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Corbin Featured on Great Organs of Worcester

December, 2005 - When one thinks of Worcester, MA, the description of a “great organ town” does not immediately come to mind. Worcester, however, is full of these beautiful, powerful musical instruments, many of which are located in historic landmarks such as churches, colleges, concert halls, and museums. Through a newly released CD, organ music lovers across the world can enjoy the sounds of these magnificent local instruments.

The release of the CD, Great Organs of Worcester was the creative brainchild of Professor Frank Corbin, Assumption College Chapel Choir pianist and organist. Corbin, who also serves as the dean of the Worcester Chapter American Guild of Organists, wanted to revitalize interest in the American Guild of Organists. Last year, Corbin and the guild undertook a project to create a compilation of organ music. “I hoped that it would be a way to bring greater visibility to the profession by creating something that would be of interest not only to the members, but the general public as well,” remarked Corbin.

Great Organs of Worcester features sixteen of the city’s finest instruments in a two-disc compilation. The recording not only captures the sounds of the many different styles of instruments to which Worcester is home, it is also a wonderful record of the musical life of the community for the past 25 years. Corbin reflected on the initial stages of the project, “The initial phase was choosing which instruments to record and the performers to play them. This involved some political challenges but it went smoothly for the most part.” Locations that are represented on the CD include the Assumption College Chapel of the Holy Spirit, Mechanics Hall, Cathedral of St. Paul, College of the Hoy Cross, Worcester Memorial Auditorium, and various churches throughout the city.

Corbin also mentioned his gratitude to the Fuller Foundation, which quickly provided a $12,000 grant to the guild. In December 2004, he and chapter member Nancy Avila, co-authored a grant proposal to the George F. and Sybil H. Fuller Foundation. Three weeks later, the Chapter received a check fully funding the project. The sales of the CD benefit the Scholarship Fund of the Worcester Chapter AGO, which will assist people in taking private organ lessons. Corbin added, “Everything is getting reinvested in the future of the profession.”

The project immediately was underway with an anticipated release date of May, 2005. However, that deadline was extended due to performers being unable to complete their recordings., “Many of the churches go unheated in winter, except on Sundays, and in a few cases it was difficult to get the instruments in tune and in good working order,” said Corbin.

To purchase the CD, log on to www.cdbaby.com, www.worcesterago.org or visit Tatnuck Bookseller.