Disparate musicians offer talents at summer outdoor organ concert series nearing silver anniversary

By Dave Fidlin | Reportero SDUN

From an early age, Carol Williams was enthralled with music—particularly organ music, which she dreamed of having an opportunity to play.

The British native is living out a life’s ambition through her role with the Spreckels Organ Society. In addition to serving as artistic director of the San Diego-based organization, in its 24th year of operation, Williams routinely plays organ music at venues throughout the city.

Williams is one of nearly a dozen organists performing this summer in Spreckels’ 2011 Summer International Organ Festival concerts, held Monday evenings in Balboa Park. She kicked off the 11-week season June 20 and also will have the distinct honor of closing out this year’s festival, which, like the parent organization, is a year shy of its silver anniversary.

“I began reading music before I even knew how to read,” said Williams, who is in her 10th year of performing at Spreckels’ summer festivals. “For me, playing the organ is just an incredible experience. There’s nothing else like it.”

David Arcus is another venerable organist who has a special affinity with the instrument. The Durham, N.C.-based musician is showcasing his talents Aug. 15 at the festival. It will be Arcus’ first time performing in Balboa Park and his second concert on the West coast.

“It will be interesting to perform in an outdoor setting,” said Arcus, a chapel organist at Duke University. “My work doesn’t really allow me to travel much because I am needed for long stretches of time. I stay pretty busy throughout the year, so this will be something new for me.”

Each organist brings something different to the stage throughout the summer festival. While she is performing twice this year, Williams vows her performances will not be mirror images of one another. The San Diego Civic organist was joined by musicians from disparate groups during her opening performance, “Celebration.” They included the House of Scotland Pipe Band, Finest City Brass Herald Trumpets and the choir of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Williams’ grand finale performance in late August will pay homage to great Hollywood musical numbers, featuring scores from a wide range of films—from such legendary pieces as “The Sound of Music” to more recent works, including “The King’s Speech.”

“We’ve got some great arrangements planned,” Williams said. “It’s going to be something really different.”

Arcus, who studied at Oberlin Conservatory and received graduate degrees from the Yale University
School of Music, said he plans to perform pieces from a variety of composers, including renowned organist Johann Sebastian Bach. Arcus also is planning to incorporate a few original pieces into his evening concert.

Since organ music is traditionally performed in church settings, weddings and more intimate indoor concert settings, Balboa Park is an unusual venue for an organ concert.

Regardless of the venue, Williams said she is grateful for an opportunity to perform before an audience, whether it be before an audience of 20 or 2,000—an average crowd size at one of the summer outdoor concerts at Balboa Park.

“For me, it doesn’t really matter because I’m so engrossed in my music,” Williams said. “But I will say this: When I turn around to speak, it really is phenomenal to look out into a crowd of that size. It just feeds your energy if you get good vibrations from the people listening to you.”

Arcus praises the City of San Diego for backing the Summer International Organ Festival concerts. The Department of Parks and Recreation and Spreckels Organ Society have been working in tandem for the past two-plus decades to ensure the concerts are free.

“We need the music, and we need the arts,” Arcus said. “Sometimes that can be a hard sell for politicians, especially these days, with budgeting issues. But I think it’s incredibly essential to society.”

In the weeks ahead, a few crowd-pleasers will be returning as the concert series begins to wind down. Organist Dennis James, for example, will mark his return to the outdoor festival series Aug. 22 with a silent movie night.

Spreckels will be showing the 1924 Paramount Films classic, “Peter Pan,” on the big screen while James plays accompanying music.

The Spreckels Organ Society was born out of a donation to the city. John D. and Adolf Spreckels, of the Spreckels sugar family, donated their instrument—considered the largest outdoor pipe organ in America.

Ron DeFields, president of the society’s board of trustees, said the organization and the free concerts have endured for more than two decades because of a dedicated, passionate group of volunteers and people pledging funds to keep the events returning each year.

“I’m retired, so for me this, is my give-back period; I look at it as a part of my civic work,” DeFields said. “I know for a lot of the other trustees, it’s a true labor of love to serve.”

DeFields said he also wants to dispel any myths about the quality of the concerts and the cost.

“Dedicated, generous people are covering all the costs so these concerts are available to anyone,” he said. “People should never feel that just because an event is of little or no cost, it isn’t worthwhile to go to. That would be very short-sighted.”

In addition to the summer concerts on Monday nights, Spreckels hosts Sunday concerts, at 2 p.m., with Williams and guest artists throughout the year. The organization also spearheads a variety of other events and initiatives.