In-Depth

Northrop is excited to showcase its newly restored pipe organ yet again on Tue, Dec. 4. The performance by Nathan Laube marks Northrop’s first solo recital on the organ, and will expose the instrument’s virtuous sound in detail. While the organ has been featured already this season in a celebratory concert with the Minnesota Orchestra on Oct 12-13 and the Lest We Forget World War I Armistice Centenary Concert on Nov 11, this recital will include a variety of classic solo organ repertoire and the world premiere of composer Henry Martin’s Preludes & Fugues for organ Nos. 21 and 22.

A frequent performer, Assistant Professor of Organ at the Eastman School of Music, and an International Consultant in Organ Studies at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Nathan Laube’s career endeavors include an extensive list of performances at major venues, conferences, festivals, and involvement in education and summer camps spanning four continents. Twin Cities organ enthusiasts might recall Laube from his memorable 2017 Basilica of St. Mary performance in Minneapolis as part of the National Convention of the Organ Historical Society. Laube often teaches masterclasses and workshops in connection to his concerts, and many of his live performances have been featured on American Public Media’s Pipedreams.

Described as “that of someone who knows and loves jazz to its bones (not discounting its flesh)” (Paul Griffiths, The New York Times), composer Henry Martin is dedicated to works combining jazz, popular music, and classical forms. After listening to Martin’s earlier set of Preludes & Fugues for piano, Minnesota Public Radio’s Pipedreams host Michael Barone engaged Martin in a long-term project beginning in 2007 to explore the potential of his works for organ repertoire. Those featured on this program are the newest additions to the project.

See the three-panel exhibit in Northrop on Nov 11

In honor of Lest We Forget World War I Armistice Centenary Concert on Nov 11, Northrop will showcase the World War I America mural by Minnesota artist David Geister. Modeled after the French painting Pantheon de la Guerre, the mural is separated into three 8-foot-by-10-foot panels recognizing 100 well-known key individuals who influenced post-war America. An oil-on-canvas triptych, the mural was originally commissioned by the Minnesota Historical Society for their World War 1 America exhibit in 2017 and has since remained in the library of the Minnesota Military Museum at Camp Ripley.

World War 1 America is separated into three main influence areas: The War, the Political Front, and the Home Front. In “The War” panel, viewers see a wide array of soldiers, nurses, philanthropists, and military advisors connected to war and military efforts, including pilot Amelia Earhart, the “Martin Luther King, Jr. of Jazz” James Reese Europe, author Ernest Hemingway, entrepreneur Walt Disney, among others. The “Political Front” features individuals connected to politics and social issues such as activists Dorothy Day and Emma Goldman, past presidents Woodrow Wilson and Teddy Roosevelt, composer Irving Berlin, and the famous Charlie Chaplin. Lastly, on the “Home Front” are entertainers, musicians, journalists, artists, architects and activists such as Ida B. Wells, Georgia O’Keeffe, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Bessie Smith. And that is just to name a few -- 100 Americans make up the entirety of the mural.

Though created by Geister, the World War 1 America mural was a collaborative process. The featured personalities were chosen by MNHS staff, historians, and the public through a voting system offered by MNHS. Throughout the year-long process of the mural’s creation, Geister provided free, interactive viewings of his progress, where more than 200 museum visitors could directly contribute to the work by adding brush strokes to boots and landscape rocks.

The World War 1 America mural will be on display in Northrop’s atrium starting at 1:00 pm in Northrop’s Atrium. Staff will be on hand to discuss the piece. Make sure to check it out before and after the Lest We Forget concert at 4:00 pm.

Learn more about David Geister.