An Arkansas organist is taking part in 18 hours of Bach this yr, one lunch break at a time

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — It was hushed inside a 140-year-old cathedral on the outskirts of Little Rock’s downtown as about 5 dozen folks sat within the pews throughout a latest lunch break in January.

The nave stuffed with the sounds of the Gothic church’s pipe organ, and a display screen confirmed a person performing the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. These gathered weren’t there for church, however for the third live performance in a collection Colin MacKnight is performing over the following yr to commemorate the 275th anniversary of Bach’s demise.

MacKnight, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral’s music director, is performing all of Bach’s organ works all through 2025 — one lunch break at a time. The formidable plan entails performing 18 hours of music in half-hour increments almost each Wednesday.

“I’ve wanted to for a really long time because it’s, I think, the most thorough way of immersing myself in the brilliance of Johann Sebastian Bach,” MacKnight mentioned one morning as he rehearsed within the empty cathedral the day earlier than a live performance.

The live shows in Little Rock are amongst a number of occasions around the globe this yr commemorating the German composer’s legacy and the anniversary of his demise.

MacKnight, who’s from Bethesda, Maryland, has been music director at Trinity for 3 years. He mentioned the primary time he remembers listening to Bach was at a relative’s funeral when he was about 12 years previous.

“Something about hearing it that time just really mesmerized me and that was the beginning of my love of Bach,” he mentioned.

The 31-year-old’s palms transfer simply between the 4 keyboards of the organ console, flanked by knobs controlling completely different sounds which can be assembled into numerous combos.

Beneath, his ft press on the pedalboards — combining to create the notes of Bach’s works. MacKnight, who has performed the organ since he was 16, acknowledges how dizzying the sight of the instrument could be for newcomers.

“If you don’t know what you’re looking at, it’s a little overwhelming, like an airplane console,” he mentioned.

MacKnight’s live shows — that are free and open to the general public — are additionally mini-lessons for many who come, with a glossary of phrases like concerto and fugue included in this system. In between items, MacKnight provides viewers members some background on Bach and his organ works.

“These pieces are in the unfortunate category of being much, much harder than they sound,” he says.

Usually thought to be one of many biggest composers of all time, Bach is thought specifically for his organ works and their heavy use of pedals and complicated constructions. Few organists carry out the composer’s full organ works, given the problem and amount of the music.

They embody Grammy-winning organist Paul Jacobs, who taught MacKnight on the Juilliard College. Jacobs carried out an 18-hour nonstop live performance of Bach’s organ works to mark the 250th anniversary of the composer’s demise in 2000.

The free live shows thus far have drawn a mixture of church members, classical music aficionados and newcomers who say they need a quiet break from the every day bustle.

“I like the complexity of the music and the power of the organ, which stirs me internally,” mentioned Barry Coplin, a member of the church who has attended two of MacKnight’s live shows.

Ben Wiley, who lives about half-hour away, is a classical music fan who was attending his third of MacKnight’s exhibits and mentioned he appreciates having the ability to hear Bach’s works in half-hour increments.

“It’s a good way to be able to get it done in short bursts, to be able to absorb it better and come back to get the next batch,” he mentioned.

MacKnight can be performing a 100-minute live performance of Bach’s most in depth organ work — the Clavier-Ubung III, generally known as the German Organ Mass — on July 28, the day the German composer died in 1750 at 65.

The Rev. Thomas Alexander, a priest at Trinity, mentioned the live shows enable the general public to get pleasure from MacKnight’s abilities, come collectively and be taught extra about Bach in a approach they usually would not have the ability to.

“It’s like reading someone’s complete collection of novels. You get to really get to know someone in a comprehensive way,” Alexander mentioned. “But it also builds a sense of community.”