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Bethany's Own! 

Friday, May 1, 2026

Music Director and organist

with

special guest, Children's Choir Director

Laura Tribby, soprano

FREE CONCERT

RECEPTION TO FOLLOW!

MAY 1, 2026 CONCERT COMPOSER NOTES:

David N. Johnson (1922–1987)
An American composer and organist shaped by the Lutheran liturgical tradition, Johnson spent much of his career serving churches and teaching, notably at St. Olaf College. His music reflects mid-20th-century American church life, where clarity and accessibility were valued alongside craftsmanship. Even as musical styles shifted around him, he remained rooted in hymnody, writing works that feel timeless in their devotion and modest beauty.
Notable works include Trumpet Tune in D, hymn-based organ settings such as Partita on “Forest Green”

Robert A. Hobby (b. 1962)
An American organist and composer, Hobby has been active as a church musician and recitalist, serving congregations such as Trinity English Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana. His music reflects contemporary liturgical practice, drawing on both traditional hymnody and modern harmonic language. Living in a time of renewed interest in organ performance, his works bridge historic forms with present-day vitality.
Notable works include Postlude on “Slane”, Variations on “Hyfrydol”.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
A towering figure of the Baroque era, Bach spent his life in Germany serving as a church musician, most famously in Leipzig at St. Thomas Church. Writing during a time when music was deeply intertwined with theology, he produced an immense body of work that synthesized centuries of tradition. His music, once considered old-fashioned after his death, was later rediscovered and now stands as a cornerstone of Western art.
Notable works include Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565, Brandenburg Concertos, Mass in B minor.

Paul Otto Manz (1919–2009)
An influential American Lutheran composer and church musician, Manz served as organist at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Minneapolis and later taught at Luther Seminary. His career spanned much of the 20th century, a period of liturgical renewal in American churches. His beloved chorale improvisations and hymn-based works continue to shape worship practices, carrying forward a deeply pastoral and devotional spirit.
Notable works include: E’en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come, chorale-based organ settings and hymn festival improvisations.

William Mathias (1934–1992)
A Welsh composer and educator, Mathias taught at Bangor University and became one of Britain’s leading 20th-century composers. Writing in a post-war era marked by both experimentation and a return to tonality, his music embraces clarity, rhythm, and brilliance. He gained international recognition, including composing for royal occasions, while maintaining a strong connection to sacred and choral traditions.
Notable works include Processional, Let the People Praise Thee, O God, music for the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana.

Léon Boëllmann (1862–1897)
A French organist and composer of the late Romantic period, Boëllmann studied at the École Niedermeyer in Paris, a center for church music. His short life unfolded during a rich era of French organ composition, influenced by figures like Franck and Widor. Though he died young, his Suite Gothique endures, capturing both the grandeur and lyricism of the French organ tradition.
Notable works include Suite Gothique, especially the Toccata.

Kurt Weill (1900–1950)
Born in Germany and later emigrating to the United States to escape the Nazi regime, Weill was a central figure in 20th-century theater music. Collaborating with Bertolt Brecht during the Weimar Republic, he created works that challenged social norms and blended classical and popular styles. His later American career reflected Broadway influences, yet his music always retained a sharp awareness of human struggle and society.
Notable works include: The Threepenny Opera, Mack the Knife, Street Scene.

Denis Bédard (b. 1950)
A Canadian organist and composer, Bédard studied in Quebec and France and served as organist at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Quebec City. Writing in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, his music reflects a globalized organ tradition—drawing from French, German, and contemporary idioms. His works are widely performed for their accessibility, charm, and inventive spirit.

Notable works include Suite Romantique, Variations sur “Amazing Grace”, and numerous character pieces for organ.

Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
A central figure of the Romantic era, Brahms lived and worked primarily in Germany and Austria during a time of intense musical debate between traditionalists and innovators. Deeply influenced by Bach and Beethoven, he carried forward classical forms while infusing them with rich emotional depth. His music reflects a lifelong tension between restraint and expression, grounded in both intellect and feeling.
Notable works include: A German Requiem, Hungarian Dances, Symphony No. 4.

Louis Vierne (1870–1937)
A French organist and composer, Vierne served as titular organist of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris for nearly four decades. Living through personal hardships and the turmoil of World War I, his music reflects both the grandeur of the French symphonic organ tradition and profound personal struggle. He famously died at the organ bench, leaving behind a legacy marked by intensity, sorrow, and transcendent beauty.
Notable works include Organ Symphonies (especially No. 1 and No. 3), Carillon de Westminster.