JAZZ Concerto for Organ & Orchestra had its US premiere at Salt Lake City Utah in the Mormon Tabernacle’s Temple Square Conference Centre.
Richard Elliott, Principal Tabernacle Organist, played the 4th Movement, Hot Pipes (Ragging the Pipes!) on one of the largest and best sounding organs in the world, conducted by Musical Director Mack Wilberg as part of their Pioneer Commemoration Concert, July 18-19, 2014, at 8:00 p.m.
Hot Pipes (Ragging The Pipes!) The organ and orchestra play an unabashedly “hot” ragtime tune, exchanging many tried and true ragtime licks, each more fancy than the last until, challenged by the organ, each section of the orchestra has a four bar “break” to show off their virtuosity and to try to outshine the organ. But the organ has the final word in the cadenza. However, at the end of the cadenza, the organ starts a new slow Dixieland tune under high tremolo strings. It’s a Dixieland band coming home, triumphant, from the graveyard in New Orleans. Clarinet, trumpet, trombone, drums, and tuba are added in succession building layers through a series of key changes, until organ and orchestra wail out this tune in a joyous rousing climax. At the penultimate moment, the organ bursts forth with the “hot” ragtime tune from the start of the movement, the orchestra joins in, and all play the Dixieland tune one more time at full tilt, then suddenly stop. The organ offers a slight tongue in cheek comment with the challenge theme, then all play a final raucous ragtime punch line to end.
