Carol Williams (b. 1962) — Suite for Organ, op. 5 (2013)
1) Festiva!
2) Mirage
3) Friesian March
"Suite for Organ, op. 5" (2013) was written for Williams's "TourBus" video series, in which she visits and performs on unique pipe organs around the world. This particular work was written for the episode featuring world's largest church organ at First Congregational Church in Los Angeles, California. The first movement, "Festiva!," is joyous, with the flavor of medieval and Renaissance dance music. The second movement, "Mirage," begins quietly and ceremonially and gradually builds in intensity and volume. The principal melody is somewhat reminiscent of Celtic folk music. The final movement, "Friesian March," has a dark and driving character. Williams has a great love of animals, and the title of this movement refers to the Friesian horse breed, noted for its rich, darkly-colored coat.
Carol Williams (b. 1962) is a British born concert organist best known for her tenure from 2001–2016 as Civic Organist of San Diego, California where she performed at the Spreckles Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park. Williams was educated at the Royal Academy of Music, Trinity College London, Yale University (Artist Diploma), and the Manhattan School of Music (DMA). Her teachers include David Sanger, Daniel Roth, Thomas Murray, and McNeil Robinson. She has concertized frequently around the world and is very active as an advocate for the organ through her DVD/video productions, her YouTube series “On the Bench with Dr. Carol” (in which she interviews noted organists), and her recital programming, which draws together diverse musical influences and styles.
Published by Melcot Music Publishing (
http://www.melcot.com)