Dahlgren Chapel

Georgetown University, Washington, DC

This instrument is named the Lewnowski Family Organ in remembrance of a young gentleman in the family who passed away when he was a student at Georgetown University.  The new organ was part of an overall renovation of this chapel which stands at the center of the university.  It is a relatively small room and the liturgical activity there is quite busy.   The chapel had originally housed a tracker organ at the back of the room which, over time, was judged unworkable for the liturgy and music of the community.   I was engaged as organ consultant in this project to gather bids from several organbuilders, help the university administration select the builder and form the contract,  collaborate with the builder in overall tonal design of the organ, project management/timeline, finalize voicing once installed, and to perform the dedicatory recital.  The financial resources were provided by the family so we knew the cost parameters of this project from the start.  The Schoenstein Organ Company was selected to build an instrument with full resonance featuring just 19 pipe ranks.   The final design of the space at the front of the sanctuary accomodated the movable console and a flexible area for singers and instrumentalists.   When installation was complete the Schoenstein personnel and I continued our collaboration to put the finishing touches on each pipe rank.  We were very pleased with the final product.

I performed the dedicatory recital on Friday, November 7, 2014.   This is the repertoire I played, for the greater glory of God, dedicated to the Lewnowski family and all who worship in Dahlgren chapel for years to come.

Praeludium in D Major                             Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707)

Three Tone Pieces, Opus 22                   Niels Gade (1817-1890)
Moderato, Allegretto, Allegro

Variations on Christe Sanctorum         Lynn Trapp

Pastorale                                                  Albert Alain  (1880-1971)
Scherzo

Ascent                                                         Joan Tower (b. 1938)

Toccata and Fugue in F Major   BWV 540    Johann Sebastian Bach  (1685-1750)

Fantaisie-Improvisation sur l’ “Ave maris stella”       Charles Tournemire (1870-1939);
reconstituées par Maurice Duruflé

Still Be My Vision        Stephen Paulus (b. 1949)
As If the Whole Creation Cried
(from Tryptych for Organ)