Sam Balden, RCCO Regional Director for British Columbia, writes:
Vancouver RCCO executive member Michael Molnar recently participated in the “O World Project”, and his original performance, recorded at Ryerson United Church, can be found at YouTube.
Being more than a little intrigued by this performance, I asked Michael for his commentary on how this all came about. Here’s what he had to say:
“How does one act as an ambassador for the organ? This thought came to the forefront when I was approached to participate in a creative artistic endeavor. The concept of the “O World Project” was simple and intriguing. Gather together dozens of different musicians from different genres to separately arrange a single piece of music. There will be bagpipes, pan flutes, rock bands, an orchestra, pop musicians, flamenco, and many others…including a pipe organist, all doing their own arrangement. A whole world of difference, all put into a cohesive single project. So, what do I do to be a worthy ambassador for the organ? There’s hundreds of years of history and development, an incredible range of colour and depth. How can that be honoured? What is iconic, definitive, uniquely representative?
From Buxtehude to Rheinberger, Couperin to Durufle, there is such a wealth that is all too easy to take for granted. Have you ever wondered what you would show if you had a single chance to offer one piece to someone who’s never really heard the organ before? First impressions can make a huge impact, especially now that so few Canadians attend Churches with serious, high quality, live organ music. Despite modern trends, investing effort into the organ is not a reckless or senseless endeavor. Although it can seem like a poker game where the stakes are too high and the cards don’t look promising, we have much more control over which cards we play. Unlike people who try their luck in the Casino, we can choose to give ourselves better cards, and bet aggressively. We can put our best foot forward if we only have the courage to do so, and that is very encouraging. I had an opportunity to leave an impression with this project, putting my best (and only) feet forward. I could have been lazy and done a hopelessly bland arrangement, but I chose not to. I was asked to keep the melody, speed, key, and overall form of the piece the same. Then to my surprise, I was given the original and discovered that the five-minute piece had really only two chords, with a melody line staying mostly on a single repeated note, in a curious B-Major/Mixolydian hybrid. A fascinating challenge, indeed. Some decisions were very easy to make nevertheless. To showcase colours and range, there would need to be shimmering soft points, highlighted solo stops, and at least a little bombastic flare. To showcase depth, there would need to be different styles captured within the single arrangement. To honour history, it would need to be given a richer harmonic vocabulary. To appeal to a wider audience, it would need to have a certain degree of accessibility. It suddenly became apparent that the organ is itself a miniature of the project: a whole world of difference, all needing to be put into a single cohesive arrangement. It is a world of different sounds, put into a single cohesive musical instrument. All organists, whether they wish it or not, are ambassadors for their instrument. Being an ambassador of any kind means striving for balance, authority, and vigilance. Balance is needed to avoid being too passive or too over-bearing, too cautious or too reckless. Authority is needed because knowledge, passion, and skill are essential to be an effective spokesperson. Vigilance is needed to avoid complacency. This translates to the organ simply. On a dull low-Sunday morning lost in the middle of Ordinary Time, who knows what lone visitor may be attending in the congregation and what impact might be had from your playing. Who knows what gems can be found when perusing sales of organ music. If your building is not especially sound-proof, you might be surprised who is influenced when simply walking by (while you are practicing). I could tell a few tales, and I’m certainly not the only organist who can. In this “O World Project”, I sought to display just a little taste of what the organ has to offer. If I showed a love for the instrument, I hope it can be seen as a love that is not restricted to a doughty few, but open to all. It was a fun challenge, and provided a great opportunity to ponder what it means to represent your instrument. In everything a person says and does, they are ambassadors for who they are and what they believe. That knowledge can cause fear and hesitation, or it can inspire and humble. What message do you send to those who speak to you or hear you play?”
Michael Molnar holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of British Columbia’s Music School, and has also earned an independent school teaching certificate. He currently serves as the organist at St. Helen’s Anglican Church in Vancouver and as the accompanist for Vancouver Voices. In addition to his work as a performer, Michael has composed over a dozen works (mostly for organ, choir, and/or orchestral instruments), with a marked emphasis on tonal and modal harmonies. He also sings with the sacred choral group MOTET, and can occasionally be found performing on the flute or saxophone. He is distinguished as an interdisciplinary writer, interested primarily in the intersections of science, philosophy, and theology. His largest treatise is currently under peer-review in preparation for publication.
Amidst these diverse interests, he continues to seek and pursue a well-rounded life and education. He is a member of Horse Council BC, currently working on an apprenticeship at a Stables in Richmond. He can easily be found several times a week training in a hall for historical fencing and archery. These pastimes undoubtedly stand him in good stead for his duties as an executive member of the Vancouver Centre of the RCCO.