Dr. James F. Mellichamp has performed organ concerts at some of the world’s most famous cathedrals, including Westminster Abbey, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, and the Berlin Cathedral. But, he says, the opportunity to play “The Grand Organ” at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London is definitely a grand addition to that list.
Mellichamp was the featured organist for a Sunday Organ Recital at the 300-year old cathedral on Sept. 3.
With its massive dome, the Anglican cathedral is one of the most recognizable buildings in the world. And the organ, one of three used by the church, is also famous among organists as much for its sound as for who has played the instrument -Handel and Mendelssohn to name just two. For the London concert, Mellichamp played works by Ernest Tomlinson, Gabriel Pierné, Joseph Bonnet, Craig Phillips, and Louis Vierne.
“The original organ at St. Paul’s Cathedral was built in 1697 and some of the pipework from that instrument is contained within the present organ,” Mellichamp said. “The organ was greatly enlarged in 1872 and on a number of successive occasions throughout the last century. It is one of the most important pipe organs in the world housed within a monumental building designed by the famous English architect, Sir Christopher Wren. There really are no words to describe the feelings I experienced when I sat down to rehearse in the evening inside that vast, darkened space and thought of the generations of important musicians who had been there before me.”
Mellichamp, who as president of Piedmont College also teaches organ classes, performed his first solo concert at Cornelia United Methodist Church as a high school senior in 1971. The Toccoa native has since performed all over the world over the past 46 years. He has served as an organ design consultant for more than 50 instruments, including the Sewell Organ in the Piedmont College Chapel. Organ music fans can catch his next concert at Piedmont, scheduled for 4 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018.
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