Organ Works by George Elbridge Whiting (Massachusetts, 1840-1923)
21 videos • 465 views • by Theodore Mikell Guerrant George Whiting was an important organist, teacher and composer in and around Boston, U.S.A. during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. In 1858 (at only age 18) he succeeded Dudley Buck as organist of the North Congregational Church in Boston. He studied organ in New York and with W.T. Best at the Liverpool Cathedral, composition in Berlin, and at various times headed the organ departments at the Boston, Cincinnati and New England Conservatories. He is listed in both Baker's and Grove's as well as in the Corliss Richard Arnold, John Henderson and W. B. Henshaw organ literature books, and mentioned in "A Short History of Keyboard Music" by F.E. Kirby who writes that he was "possibly the leading American organ composer of the time." A feature article by Andrew Unsworth appears in the March 2002 issue of "The American Organist." "First Six Months on the Organ" first appeared in 1870 (available on IMSLP) and was revised and republished in 1906 by Oliver Ditson (and again copyrighted in 1934 after the composer's death). Whiting loved the organ and imagined individual voices emanating from the pipes themselves. His organ music is charming, melodically tuneful, harmonically pleasing, and well crafted. His detailed pedagogical works teach many important organ techniques and are well worth using with students coming to the organ from a solid piano background looking for attractive pieces that are satisfying to play and enjoyable to hear.