(Posted Oct. 18, 2018)
By Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor
“What makes the pipe organ special among instruments is its capacity to go from the softest, most prayerful of sounds to the mightiest roar and all the gradations in between,” says Michael Schreffler, organist and music director at First United Methodist Church (UMC) of London.
On Nov. 4, Schreffler will showcase the range of the church’s Johnson & Son/Muller pipe organ in a solo concert set for 4 p.m. Admission is free. A $10 donation is suggested.
This marks Schreffler’s first solo concert in four years. He often collaborates with other musicians and takes part in the annual Sounds of the Season, a Madison County Arts Council production hosted at the church. He has served as the church’s organist and music director for 11 years.
“We’re uniquely blessed in London, Ohio, to have such a fine instrument. This is the most versatile pipe organ for its size and resources that I’ve ever set hands on,” said Schreffler, who started playing piano at 9 years old and shortly thereafter shifted to organ.
The concert will feature selections by German composers Max Reger and Johann Sebastian Bach, colorful American works, and examples of the French 20th century tradition.
The audience will experience not only the pipe organ’s tonal range, but also its mocking bird side.
“There are stops that mimic sounds in an orchestra–flutes, trumpets, oboes–and there are an infinite number of possible combinations in ensemble,” Schreffler said.
The concert is slated to last approximately an hour and 15 minutes. For more information, call First United Methodist Church of London at (740) 852-0462.
