Organ: James E Bobb
Rec: 4/25/15 assisted by Laina Bennett
Boe Chapel, St. Olaf College

"Light Within" is a short concert work for organ written during the Fall of 2014 in Northfield, MN. The piece is effectively an advanced level organ work, as well as the original sketches for a band piece, which will have its premiere performance in Dec. of 2015. The piece explores the ideas of transcendence and unification, and functionally can be used as a prelude to a church service without stepping over explicit theological bounds, but can also be used in secular contexts. The piece is an homage to the great transcendent force which unites all people through the miracle of life. It is effectively a love song.

Specific thanks goes to Prof. Jamie Bobb for being an unequivocal champion of the piece, giving several performances around the upper Midwest.

Light Within (for organ)

"Composers of St. Olaf College"

Musika Nova: New Music Society of St. Olaf College

1500 St. Olaf Ave.
Northfield, MN 55057

Musika Nova is a St. Olaf College student organization created for the purpose of sharing new and experimental music in our community. Composers, performers, and fans of new music are all welcome to join. In addition to working with guest artists, the group meets weekly for discussion and sharing of new works, and holds several recitals, concerts, and get-togethers throughout the year.

We aspire to foster a healthy community of self-motivated artists within the St. Olaf community. We work in a way that tries to fill in the gaps at St. Olaf for composers, musicians, and other unique sound artists. We hope to present innovative, engaging, and creative works in ways that allow for inclusivity and broad appeal.

President: Jack Langdon
Vice-President: Adam Lee Sanders
Secretary: Haley Olson
Treasurer: Nathan Crowe

Jack Langdon (b. 1994, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians) is an experimental composer, filmmaker, and writer. His work investigates incompleteness, indifference, mimesis, stagnation, and material brevity. He is currently devising systematic approaches to non-harmony.

As a performer, his mediums are the pipe organ and the Ojibwe wooden flute (bibigwan). The subjects of his films are the landscape, the built environment, memory, and the transmission of these things through people. His writings investigate philosophy of music and political economy of contemporary cultural production.

Jack has written works for ensembles Yarn/Wire, Schallfeld Ensemble, Fonema Consort, Ensemble Dal Niente, Talea Ensemble, Prague Quiet Music Collective, Southland Ensemble, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, and Trio SÆITENWIND. His orchestral works have been performed by the Minnesota Sinfonia and St. Olaf Orchestra. He has created work together with musicians Jeff Kimmel, Olivia Shortt, Anthony Vine, Webb Crawford, Taylor Ho Bynum, Kelley Sheehan, and Weston Olencki. His work has been supported and presented by the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, Darmstädter Ferienkurse, the Fromm Foundation, The Awesome Foundation, and the Prague City Gallery.

His recordings have been released by IMPREC, Sawyer Editions, Dinzu Artefacts, and Lobby Art Records. His written work has been published by Sound American, Cacophony, and Shred Magazine. He runs an independent record label and music journal called Empty Stage and runs a blog called Challenging Music.

He is a PhD student in Composition and Music Technology at Northwestern University. He holds degrees from Dartmouth College and Saint Olaf College. He was a Graduate Fellow at the Alice Kaplan Center for the Public Humanities in 2024 and 2025. 

Jack grew up in the unincorporated community of Keyeser, Wisconsin. He is an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.