"Benediction"

"Barbara's Benediction", Opus 217, No. 6,
from "Cabena's Homage", Book 3

Posted in remembrance of Barrie Cabena, who died April 24 at the age of 91.

He was a huge figure in the Canadian organ music scene, both on the national level, and in the local Waterloo area. He was past president of the Royal Canadian College of Organsts. He taught at Wilfrid Laurier University for 27 years, and shaped the musical life of many organists in Ontario... including my teachers.

Some tributes:

https://www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-of-music/news/2025/winter/remembering-barrie-cabena.html

https://www.rcco.ca/news/13494591

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This piece he composed this piece in honour of Barbara, his first wife, who died of cancer in 1990.

The melody is played in the pedal; the 8' Great Principal is coupled down to the pedal. The accompaniment is played using the Spitz Gamba in the Schwellwerk. However, the melody goes too high in the pedal register. Cabena writes in the score that "this passage to be played by 'thumbing' on the Great. Other notes out-of-range may be played in the same way, but it may require the omitting of the lowest note in the RH chords."

Played on the 1976 III/47 W. Zimmer & Sons organ at First Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Long Beach, California. The instrument was virtualized for Hauptwerk by Evensong Music.

In my use of this organ, I add a touch of additional reverb in Hauptwerk, and I change the tuning temperament to Valotti.