Virgil Fox- Soli Deo Gloria (Left Camera)

From: Richard Blacklock

[@jandebruin3880]

Legendarisch

[@johnhenryholiday4964]

Rest in sweet peace dear Virgil.... What you did as a musician, as a mentor, as a friend and colleague will never be forgotten.... You are on the right hand side of Our Father in Heaven and are in service to the master .... We love you.!!!!!

[@stevenschrier4207]

A special blessing to observe this remarkable legacy video of Virgil’s musicianship and organ console performance technique. All the more remarkable since at the time (1979) Virgil was seriously suffering from a steadily advancing cancer that would sadly claim his life about a year and a half later. I’ve been told this Riverside concert video was made clandestinely using a consumer grade video camcorder. Fortunately, for the benefit and education of us today and future generations, the recording exists and adds greater understanding of his musical legacy. Virgil brought the historic baroque, classical, romantic and modern organ literature to audiences for over five decades. He performed hundreds of traditional church & symphonic concerts across North America, Europe and Japan. He developed an innovative mobile digital organ system that allowed highly successful concert performances in non-traditional venues. Virgil was blessed at birth with a natural, neurological genetic gift of hyper amnesia that enabled memory retention of hundreds of compositions along with a secondary personality neurological gift of multitasking. The dual personality gifts are clearly visible while viewing this video as he maintains a solid musical performance while independently changing the Riverside organ’s numerous tonal registration controls operating five keyboards and a pedal division. He lived during an era of scientific discovery and invention that literally brought electrical control to the organ for the first time and the possibility of greater performance expressiveness. He had the ability to explore the expressive tonal nuances of music through dozens of new organ console controls as exemplified by the large and electrically complex E.M. Skinner organ he designed for Riverside Church in the early 1950s. The video clearly illustrates Virgil’s independent multitasking gifts as we see him making numerous console registration changes between the organ’s five manuals and pedal division, all without breaking the music’s continuity and rhythm. While Virgil’s concerts were usually performed entirely from memory, this Riverside video shows the rare occasion where he performs a Wagner composition using a music score and console assistant. However, the Wagner piece is immediately followed by fully memorized performances of a twenty five minute, technically demanding, Franz Liszt composition that’s immediately followed by the Tocatta from Josef Jongen’s Symphony Concertante. He’s channeling some divine spiritual adrenaline to perform entirely from memory at an extraordinary level with few if any mistakes.. By (1979) the E.M. Skinner organ at New York’s Riverside Church had been enlarged and the console rebuilt. While Virgil was totally familiar with the acoustics of Riverside after serving nineteen years as principle organist, by (1979) the organ had changed significantly for the better. Additional features he had wanted for the organ during his tenure were unavailable to him. Fortunately Virgil’s successors at Riverside, notably Frederick Swann, succeeded in adding additional ranks and modernizing the instrument’s technical & tonal capabilities. The powerful new Bonnano chamade located in the gallery, is heard frequently during Virgil’s concert. Virgil reportedly liked the improved expressive capabilities of the updated Riverside instrument. While this KZbin video recording has several technical glitches with editing, audio levels and synchronization, it’s still an engaging visual legacy of one of the 20th century’s foremost musical artists & prodigies nearing the conclusion of a five decade professional career, imho. A quality audio CD recording “Soli Deo Gloria” is available from online distributors and doesn’t have any audio “glitches”. Thank you for sharing this unique recording on KZbin!

[@georgemurphy2579]

He was approaching death's door during this memorable concert. I am not sure if many realize how I'll he was and yet he commanded the music, note-for-note, better than the best of them.

[@OrganistProTemp]

I was present that May 1979 days when Virgil returned to Riverside. I was sitting in the front row with my mother. Directly behind us was Virgil's mother "Bird E. Fox", if I recall, Virgil's brother and wife. Behind them was Van Cliburn. The day was quite memorable. I will always remember hearing Liszt's Ad nos for the very first time and clinging to each and every note. To this day it is still one of my favorite compositions for the organ. During the Ad nos, during a quiet section, (F# minor-as I recall) you can hear my coughing (I had a cold) and my mother was unwrapping a peace of candy for me. This was around 1:28:50 is when you can hear me coughing. My claim to fame and most Embarrassing! I am still in awe of this great musician. He lives forever! Go Virgil!

[@165vally]

That's hysterical; good show!

[@craighuston2629]

Once again, another demonstration of the master’s utter, complete and absolute control of his instrument. Certainly we have very gifted organists in our present day, however Virgil Fox will always remain without peer.

[@Highinsight7]

I LOVED this man's programing... familiar with a few things to stretch the imagination... BUT those few "works" to stretch the imagination always had GREAT beauty in them... BLESS you dear Virgil...!

[@Highinsight7]

I've played the Durufle Suite for years... when I learned it years ago... my teacher had a first edition where the last two pages of the Toccata were different from my score... HIS (my teacher's) score was exactly how Virgil plays it... ! were there also some differences in the Sicilienne...?? I like how Virgil plays the bass line by itself to begin... make sense... he was ALWAYS so good at explaining to the audience and leading us all along the path... very wise man...

[@KSL1972LLC]

I have this CD and absolutely love his performance. It was a homecoming of epic proportions for an artist of his caliber. More amazing is he had less than a year and a half left to live. The lag between the sound and key press is a bit disconcerting at points

[@bachluthology2]

I have the cd on this but where is the whole concert?

[@stephenrouse2493]

please turn off the god-awful tremulant.