The Central North Carolina Chapter of the American Guild of Organists had a fall kick-off event the evening of October 12 at Hayes Barton United Methodist Church in Raleigh. The 6:00 supper was an enjoyable time of dining and connecting with 27 in attendance. At 7:30 PM Stephen Aber, Assistant Director of Creative Arts at Hayes Barton UMC, presented a dramatic Halloween themed recital. He opened with Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s “Overture” from Phantom of the Opera followed by Hornpipe Humoresque. An innovative addition to the program was a theatre organ interpretation of Transylvania 6-5000 (1963) animated short film. Next, Aber performed his own transcription of Wolaver’s “Magical Medley of Memorable Masterpieces” by Saint-Saëns, Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss, and Rossini. After an entertaining Halloween singalong embellished with Stephen Aber’s well-received humor, the evening concluded with Boëllmann’s “Introduction and Toccata” from Suite Gothique. He performed to a full house, and AGO members returned home with great expectations for an outstanding upcoming program lineup offering a wide range of events that will conclude in May.
-Pam Langston