Canadian Suite Celebrations

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Canadian Suite Celebrations (pun intended) pays tribute to the musical creations of three outstanding Canadian composers; to a world-class concert hall in Edmonton, Alberta, with a magnificent Canadian-built pipe organ; to a community of musicians and music lovers at the Royal Canadian College of Organists; and to our own – Duo Majoya’s – lifelong passion and adventures making music together.

We stumbled on the unlikely marriage of piano and organ and fell hopelessly in love with the musical possibilities: the kaleidoscope of orchestral colours that flowed from the combination of instruments, such as the piano as percussion and the organ’s sustaining sounds – as well as the reverse! Excited by the possibilities, we began commissioning and arranging works for organ and piano. The idea was initially met with scepticism from composers, pianists, and organists alike, but we now take delight in its acceptance and the increasing number of organ/piano teams around the world, many of whom perform works originally composed for us.

With this CD, we gratefully honour and celebrate the visionaries past and present who created and continue to oversee the Winspear Centre for Music, and its Davis Concert Organ built by Orgues Létourneau. As a member of the organ selection committee, Marnie was connected to the “mighty Davis” from its humble beginnings as a “hope and a prayer” through its completion. All thanks to the generous philanthropy of the late Professor Emeritus Dr. Stuart Davis (University of Alberta, Chemistry), funding support continues for the use and maintenance of the organ through the Davis Trust.

As Edmonton-based Canadian musicians, we work in multifaceted communities, one of which is the Royal Canadian College of Organists. Both locally and nationally, we have served individually as (volunteer) leaders, administrators, teachers, and performing artists. The Royal Canadian College of Organists and its counterpart, the American Guild of Organists, helped us cultivate the development and success of our organ and piano teamwork through performances at concerts and international festivals. All commissioned works on this CD resulted from collaborations with the Royal Canadian College of Organists and had premiere performances at their events.

– Marnie Giesbrecht & Joachim Segger

Denis Bédard
1. Capriccio pour orgue et piano (2007) – [5:18]

Denis Bédard – Duet Suite for Organ and Piano (1999)
2. I and II. Introduction and Fughetta – [3:44]
3. III. Minuetto – [3:15]
4. IV. Romance – [2:04]
5. V. Final – [3:27]

Ruth Watson Henderson – Suite for Piano and Organ (2011)
6. I. Prelude – [3:13]
7. II. Interlude – [1:06]
8. III. Romance – [2:23]
9. IV. Dance – [3:04]

Denis Bédard – Grande Suite pour orgue et piano (2016)
10. I. Ouverture – [5:06]
11. II. Évocation (les prairies canadiennes) – [5:25]
12. III. Ritournelle – [4:34]
13. IV. Dialogue – [3:46]
14. V. Intermezzo – [2:10]
15. VI. Menuet – [1:26]
16. VII. Marche – [4:24]

Jacobus Kloppers
17. The Last Rose of Summer – Reminiscences in Autumn for Piano and Organ (2011) – [7:44]

Total time: [62:09]