UNGAR: Tonight on Showcase with Barbara Kellar, Dr. Michael Unger, Associate Professor of organ and harpsichord at CCM; and pastor of Covenant First Presbyterian Church, Dr. Robert Anderson, to discuss the 4th Annual Organ Festival.

Then stay tuned for an encore performance from internationally renowned pianist Barry Douglas.

Showcase starts now.

KELLAR: Hi, I'm Barbara Kellar and we're here today to talk about something that's coming up in February, the end of February.

It's an incredible organ concert.

And we have two people here who are very much involved in this performance: Bob Anderson, Robert Anderson, who is the pastor at Covenant Church downtown.

And Michael Ungar, who's the expert from CCM.

And I'll get you to tell us your -- what is your actual title?

UNGAR: Sure.

I'm associate professor of keyboard, organ and harpsichord at CCM.

KELLAR: Do you want to tell us about the festival?

UNGAR: Well, we're really excited about this.

This is the fourth year that CCM is partnering with Covenant First Presbyterian Church.

We're co-presenting this church organ festival in which we're bringing a wonderful renowned American guest artist here to Cincinnati to perform a free public in-person concert at Covenant First.

This will be Sunday afternoon, February 27th at 4:00.

And then the day before, this teacher, this performer is going to be working with students from CCM.

So, and people from the community are definitely invited as well for that morning session.

So in these years, we've been able to bring in some really renowned names in the field of church music.

This year, it's Bruce Neswick from Portland, Oregon.

KELLAR: And what does he do there?

UNGAR: He is the musician at the Episcopal Cathedral there in Portland.

Prior to that, he was in many different places throughout this country, really a leader in the field of church music performance.

KELLAR: Did he go to CCM?

UNGAR: He did not, but we've had CCM alums in the past, in our just short four years of doing this.

KELLAR: Yeah.

Bob, tell us about your church a little, just a little bit of the history because it is so significant historically to Cincinnati and a little bit about how this -- what your involvement is in this festival.

As the pastor, you're not playing the organ.

ANDERSON: I'm not playing the organ.

KELLAR: OK. ANDERSON: I'll welcome everyone.

KELLAR: Exactly.

So tell us just a little bit about Covenant Church, because that's a drawing card also, as well as the organ.

ANDERSON: We have numerous tourists through the week that come and they ring our bell and want to get a tour of the building and we do that.

The church is actually an amalgam of seven different congregations since 1790.

That was our founding as First Presbyterian.

And as other Presbyterian churches were founded as the City of Cincinnati grew, we've, of course, time went on and they began to flounder.

But we ended up with First Presbyterian merging with Covenant Presbyterian.

And they both moved into Second Presbyterian's former building.

And that was -- that building dates to 1881, I believe it was finished.

KELLAR: Your current building, ANDERSON: That's the current building we're in at 8th and Elm right downtown, kind of between the football stadium and Music Hall is what I tell people.

And everybody says, "I know where that is."

And it has a lot of history inside.

The organ is beautiful.

We have a great congregation on Sunday with lots of visitors who come in from hotels and people waiting to go to a Bengals game or a Red Sox -- Red Sox game, I'm sorry.

A Cincinnati Reds game.

KELLAR: Careful!

ANDERSON: Yeah, you can tell I lived in Boston for a while.

Sorry about that.

But we have a good time and the music is, we'll tell you more about our music scholars, but they give a lot of energy to our worship and to our sense of community as God's people.

KELLAR: Yeah, the configuration of the church is unique and the balcony really lends itself to the organ.

It's really a spectacular combination.

But when the church was built, the organ wasn't there.

They added the organ later.

So how wonderful that they designed it the way they did with the balcony and then putting the organ.

And you have a regular organist who comes every Sunday, right?

ANDERSON: Right.

He's there for anything we do musical, Andrew is there with us.

KELLAR: Yeah.

Well, Michael, tell us a little bit more about the festival.

UNGAR: So, Bruce Neswick, as I've mentioned, he's certainly one of the great leaders of church music and church music performance.

So his recital that he'll be giving on Sunday afternoon is quite a varied program.

He will actually bookend his performance with improvisations.

This is a wonderful aspect of the organist's art and one that I'm really thrilled we'll be able to showcase in this festival and in this performance.

So he'll be sort of given themes in the moment, hymn tunes we think, in which he will -- KELLAR: No Broadway?

UNGAR: We don't know.

We'll have to find out KELLAR: How about some Phantom of the Opera?

Come on.

UNGAR: Good point.

Good point.

We'll think about it, e'll think about it.

He, I mean, as an improviser, he has such skill and such craft, and so I'm sure whatever themes we provide, he'll do something that's really engaging and entertaining.

And in between, it's a varied program of some Clara Schumann, some Herbert Howells, who was an English composer, some American music as well, a Korean-American composer who will also be featured.

So, it's actually one of the most varied programs that we've seen in this festival, which I'm really excited about.

And so we will have that free to the public on that Sunday afternoon.

The day before, as I mentioned, will be a class for the community, but it will be CCM students who will be performing for him and he will talk about his work and improvisation, his work in church music.

So it's very exciting.

KELLAR: I think a lot of people love organ music, but we don't have that much opportunity to hear an organ unless you go to church.

UNGAR: Sure.

KELLAR: So you're at CCM and you -- are you the actual teacher or you just administer?

UNGAR: No, I am, yeah.

KELLAR: Do you give concerts?

UNGAR: I do.

Yes, I've performed in this region.

I've performed elsewhere in this country.

I'm from Canada originally and that's where I grew up and first came in contact with the organ and I've performed in Europe and Asia as well.

KELLAR: I think the reason organ music is so scarce is because very few people could afford to have an organ, where everybody can have a piano.

UNGAR: Absolutely true.

KELLAR: So what are the -- how did you start out being with the organ?

Did you start out as a pianist?

UNGAR: I did.

When I was a kid, I was taking organ lessons, excuse me, piano lessons, and that kind of led eventually into organ.

I had gone to church with my parents and became kind of interested in the instrument.

When I started at university, I was doing more with piano, but still taking organ lessons on the side and realized, well, I was actually a little more interested in the organ and its repertoire, its connection with the community and the church and sacred music.

So, I kind of kept going in that direction.

KELLAR: So you graduated from CCM?

UNGAR: I didn't.

I graduated from the Eastman School of Music.

That's where I did my graduate work and then came here to teach at CCM starting in 2016.

KELLAR: As an undergraduate, though, where did you go?

UNGAR: Western Ontario University, so that was back in Canada.

KELLAR: Are there schools that sort of specialize?

UNGAR: There are music schools that definitely have kind of an organ component and focus.

CCM, I'm really excited about being there and the work that's happening.

KELLAR: Yeah, the concerts at Covenant, are they all just religious music or -- ANDERSON: It's a variety of music.

KELLAR: You can have -- you don't care what they play.

ANDERSON: Some of it's going to be sacred music, liturgy based kinds of pieces, but also standard classical type pieces and some very unique.

I don't know them as well as Michael does, but I know that when I see people look at this schedule of what's being played, they go, "Oh, I love that one."

And so that gets me excited.

And last year, Michael was -- you played for us, and also led the master class.

And we're going to be having that with the person this year.

And you did a great job with the master class.

UNGAR: I appreciate that.

ANDERSON: And I got to ask my questions of Michael.

And one of my favorites is: how does the organist help the congregation sing and sing really well?

So, that's one of the things that we hope through our network of music students that we get to have through CCM to help them become more aware of how do we help the congregation sing?

This isn't just about showing up and playing a keyboard.

It's about helping the spirit of the people lift to God.

KELLAR: Absolutely, absolutely.

It's creating a mood and atmosphere.

And I can't think of any musical instrument that would do that better than the organ.

And Bob, how long have you been at Covenant?

ANDERSON: Oh, I've been there just a year.

KELLAR: Oh, my goodness, you're the newbie.

ANDERSON: The church has been going through a pastoral change.

And I started last January, so it's just about an anniversary of one year right now.

And I'll expect cake and ice cream when we're all done.

KELLAR: Yes.

ANDERSON: Later on.

KELLAR: Yes.

Listen, we're good at that, the eating, that we do that very, very well.

ANDERSON: And I love being with the congregation.

And the music program is one of the ways to help build that congregation and also teach the students.

We're trying to be very intentional about creating a sense of community for the students.

Not all of them are Presbyterian, and I don't ask what they are.

But they are -- They get wrapped into our fellowship.

They stay for lunch afterwards with the congregation.

Different people help them out when they need help.

One of our students with, because of COVID, needed help with moving into her apartment.

And several people from the church showed up to help her do that.

So, it's more than just having them show up to sing for an hour.

It's about becoming part of our life and that's really exciting.

KELLAR: When you say sing, do you mean play the organ?

Are they singing also?

ANDERSON: We also have part of our connection with CCM is with what we call music scholars.

We started with just after we started with an organ scholar who worked with our regular organist.

Then he was kind of the mentor, I guess you might call it.

And then we started with music scholars, just a few in the beginning, and now we have spots for eight, all funded by gifts of people from the congregation, but also outside the congregation.

We have a following of people that get our schedules of when we're going to have organ concerts or a recital by a student and they contribute and have helped us to maintain our organ and keep in a good repair too.

KELLAR: Yeah.

So, do you have a different organist each Sunday?

ANDERSON: No.

Andrew Hackett is our regular organist every Sunday.

Our organ scholar will fill in during the service for different pieces as he learns how to be a good church organist.

And he's an excellent student.

KELLAR: Yeah.

Do the singers sing with a choir or group, or they sing by themselves?

ANDERSON: They're actually, right now, they're actually the core of our choir.

We also have members can volunteer to be part of a choir as well, and they do.

We have, right now, we have slots for eight music scholars and we probably have another five or six members of the congregation who also practice with them.

And so the music scholars support them, and they also support the congregation in their singing.

So, there are many Sundays when it's really helpful to have their music knowledge leading us onward in the right direction.

KELLAR: Yeah.

People who like to sing out.

Yeah.

ANDERSON: They are.

KELLAR: I was told that you have kind of a little bit of history of theatrics.

Is that true?

You can you embroider?

ANDERSON: If you want to call it theatrics, I was on air radio personality in Boston for about -- for a number of years.

KELLAR: Really?

What did you do?

ANDERSON: I was at the first contemporary Christian broadcasting station in the city and did afternoon drive time.

And that was an exciting time to be a part of that.

And I would, from time to time, be asked to do things for TV, for Channel 5.

KELLAR: Here?

ANDERSON: This was in Boston.

Yeah.

And also Christian Broadcasting Network as well.

KELLAR: Does that -- that must help you in your -- when did you move from that to being a minister?

ANDERSON: I was actually a minister at the time, but I was in a very tiny urban church and I had a lot of time on my hands so I could work from 3-6 and that worked out.

KELLAR: Yeah.

Now you don't have so much time.

ANDERSON: I don't.

I'm a lot busier.

Yeah, a lot busier.

But it was a fun time in another chapter of my life.

KELLAR: Is the job of keeping that church physically intact, and I mean, it's 18 -- What?

ANDERSON: It was built in 1882, I believe, it was finished.

KELLAR: Yeah, there must be a lot of things that, repairs.

ANDERSON: It's an older building and it always -- there's always something leaking or breaking or needs to be tended.

We do have a full time administrator who helps to oversee that.

And she's a big help in making sure everything keeps running.

And in fact, we just replaced the air producer for the organ.

I don't know what you call that big box down in the basement, but it actually holds the air and gives it pressure so that the organ pipes can have the wind that they need it.

How's that for a description?

UNGAR: Thank you.

Yes, well done.

KELLAR: So the acoustics are very good.

ANDERSON: That's always a challenging thing, no matter what building.

KELLAR: Acoustics, people have no idea how important acoustics are.

ANDERSON: They are.

And our church is, as you mentioned earlier, Barbara, I'll call it a shoebox shape.

But when you come in from Elm Street, you come in on what appears to be you thought it would be the front, but it's actually the side.

KELLAR: Right.

ANDERSON: And then so it's long and the pulpit is in the center of one side and the organ is in the balcony at the other side.

And most of the time the choir, right now, is singing from the floor, but they occasionally will sing from the balcony near the organ.

Solos are done up there as well.

And when we had COVID, they were -- those tough restrictions, they were always up in the balcony and masked.

So, that space came in handy.

KELLAR: When my granddaughter sang there it was pre-COVID, so that was good.

She was right up there in front on Christmas Eve.

It was really -- the church is really architecturally something that's a real star in Cincinnati.

People, as you say, you have a lot of people who just drop in to see it.

ANDERSON: We do.

KELLAR: And they are probably very surprised when they see what it looks like.

ANDERSON: Sundays we will often have between maybe 7 to even 15 or more visitors.

And many of them, just because the doors are open on Elm Street, they'll pop in.

"I haven't been to church for a long time."

And sometimes they stay for the whole service.

Sometimes they don't.

Others are used to going to church and they're here to see Creation Museum or here to see the museums.

And they say, "We looked up in our hotel register where to go to church and it's only a block away."

KELLAR: Well, lots of churches just open the doors, especially during service when there's music.

In New York, you can wander in, and in Europe, all over Europe, all the churches are always open for anybody to walk in, and that's the way it should be.

ANDERSON: Thank you for saying that.

We've just begun to open the doors on Sunday in the last year.

KELLAR: Oh, you should, so people can hear the music.

ANDERSON: And people will come in and they'll hear the music.

And one week several people came because the organ concert was going on in the afternoon and they heard the organ.

"I haven't heard church organ for a long time."

So they would pop in.

They sat down and enjoy the music.

KELLAR: Yeah.

You've been doing this festival for four years?

UNGAR: This is our fourth year.

KELLAR: What did you do during -- you did it during COVID UNGAR: So, in 2020, it was in March when we were doing it and it was early March.

It was a pretty unforgettable time that we were able to do this and we had an audience and we had my students involved.

The very next week was when COVID was really -- KELLAR: The 19th.

UNGAR: I think that was '20 because last year we were able to do 2021 last year.

We were able to do it in person as well last year.

It's a vast space that people were able to come in person and have appropriate distance and mask wearing as necessary.

KELLAR: But it's coming up in February.

KELLAR: Do people have to be masked to come?

Is that going to be?

ANDERSON: Right now we have some of our people mask, some don't.

And so for a long time, for that beginning period, it was we had every other pew.

We had spots marked where you could sit and where you couldn't and everybody was masked.

As things lightened up, people took it on their own, they preferred to be a mask or not.

So that's kind of where we are right now.

KELLAR: You're not going to restrict the number of people or anything like that?

ANDERSON: That's not the plan at the moment.

KELLAR: Okay, all right, yeah.

Your job at CCM, you're head of the organ program.

How many students are there in organ?

UNGAR: We have right now a really wonderful community of about four full time majors, a few who are part time who are just in the finishing stages of their degree program.

I also teach harpsichord.

We have three harpsichord majors right now.

Again, other students who take organ or harpsichord, who are maybe piano majors or conducting majors, other kind of fields within CCM.

KELLAR: That sounds like a wonderful opportunity to come and hear the organs and to see the architecture of your church.

And February 27?

UNGAR: February 27 is the public program.

KELLAR: At 4:00.

UNGAR: 4:00, yeah.

KELLAR: And we hope our viewers will be your visitors.

So thank you so much for coming.

It was really interesting and I hope I can be there.

UNGAR: Wonderful.

KELLAR: Thanks very, very much.

UNGAR: Thank you.

ANDERSON: Thank you, Barbara.

[piano music] Captions: Maverick Captioning CIN OH maverickcaptioning.com