It appears to me that the world is more interested in baseball players than organists because if you search Google for “David Dahl” you’re going to get the baseball player of the same name. That seems unfair because our David Dahl has had claim on that name for longer, and should get first billing, but he doesn’t. However, if you put in the web address https://daviddahl.us you will find a familiar face greeting you and ready to share a lot of information–and without a baseball hat.
With the help of several Tacoma AGO members and friends, David has spent several months recalling stories, finding pictures, and assembling lists and copies of publications and recordings. None of the lists is complete yet, and we will continue to add to them as David finds more resources. Nevertheless it is ready to be unveiled.
Many of the recordings and publications are copyrighted and cannot be provided on the website, but most of them have links to publishers where they can be purchased. However, David holds the copyright on quite a few recitals and anthems and he has chosen to make his audio recordings available for anybody to stream. David is also granting a license to churches and non-profit choirs to duplicate and perform any of the choral and organ music that is not commercially copyrighted.
If you have time for only one recital right now, I suggest that you start with the dedication of the Gottfried and Mary Fuchs Organ at PLU. You will be amazed!
At an AGO board meeting this morning, David Dahl mentioned that the Tacoma Chapter hosted the regional convention in 1991. I thought it might be of interest for members to see the program, so it is reproduced below.
Pages 1-5 are the program
Page 6 is a confidential schedule
Pages 7 and 8 are the convention budget
Note that you can enlarge the document to view it in place, or you can click the download link to view it on your computer.
I have been able to arrange for a group discount code for AGO members for the Thursday, January 9, 2025 at 7:30pm and Saturday, January 11, 2025 at 8pm performances by the Seattle Symphony at Benaroya Hall featuring the Poulenc Organ Concerto with soloist Paul Jacobs. The program also includes Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and Poulenc’s Suite from Les biches.
Our local AGO chapter members may purchase tickets online and receive a 15% discount; ticket fees are waived as well, so that we save about 30%. To purchase tickets using the promo code, go to the Seattle Symphony website and navigate to the performance for which you wish to purchase tickets. Before selecting seats, enter the promo code in the box at the top right corner of the page and click apply. All ticket pricing will adjust automatically and seats can then be selected.
Because we cannot publicly publish the promo code, it is being made available to members in a separate announcement. To see it, log into the Tacoma AGO website and look for the announcement in the leftmost menu column.
A century ago, it is very likely that a beginning organ student would have studied J. S. Bach’s Eight Little Preludes and Fugues. After all, they were probably written as instructional pieces. It is also likely that the teacher would have taught the student to play legato using these pieces–leaving no space between notes in the manuals nor the pedal and producing as smooth a sound as possible. But there is something wrong with this picture–several things, in fact. First, the pieces were almost certainly not written by J. S. Bach. Musicology research favors one of his students or sons. Second, while the ultra-legato might have been appropriate for the dismal organs being built at the time, both were to undergo dramatic transformations in the near future. Tacoma AGO member David Dahl was at the forefront of the revolution, both in performance practice and organ building.
Presenter David Dahl consulting his score
On Saturday morning, October 26, 2024, David Dahl shared his wisdom and experience with the Tacoma Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) gathered at Christ Episcopal Church for a program entitled “Dancing with the Toes.” The workshop explored the artistry of pedal technique and historical interpretation, with organist Paul Tegels demonstrating musical examples on the church’s exquisite John Brombaugh organ.
Paul Tegels plays from the Eight Little Preludes and Fugues
An Organ Renaissance
David opines that all music is either song or dance, and points out that the trend toward one or the other has shifted over the ages, from the songs of the Renaissance to the dances of the Baroque and then to the Romantic period of song. During the 1960s and 1970s, both organ building and performance practice evolved. Organs began to return to the glory of the eighteenth century, with sensitive mechanical action, flexible wind, cases, flat pedalboards, and unequal temperament. In step, performance practice also evolved, bringing new life to music that had suffered so long on electropneumatic organs with distant pipes in chambers connected only by electrical cables.
Enunciated Legato
David describes the result as “enunciated legato,” a style of playing in which one note is fully released before the next one sounds. A novice can get the feel of it by playing a scale with one finger, as Paul Tegels demonstrated. Likewise, in pieces that are dance-like in character, pedal notes should be fully released before the next one sounds. By playing with toes only, the organist can experience a feeling of dancing, and is able to match articulation to the pattern of strong and weak beats in the music.
Pedal Choreography and the “Enunciated Legato” Technique
Using the Eight Little Preludes and Fugues, Dahl emphasized that in order to bring these pieces to life, it is necessary to master the “enunciated legato” technique. This involves creating a slight separation between notes, resulting in a sound that is fluid yet distinct—resembling a strand of pearls knotted with precision. This approach not only brings out the clarity of each note but also enhances the dance-like quality of the music.
To illustrate these concepts, Tegels performed selected passages, his skillful pedal work perfectly embodying the “dancing toes” technique. The demonstration on Christ Episcopal’s Brombaugh organ—a prized instrument known for its craftsmanship and historical accuracy—allowed attendees to fully appreciate the nuances of Dahl’s insights.
The audience listens intently
About the Presenters
David Dahl, a widely respected figure in the organist community, is celebrated for his contributions to the American organ tradition as a player, composer and educator. His commitment to historical performance practices has inspired countless organists to approach the organ with a fresh perspective. Paul Tegels, a highly skilled organist and also a retired Professor of Music at Pacific Lutheran University, is known for his expressive interpretations and deep knowledge of Baroque and classical organ repertoire.
