For 2024/25, organist Aaron James dedicated himself to a undertaking that few have accomplished: performing the whole works for organ by J.S. Bach inside a single season. He set out to do this in a collection of 16 recitals at Holy Household Church in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood.
A various viewers of as much as 100 and extra have been in attendance for just about the entire free 75-minute recitals. The journey started in September 14, 2024, and can culminate on Could 24, 2025.
We requested James about his Bach journey.
Organist Aaron James
Aaron James earned each a PhD diploma in musicology and a DMA diploma in organ, together with the Performer’s Certificates in organ from the Eastman Faculty of Music. In 2011, he gained the Nationwide Organ Taking part in Competitors of the Royal Canadian School of Organists, considered one of many such prizes he’d accumulate through the years. He’s a Fellow of the Royal Canadian School of Organists, its highest educational distinction. In his analysis, he has targeted on Renaissance vocal polyphony, and revealed a number of articles in educational and different publications.
He performs as a recitalist and collaborative musician, together with appearances on the Toronto Bach Pageant, the Pacific Baroque Pageant, at festivals of the RCCO and the Organ Historic Society, amongst others, together with each conventional and up to date repertoire.
James is the Director of Music on the Toronto Oratory of St Philip Neri, the place he performs
organ at Holy Household Parish and directs three choirs for Plenty and Vespers. He teaches music at St Philip’s Seminary, and is a Sessional Lecturer in organ on the College of Toronto.
Aaron James: The Interview
“It’s an enormous enterprise and it’s been within the works for a very long time,” James says of the Bach Marathon.
As he factors out, it takes time simply to study the 263 items that make up Bach’s organ repertoire. “It’s an enormous quantity of music to study.”
The initiative was delayed by the pandemic and different points, however he was decided to see it by. “In a broader sense, that is Everest for organists,” he says.
Bach’s organ works require each skilled method and expressive interpretation, and whereas it was an excessive amount of work to study, it was an immensely rewarding undertaking. After all, in terms of works of the baroque, there may be additionally a certain quantity of uncertainty a few handful of the compositions.
“There’s actually a query of what’s Bach and what’s not,” James notes. His reference is the Breitkopf version of the whole organ works. “I’m taking part in the whole lot in it.”
Taking such a complete take a look at Bach’s organ works specifically, it’s clear to him that some stand out, and don’t really feel as very like the composer’s personal works. “However, you need to decide to it,” he says. Some items don’t look as attention-grabbing on paper as they do as soon as performed. The work of slogging by to study all 263 items left him with many insights.
Placing them collectively into coherent recitals was the following job. Some items, as he notes, are lower than a minute lengthy. His recitals are thoughtfully programmed to revolve round a theme, and his notes embody background on each the music and the composer, alongside along with his time and its realities — just like the bubonic plague.
“You’re making an attempt to determine how you can current these in a method that they’ll be appreciated,” he explains.
He’s gratified by the viewers attendance, and their overwhelmingly constructive reactions. “This can be a great factor about taking part in a composer who’s near individuals’s hearts,” he says. As he factors out, many music lovers have already got a connection to Bach’s music. “This live performance actually grabs them.”
James factors out the fierce devotion to Bach that he’s seen, declaring that he was a Lutheran composer working inside the Catholic church. A few of the viewers members have included Lutheran ministers trying to hear the music. “It’s a dwelling custom,” he says.
The undertaking spans about eight months in complete. “We’re nearly midway by,” he notes.
A few of the recitals are programmed across the liturgical calendar, with others extra conceptual by way of programming.
“We’re coming right into a type of celebratory interval earlier than Lent,” he says. It’s adopted by the extra tragically oriented music for Easter.
He’s acting on the newly restored Kney/Gober organ in Holy Household Church, one which he says has been famous for its suitability for Bach.
“Even on an organ that’s an excellent Bach organ, developing with these diverse packages is [a challenge],” he says. “You don’t need to play the type of piece [over and over]. Incorporating a wide range of voicings for the organ is essential, together with each timbre and quantity.
“There does come some extent, at the same time as an organist, you don’t need to hear the total organ abruptly,” he says. “It will get very tiring on the ear.”
- Discover particulars about Dr. James’ Bach recitals, together with the following one on March 1, [HERE].
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Anya Wassenberg is a Toronto Metropolis Editor at Ludwig Van. She is an skilled freelance author, blogger and writing teacher.
