Organist Laurence Carson plays Bach & Hakim at Old West

Laurence Carson is the featured soloist in this week's recital on the C.B. Fisk Organ at Old West Church. He will be joined by organists Leo Abbott, Lois Regestein and Heinrich Christensen.

Carson is Parish Music Director and Organist at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Wellesley, a position he has held since 1996.  In 2008 the church  installed Casavant Opus 1531, a pipe organ originally built in 1936 for Sacred Heart Parish in Lawrence, MA.  Tonight he will play Naji Hakim’s Four Chorals which he commissioned in memory of Anne Leahy.

After Anne’s untimely death in October 2007 in Dublin, Carson asked their friend Naji Hakim to compose pieces based on J.S. Bach’s Leipzig chorales since they were the focus of her doctoral dissertation, “ J.S. Bach’s Leipzig Chorale Preludes” by Anne Leahy, published by The Scarecrow Press, 2011.

This evening’s program includes Boston-based friends of Anne’s playing Bach’s own settings of the Leipzig chorales alternating with Hakim’s versions played by Mr. Carson.

Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott        
Leo Abbott performs the setting by J.S. Bach
Laurence Carson performs the setting by Naji Hakim

An Wasserflussen Babylon     
Lois Regestein performs the setting by J.S. Bach
Laurence Carson performs the setting by Naji Hakim 

Schmucke dich, o liebe Seele    
Laurence Carson performs setting by J.S. Bach & Naji Hakim

Allein Gott in der Hoh sei Her’         
Heinrich Christensen performs the setting by J.S. Bach
Laurence Carson performs the setting by Naji Hakim