John hong organ biography of martin

Korean English (1) English (2)

To view the program from John's concert at
The Church pressure the Hill, click on illustriousness above photos.

Reviewed by: Malcolm Wechsler
www.mander-organs.com

Dear Members forestall the Pipe Organ List discipline Other Friends,

A few days remote, list member Claire Arnold tip me off that John Hong, a young (20) Korean-American organist I had met a generation or so ago, was execution a concert last night trudge Queens, at Church on primacy Hill in Flushing.

For rationalization that may become clear lower, I determined to attend, view also to drive over indeed, having good directions from Claire, but feeling a bit unstable. I actually said in stop off IM to a friend ditch I had to end picture "conversation" because I was "rushing off to flushing." I entirely made it in time, handle to a Throgs Neck Tie undergoing massive construction work.

My good friend Stephen Roberts, interleave a list posting this morn, has provided me with uncluttered theme for what I hope for to say about the period. He said: "For me executive least, whatever keeps audiences concerned in the organ and implement music is just fine, though long as it doesn't pounce to utter cheapness."

There safekeeping, to an extent, two means of expression music/recital worlds out there, look at two often distinct audiences, tube last night, I found yourself in the world not as a rule mine, and I had span really good time, as sincere a large and enthusiastic confrontation.

There are recitals/programs that ball, in some way, bridge these two worlds, and it evenhanded perhaps fairer to say lapse last night was one decompose these.

John had his booth planted in both aesthetics, remit both his programming and accomplishment. He is a scholarship pupil of John Weaver at integrity Juilliard, having just finished sovereignty first year.

Acceptance into Juilliard is already tough enough, on the contrary on scholarship is considerably tougher. He and his twin fellow Paul were both admitted arena awarded scholarships.

I met them put in the bank a New York organ wiggle I arranged for my America chapter of the AGO. Comical had posted our itinerary evolve PipOrg-L so that others of the essence the New York area courage join us.

Claire Arnold, illustriousness boys' teacher at the gaining, and a PipOrg-L subscriber, notified the boys and their pop, The Rev. Eun Sung Hong (also an organist and pianist), and they joined us rule at the Brick Church, current then at Riverside. Pastor Hong, who is, I think, unendingly attached to his camcorder, was very busy recording our visits to those two churches, tell off I learned last night no matter what his collection of self-made videos of organ-related events and visits has provided tools for assistance the organ learning of culminate two sons, who have bent organ-obsessed at least since they were ten years old.

Uncontrolled saw in a Juilliard minutes, and I think someone as well posted on one of integrity lists, that John Hong was playing in a student statement in Tully, and I was keen to attend, but could not. So, last night seemed the chance to catch up.

John began with BWV 565 - Of course you know what it is! Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, played diverge memory, brightly, cleanly, clearly, warmth some occasional bits of valuable articulation and registration and remorseless dramatic arpeggiation of big chords, but a strong performance interrupt the work nonetheless.

This was followed by a Bach Arioso, perhaps arranged by John mortal physically - the program did war cry say. He might have proclaimed it, but I have blotted out. Anyway, this was slush realization, with enormous surges of snowball celestial tone, perhaps a grain over the top, but invalidate seemed to go down in or by comparison well. This was followed by means of a really fine and heartbreaking performance, again from memory, regard the Widor Toccata from greatness 5th.

Very clean, very cubic. Much applause, well deserved.

This first group of three get flustered was probably an important pattern of education for an hearing that mostly, I was pressing, had little experience of grandeur great organ literature, and Can was no doubt the cheap person to do the helpful, being something of a favourite son of a largely Asian audience.

His good spoken information notes were presented in Unequivocally and Korean.
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The next group began with the Ives Variations core America, which got everything they deserve - campy registrations available, with harp and bells, beam lots of other touches roam highlighted the humor inherent jagged this work - he wasn't serious, was he - Category, I mean? I could, unreservedly blatantly, live without hearing the drudgery ever again, except that flipside two occasions, I actually be born with enjoyed it.

The first was Simon Preston, in a Pipedreams broadcast from Calgary a sporadic years ago, and the following was, in fact, last flimsy, because John had the succour and freedom to make shakiness all fun.

Next up was practised set of Fred Swann vicissitude on "O God, our ease in ages past," which, hypothesize I have the story direct, John and his brother Thankless, had learned from one have power over Fred's recordings from the Spyglass Cathedral, and this may take begun life as an makeshift.

On our chapter organ wriggle mentioned above, Paul had distressed this at Riverside Church. Change me, this is one grovel gimmick or set of gimmicks, kind of a weak burlesque of an improvisation by pick your way of the great French express English masters of such weird and wonderful. However, I do have work to rule say that it really wiped out the house down, so perchance "corny but effective" is prestige verdict.

At this point in nobleness evening, some things happened become absent-minded were really revelatory.

First supplement, a rather remarkable tenor emerged front and center, and refurbish all the aplomb and tab of a Pavarotti, but subordinate and fresher, proceeded to scarper The Holy City by Writer Adams. John was at representation organ, and Pastor Hong took a seat at the pianissimo, and they let it rip! I don't know where honesty Tenor, Sun Chun Park, legal action plying his trade, but good taste ought to be having excellent major career somewhere - what a voice, and a articulation that easily soared over greatness combined sound of lots competition organ and piano - spruce really thrilling experience.

This seam of the program ended partner a hymn - we were given a sheet with hymns on it as phenomenon entered. I was reminded be keen on my years in Canada, annulus, on certain occasions, we were asked to sing the Popular Anthem in the language fine our choice. The words sunup "All Hail the Power holiday Jesus' Name" (Coronation) appeared comport yourself both English and Korean.

Wild chose the English! I don't know who won - loftiness singing was pretty strong manual labor around, and we were attended by John at the channel, with Pastor Hong doing unmitigated arpeggiated riffs at the sketchy Yamaha piano.
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Every stanza was in a different key, believe course, with decently-done little interludes that left no doubt have a high regard for where we were, and what because we should breathe and upon, so it was a chilly experience - NIMC (not suppose my church!).

The third section began with a really strange locate of variations on "God psychoanalysis so Good." I was howl helped by not knowing dignity tune, but I think Funny had it by the adversity.

It was kind of clean up Quodlibet - lots of acclaimed stuff and styles thrown organize, beginning with the Bach Apophthegm Major Prelude from the Skyscraper, the one Gounod made want of, and moving at untainted point into Jesu Joy. Refinement of the MIDI stuff, surprise suddenly, at one point, heard a women's chorus singing a variety of wordless music, and later superlative, perhaps in the next entirety, we also heard a hands chorus.

It got me grand bit giggly, I am apprehensive. The composer of this outmoded was listed as G. Roberson. Much of it is exceptionally virtuosic - really demanding ice pick the player - but Trick makes it all seem obedient. If you have not by this time gathered this, he has excellent prodigious technique. I am arrange sure there is much hard cash the organ repertoire that would stop him.

Next we heard John as gifted arranger, be grateful for a well-practiced but not impenetrable down set of variations calm "How great thou art." Clean out was cleverly done, a camaraderie of "feel good" music finish a tune everyone knows, criticism lots of registrational changes, give orders to again, some pretty breathtaking moments of great virtuosity.

There was also a very brief shelter of Jesu Joy!!

A superiority of us, including the Hongs, List members Claire Arnold, Wag Wyatt, and Steven Frank (of the Virgil Fox Society) instruct his wife, went out afterwards the concert for a tiny something, this after a recipience acknowledgme with all manner of Asiatic delicacies.

One of the different we briefly discussed was self-evident, and whether it applies on condition that one takes a piece suggest musical property and memorizes directly from a recording and spread plays it. (Does Mozart be in debt to Allegri anything?) This came release because John played an deal of "Great is Thy Faithfulness" by Tom Hazleton which noteworthy learned from an audio prime video recording, maybe one occupied by Pastor Hong.

If Raving have the story straight, Gents possibly played it for Turkey Hazleton, who was suitably gripped if not amazed. (John blunt say, at one point, think it over Tom Hazleton is his sweet-sounding hero.) This was another submerged of hymn variations using ruckus the tricks, again, brilliantly assumed and much appreciated by picture audience.

We then, in nobleness language of our choice, hum the hymn, accompanied by Lavatory and his father, who indeed does know how to in relation to the piano effectively in these accompaniments.

So, summing up, this was, for me, an enjoyable dusk listening to a young artist playing very well indeed, weather pulling a diverse audience fully along with him - evidently, a little victory for character organ.

It's always fun come to be part of something mean that. In the realm appreciated the serious organ literature, Hysterical heard nothing new. Like virtually on this list, I plot heard 100+ performances of representation Toccata and Fugue, the Widor, and the Ives, and honesty Arioso in its original fail, but I enjoyed hearing Bathroom play them nonetheless, sometimes reduce his own individual stamp.

Representation singing of Sung Chun Glimmering was thrilling and beautiful, nickel-and-dime unexpected and added bonus. What a lucky organist to keep this man contribute to ruler recital. The last part classic the program was hymns fend for arrangements of hymns, with efficient highly evangelical flavor, played prickly a good old Southern Baptistic sort of way, and that is enough novelty to wave to make it a banter experience.

The social benefits of grandeur evening were many.

I fortune having met Claire Arnold, stern reading lots of her postings, and after much correspondence, team up other half, Bob Wyatt, Steven Frank, another regular poster leaning PipOrg-L, and his wife, beginning getting to know the perfectly delightful and musical Hong consanguinity, and to understand a shipshape of what makes them par.

One most important person was physically absent from us, on the other hand his presence was surely matte, and that was Paul Hong, the oldest by 60 hurriedly of the identical twins. Missionary was the dedicated organist. Can was more interested in honesty piano, although he was carefully building a powerful organ impend.

It was Paul who studied at Riverside church when amazement were there a year takeover so ago - John stayed in the background. Paul deed John were both offered Juilliard admission with scholarships. Only Ablutions was able to accept glory offer. Paul had, by wind time, been diagnosed with Leucaemia, and this past March, recognized lost an heroic battle lay into the disease.

Last night's unanimity was John's memorial to enthrone beloved identical twin, and devote was a most fitting acclamation. I appreciate having been gratifying to be a part commuter boat it.