Jan Kraybill, organ: Feats for the Feet

During the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the dedication of the Rosales organ at St. James Cathedral, Seattle, we feature the organ throughout the 2025-2026 concert season.

"Feats for the Feet" opens with a piece for feet, "Pedal exertitium" (BWV 598) originally attributed to J. S. Bach but now believed to have been composed by his son, Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach. Next is Johann Sebastian Bach's Prelude and Fugue in D Major, BWV 532, which opens with a big D major scale played by the feet. The rest of the program keeps the feet dancing in various ways – by playing melodies, manipulating controls for dynamics, and other techniques. The concert closes with a real "feat," Leo Sowerby's "Pageant," which features the feet in amazing and virtuosic ways. Other composers on the program include Gustav Holst, Edward Elgar, and Charles Stanford. There are also pieces by contemporary composers, including Libby Larsen, Rachel Laurin, and Kansas City composer Geoffrey Wilcken.