Description
Carillonneur
John Widmann – Frederick, Md.
Program
| TITLE | COMPOSER | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hymn for this weekend: “Webb” | George Webb (1803-87); arr. Richard Giszczak (1948-) |
| 2 | Prelude in D-minor “Unwritten” | Jef Denyn (1862-1941) |
| 3 | Original Carillon Compositions “Dream for Carillon” “Toccata Festivole” “Fantasy on Ave Maris Stella” |
Naoto Ohmasa (1954-) John Courter (2010-) John Widmann (1963-) |
| 4 | For Ukraine: “Marigolds” Ukrainian folk song Ukraine National Anthem |
arr. Iryna Riabchun Mykhailo Verbytsky (1815-70); Iryna Riabchun |
| 5 | European transcriptions: Aria, op. 51, for organ Après un Rêve, Opus 7, No. 1 Preludium (oorspr. g-klein) |
Flor Peeters (1903-86); arr. Widmann Gabriël Fauré (1845-1924); arr. Midori Conneman Matthias vanden Gheyn (1721-85); arr. Koen van Assche (1967-) |
| 6 | Popular tunes: “Make You Feel My Love” “Riders on the Storm” “She’s Always a Woman to Me” |
Bob Dylan (1941-); arr. van Assche The Doors; arr. John Widmann (1963-) Billy Joel (1949-); arr. Luc Rombouts (1962-) |
| 7 | “Ballade” | Jef Rottiers (1904-85) |
| 8 | “The Star-Spangled Banner” | Francis Scott Key; arr. Gordon Slater |
About the Carillonneur
John Widmann, city carillonneur for Frederick, Md., plays recitals year-round every Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on the Joseph Dill Baker Carillon in Baker Park. He has held that position for 32 years. Widmann graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and completed a Master of Music from Towson University in 2011. He earned his diploma, “met Onderscheding” (cum laude) at the Royal Carillon School “Jef Denyn” in Mechelen, Belgium (2021-22). He retired two years ago from Frederick County Public Schools where he was a general/vocal music teacher. He also is the organist and choirmaster at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Potomac, Md. Widmann became a carillonneur member of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America in 1996 and is a former member of the national board for that organization. He maintains an active concert schedule, plays frequently throughout the United States and also gives recitals in Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, England, Canada and the Netherlands Antilles. He lives in Frederick with his wife and, sometimes, their two grown children.