Association with Wanamaker Keith Chapman (organist)

1 association wanamaker

1.1 compositions
1.2 recordings
1.3 diamond anniversary concert

association wanamaker

dr. chapman appointed principal organist @ wanamaker s in 1966 @ age 20 while still student @ curtis. preside on largest playable organ in world , remain @ position next 23 years until untimely death in 1989.

at time of dr. chapman s appointment, wanamaker organ had been underused. 1 of first projects dr. chapman arranged broadcast of wanamaker radio concerts heard on philadelphia radio station whyy-fm , included own commentaries performances , organ.

chapman regularly welcomed visitors loft containing organ console , permitted them sit during performances. allowed visitors photographed him on organ bench. in addition several known instances of chapman playing practical jokes on customers @ store, known multitasking while performing playing chess, reading newspaper stories aloud, or bantering listeners in loft.

compositions

keith chapman published number of pieces, of arrangements of hymns or well-known melodies set in personal style. emphasize accent , rhythm faster pieces , harmonic variation in of them, reminiscent of debussy , ravel. thought many of these works began improvisations daily work @ wanamaker s, standard numbers, particularly christmas selections, explored through experiment in daily repetition. chapman practical composer sought captivate appreciative audiences , achieve commercial success, while supplying polished detail , variation serious musicians appreciate. pieces, such improvisation on gather or arrangement of ding dong merrily on high! made reference other compositions ( creatures of our god , king , in dir est freude, respectively here). fanfare , procession thought totally original work. championed beauty of symphonic sound of pipe organ during era when aggressively criticized musically correct of period. chapman said unfulfilled ambition orchestra conductor. rights of music held sony corporation, , attempts @ republication have not yet (2017) met success, although performance rights have been granted.

recordings

at time of dr. chapman s death thought copies of historic broadcasts had been destroyed. discovered 2 enthusiasts of wanamaker organ had reproduced digitally remastered recordings of these radio broadcasts of high quality. friends of wanamaker organ organization able reissue on compact disk 3 of half-hour performances. these recordings of special significance because shortly after dr. chapman s death both echo , ethereal divisions damaged in separate accidents , not available many years. other recordings include:

the grand court organ (1973)
mussorgsky’s pictures @ exhibition (1975)
airs & arabesques (1976)
chapman/wanamaker - memorial release - vantage vcd 6304
the complete chapman/wanamaker recordings - vantage v2cd 69-694-001
keith chapman - lost radio broadcasts - vantage v2cd-698-002
keith chapman - lost radio broadcasts, vol. 2 - vantage wanaradio2
keith chapman - karg-elert instrumental works - motette cd60351
keith chapman - wanamaker store organ , karg-elert, jongen, alain, langlais, daquin... - pcd60351

after death, many of chapman s arrangements published in @ organ keith chapman. warner brothers publications. march 2000. isbn 9780769250878. 

diamond anniversary concert

in 1986 dr. chapman featured artist landmark concert @ wanamaker grand court celebrated dr. chapman s 20th anniversary wanamaker organist , organ s 75th anniversary. sponsored wayne concert series, first after-hours public organ concert @ wanamaker s in 50 years. tradition has been continued present day largely under auspices of non-profit organization, friends of wanamaker organ.

the concert recorded @ time , has been released on dvd friends of wanamaker organ. included 2009 update on restoration of instrument.