Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Organ Christopher Marks has released his latest CD, “Organ Music of Seth Bingham, Vol. 3 ‘Cathedral Strains’” on the Raven label.
This two-CD set, recorded on the 1997 Schoenstein & Co. Op. 126 organ at First Plymouth Congregational Church in Lincoln, offers a comprehensive overview of Bingham’s organ music, from his earliest published pieces to his last ones, from Romantic pieces influenced by his early French training to pieces distinctly American and modern, from whimsical character pieces to sober and majestic pieces for use in worship.
The track list includes “Six Pieces, Op. 9,” “Suite, Op. 25,” “Seven Preludes or Postludes on Lowell Mason Hymns, Op. 42,” “Sonata of Prayer and Praise, Op. 60,” “Passacaglia, Op. 40,” “Offertoire sur une chanson espagnole,” “Prelude and Fughetta on St. Kevin,” “Introit on Elton,” “The Good Shepherd” and “Sight Reading Test 1963.”
Bingham (1882-1972) was a highly regarded composer, teacher and church musician. He served as organist and choirmaster at the Rye Presbyterian Church in Rye, N.Y. from 1908 to 1913. He was then organist at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church from 1913 to 1951. He also taught composition and music theory at Columbia University from 1920 to 1954 and composition at Union Theological Seminary from 1953 to 1965.
Much of his organ music has fallen out of print and out of general awareness, which was the impetus for Marks to record this series of CDs dedicated solely to Bingham’s music. Marks has received support from the Hixson-Lied Endowment for the project.
Hear more from Marks about the project on the Aug. 9 podcast of At the Organ: http://go.unl.edu/wgps.
Marks has been at UNL since 2006. From 1999-2006, he taught organ and served as University Organist at Syracuse University. An active proponent of new music, Marks has premiered a number of commissioned organ works. His diverse stylistic interests also steer him towards a variety of other repertoire, with a recent interest in American organ music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Equally comfortable with solo and collaborative playing, he has performed with ensembles such as the Boston Brass, Ethos Percussion Group, and Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra.
He holds degrees from University of Richmond (B.M., piano), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (M.M., piano and M.M., organ), and the Eastman School of Music (D.M.A., organ), where he studied with Michael Farris. His performances have garnered him top prizes in competitions, including the Arthur Poister Competition, the San Marino Competition, the Fort Wayne Competition, and the Mader Competition.