On this page, I've compiled some recordings of myself playing on various significant organs, many historic instruments in Germany, but not only that - there's lots of variety, and recently added, more recordings from the states as well.
And in case you are wondering, "does that Rhonda Edgington play anything but really old music?", yes I do, and those selections are marked with a + (for those who don't know their Tournemire from their Muffat).
We begin with some Olivier Messiaen, Joie et Clarte from his Les Corps Glorieux. This was recorded live at Loyola University in Chicago, on the Goulding and Wood organ (2008), during a concert as part of their Summer Celebrity Series, in 2013. +
The next piece, from the same concert (my jazz-inspired program, "It don't mean a thing..."), is Sweet Sixteenths: A Concert Rag, by American 20th century composer William Albright. +
In the fall of 2013 I played a recital on the fabulous Beckerath organ at St. Paul Cathedral in Pittsburgh. Two very different selections from that program-
Two movements form American 20th century composer Margaret Sandresky's Sacred Dances +
II. "I desire that in every place men should pray, lifting holy hands above"
III. "And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved by the wind."
Buxtehude's choral prelude on Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ
Here's another movement from Margaret Sandresky's Sacred Dances I performed on the exciting Taylor and Boody organ at Trinity Episcopal in Staunton, VA in 2012, after a Choral Evensong. +
V. "And David danced before the art of the Lord"
While living in Bremen, Germany, I played an all-American program at the Dom (Cathedral), on the large romantic Sauer organ.
Selections from that program - Charles Ives Variations on American +
and three movements from Calvin Hampton's Five Dances - a very cool piece! +
This is the small Silbermann organ in the Crypt in the Dom in Bremen. I am playing a Canzone by the Italian componser Salvatore.
This is the large romantic organ by Sauer in the Dom in Bremen. I am playing the second movement, Invocation, from Reger's second sonata. +
These recordings are all done on the Ahrend/Brunzema organ in the St. Martini Church in Bremen. My favorite practice instrument in Bremen, where I spent many happy hours playing (sometimes with my firstborn sleeping right next to be pedal towers!)
-first is the Variations on Esce Mars by Sweelinck
-next is the choral fantasy Was kann uns kommen an für Not by Tunder
-and finally, the Prelude and Fugue in G-minor by J.S.Bach, BWV 535
This is done at the Dom in Verden. I'm playing Durufle's Scherzo - that's French romantic music on a German romantic organ, but it works well enough (and I never lived in France, so it's the best I could do!). This was recorded by Matthias Nordhorn, recording engineer at the Hochschule für Künste in Bremen, Germany. +
Now, these are recorded on the Schnitger organ in Weener's St. Georg Church (thanks to Dale Carr for these recordings from my recital in January of 2008!)
-the choral fantasy on Nun lasst uns by Lübeck
-and the Motette Colorierung on Verbum caro factum est by Scheidemann
And if you're nerdy, you can compare that performance to this one, recorded live in concert a couple years later, on the famous Arp Schnitger organ in Hamburg's St. Jacobi
This is a Toccata by Muffat on the Silbermann organ at the Dom in Freiberg (thanks to Mike Irvine, for making the recordings of our AGO spring organ tour to Dresden in 2009!)
Here we have the Variations by Scheidt on Soll es sein, recorded in the Oude Kerk in Amsterdamm on the small organ there, by Ahrend, when I was playing in the final round of the second international Sweelinck organ competition.
This is the Praeludium in d-minor by Buxtehude, played on the Schnitger organ at Hamburg's St. Jacobi church, performed during one of the exams I played to complete my diploma in organ performance at the University of the Arts/ Hochschule für Künste in Bremen.
I played a recital at an AGO Regional convention, on the Taylor and Boody Op. 19 in York Springs, PA. From that concert, Bach's not-nearly-enough-played Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 535
I was asked to play the dedication of the Wahl organ at Chicago's Augustana Lutheran Church. From that concert, Leo Sowerby's Chorale Prelude on the hymn tune Picardy. +
From a concert I played in Sept of 2008, on the Martin Pasi organ of St. Paul and the Redeemer Episcopal Church in Chicago's Hyde Park, for the AGO International Year of the Organ. Bach's newly discovered chorale fantasy on "Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns haelt"
From my concert in July of 2009 for the Organ Historical Society's National Convention, in Cleveland, Ohio. The chorale prelude by Sigfrid Karg-Elert on "Aus tiefer Not". +
And finally, the Casavant organ in Oak Park, Illinois, where I was organist for five years, at the First United Church of Oak Park. This is Tournemire's Improvisation on Victamae paschali. +