Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

In some ways this is an easy review to write: we get just over an hour of pleasant tunes with a seasonal flavour from an interesting range of European and North American composers. However filling in the details is tricky as I found the liner notes in the CD booklet difficult to follow and was unable to track down anything on the internet but then the record label is German as are the two organists, Beatrice-Maria and Gerhard Weinberger so I should be grateful that they tried to put something in the booklet in English. Some of the music is played solo but most is as duets on the featured instrument which is the "Grand Roggenburg Lady", the main organ in the Parish and Monastery Church of the Assumption in Roggenburg in Bavarian Swabia. The music comes to us in chronological order, starting with Handel's "Prelude and Fugue in C". Other dead composers featured are Giovanni Morandi (1777-1856), Julius Schneider (1805-1885), Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937) and Theodore Dubois (1837-1924). Then we move into a contemporary half with Franz Lehrndorfer (born 1928), Ralf Bolting (born 1953), Jefferson C McConnaughey (born 1952), Robert J Powell (born 1932) and Charles E Callahan (born 1951). The contemporary pieces tend to recycle well known Christmas tunes which makes for an easy listen although I suppose the dead composers may have been doing the same and I do not recognise the material that they have adapted. The one word review would be tuneful and those who appreciate traditional organ music will find this a worthwhile purchase.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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