! Gumbs’ fluid and well-articulated playing left no mistake about where to begin. The first verse was in pretty straight agreement with the Hymnal. The second was also harmonically straight, when he played, but once he heard the church full of voices, he dropped out completely, then came back in on a very soft stop and built up to a moderate conclusion of the second verse. Then there was a free interlude that again left no one in doubt, followed by a harmonically freer accompaniment to the last verse. Wow! In forty years, I have never heard such singing in this church!
The Taylor and Boody Organ Builders
It was a pleasure to see a strong contingent from Taylor and Boody, including George Taylor himself. And there were representatives from other builders as well.
Christ Church is to be commended for this successful completion of an eight-year-old dream. It is fit to name the late Charlie Ashford, who led the Organ Research Committee in 2018. Although he did not live to see his work completed, his family was in ample attendance both nights.
Over the last fifty years I have been privileged to hear a number of dedication recitals, including Christ Church, Raleigh (Holtkamp, 1977); Duke Chapel, Durham (Flentrop, 1977); St. Stephen’s, Durham (Flentrop, 1978); Sweet Briar, Virginia (A. David Moore); Old Salem (Tannenberg/T&B 1800/2004). Nathaniel Gumbs played the most sympathetic and most joyous dedication recital of the group. His keyboard technique is fluid and precise and his understanding of which stops to pull (and not to pull) is first rate.
