Organ concert with Isabelle Demers
Wednesday 26 March, 19:00
(Doors open at 18:15)
Uranienborg Church
Adult: 380 NOK
Senior/student: 300 NOK
Child: 100 NOK
Duration: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Concert introduction by Inger-Lise Ulsrud: Church music - a tradition in crisis?
Isabelle Demers, organ
Organ superstar
The Canadian organ virtuoso Isabelle Demers visits the Church Music Festival. Demers’ organ playing has been described as fearless and extraordinary, and has spellbound critics, arrangers, and audiences all over the world. The German composer, organist, and pianist Max Reger (1873–1916) was a truly unique composer with a long and varied list of works. Reger considered himself to be in the tradition of Beethoven and Brahms, and was especially inspired by Bach’s works. His music is highly original, a synthesis between the complex structure of the Baroque and the harmonies of the later Romantics. At the concert, Demers will perform Max Reger’s three chorale fantasias from his opus 52, which explores themes of death and resurrection. The fantasias are composed as a cycle, but are rarely played as a whole. This evening’s performance gives the audience an insight into Reger’s complete composition, with leitmotifs that move through all three chorale fantasias. Demers will also play the Canadian contemporary composer Rachel Laurin’s (1961–2023) first organ sonata.
Isabelle Demers is a sought-after Canadian concert organist, and often tours in Europe, Oman, Australia, New Zealand, USA, and Canada. Demers has given concerts at venues such as Elbphilharmonie, Westminster Abbey, and Walt Disney Concert Hall, in addition to regularly performing at regional and national organ symposiums in Canada. Demers has released several albums on the recording companies Acis and Pro Organo. Her latest release was recorded in Rockefeller Chapel in Chicago in 2020, and includes works by Reger, Laurin, Dupré, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Tchaikovsky, and MacMillan.
Inger-Lise Ulsrud is professor of organ and organ improvisation at the Norwegian Academy of Music, and cantor in Uranienborg Church. As one of the country's leading organists, she has an extensive concert activity and regularly give masterclasses at home and abroad. Ulsrud also holds a number of positions in Scandinavian music life.
Program:
Max Reger (1873–1916):
Three chorale fantasias, Op. 52
No. 1: Alle Menschen müssen sterben,
No. 2: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme
No. 3: Halleluja! Gott zu loben
Rachel Laurin (1961–2023):
Sonata no. 1, Op. 91
Concert introduction: Church music - a tradition in crisis?
Cantor Inger-Lise Ulsrud sheds light on the ongoing "crisis in church music" and the recruitment problem for church music studies.
The introduction will be held in Norwegian.
Photo: Isabelle Demers: Abi Poe
