Our church's organ is suffering from a cipher or two.  "Ciphering" is "the sounding of an organ pipe without a key being depressed, due to mechanical fault or damage" (Oxford Music Online).  An organ technician is scheduled to address these issues soon, but here's a recording of the organ such as it is now.  Wait until you hear the 8' Trompete at the end.

Fun with an Organ Cipher

Organ prelude by Scott Gercken based on the corresponding chorale in "The Lutheran Hymnal" (1941), which is played first for reference.  Live performance from the Student Composers Recital in the Chapel of Our Lord, Concordia University Chicago on October 6, 2016.  The organist is Professor Jonathan Kohrs.  The organ is a 1980 W. A. Zimmer & Sons, Opus 258, IV/53.  Setting and recording Copyright © October 6, 2016, Scott Gercken.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Jesu Kriste, Pane Milý: Prelude on TESHINIENS

A setting of the Common Responsory ("For Other Times") specified on page 100 of The Lutheran Hymnal (1941).  TLH did not supply music, so I set it to an Anglican chant formula by John Blow found in TLH's 1912 predecessor, Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book (with Tunes).  This recording was made during Thanksgiving Day Matins on November 24, 2017 at St. Paul's Ev. Lutheran Church, Brookfield, Illinois, and features Scott Gercken (me) as first cantor and organist, the congregation of St. Paul's, and Rev. Kevin Koester as officiant and second cantor.

Common Responsory

There were only 8 people at the 7:30 p.m. Divine Service on Wednesday, February 12, 2020 at St. Paul's Ev. Lutheran Church in Brookfield, Illinois, but before they received the Sacrament of the Altar, they sang the Agnus Dei (Christe, du Lamm Gottes) in four-part harmony, unaccompanied.

illini.organist

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