Exordium: Organ Music Erik Simmons

• Carson Cooman (b. 1982):
• 1Exordium05:25
• 2Romanza03:49
• 3Little Partita on a Polish Carol05:21
• 4Cortège04:45
• 5Sketch No. 101:42
• 6Refrains08:01
• 7A Czech Liturgical Year: I. Advent. Gaudeamus partier02:38
• 8A Czech Liturgical Year: II. Christmas. Narodil se Kristus Pán01:39
• 9A Czech Liturgical Year: III. Lent. Matka pláče02:45
• 10A Czech Liturgical Year: IV. Easter. Aleluja! Živ bud’ nad smrtí02:06
• 11A Czech Liturgical Year: V. Ordinary Time. Tisáckrát pozdravujeme tebe01:53
• 12Gregorian Diptych: I. Invocation. Adoro te devote04:31
• 13Gregorian Diptych: II. Fantasy. Da pacem Domine04:15
• 14Canto quieto04:40
• 15Pastorale (E.M.M.)03:26
• 16Rondino for St. Joseph02:30
• 172 Petits préludes: No. 1, Prélude phrygien03:29
• 182 Petits préludes: No. 2, Prélude jovial02:45
• 193 Hymn Fantasies (O Come): No. 1, Nettleton "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing"03:33
• 203 Hymn Fantasies (O Come): No. 2, Veni Emmanuel "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"04:01
• 213 Hymn Fantasies (O Come): No. 3, Veni Creator Spiritus "Come, Creator Spirit"03:59
• Total Runtime01:17:13

Info for Exordium: Organ Music

The fifth volume in the continuing series featuring Carson Cooman's wonderful organ music, which has been highly praised by the critics for its originality and variety.

Here a selection of more liturgically-based music finds our series organist Erik Simmons with the resonant sounds of the Cavaillé-Coll instrument of 1855 in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Saint-Omer, France recorded by the Hauptwerk system.

Exordium (2016) was commissioned by organist Edward Landin, to whom it is dedicated. Grand, invocatory music opens the piece and returns throughout, alternating with urgent, incantantory passages.

Erik Simmons, organ

Erik Simmons
started playing the organ at age 10 when he was a chorister at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Glendale, California. His primary organ teacher was Richard Slater. Erik has furthered his studies by working with Lanny Collins, Barbara Baird, and Lee Garrett, and through master classes with various clinicians, including Harald Vogel.

Erik works at Intel Corporation, where he is involved in new product development and coaches teams in systems and engineering, Agile & Lean product development, and related areas. Erik holds a BA in applied mathematics and MS in mathematical modeling from Humboldt State University. As an organist, he has recorded several CDs of music, including “Magnifique: Selections for a French Organ,” “Nous Dites Marie: A French Romantic Christmas,” “Reflection and Praise,” and several CDs of the music of American composer Carson Cooman.

Booklet for Exordium: Organ Music