Matthew Walsh

Lunchtime Organ Recital

June 25, 2008

Carillon Herbert Murrill, 1909-1952
Praeludium in G, BWV 568 Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750
Intermezzo C.V. Stanford, 1852-1924
Rondo in G John Bull, 1562-1628


Matthew Walsh is currently serving as Organist at Memorial Presbyterian Church, in Appleton.  Prior to serving there he was the musician for Lord of the Lakes Church (ELCA) in Winneconne, where he was the pianist, and choir director.  Matthew started his music degree at Luther College in Iowa, where he studied organ with William Kuhlman and sang in choirs under the direction of Dr. Tim Peter.  He transferred to U.W. Oshkosh in 2004 and continued his studies in music with Dr. Carl Chapman and voice teacher Frank Hoffmeister.  Matthew plays piano for the University Titan Chorale, and sings in the Chamber Choir.  He also appears frequently in the University Opera programs as a tenor.  Matthew also sang with the Oshkosh Chamber Singers, an auditioned choir from the Oshkosh Community directed by Dr. Chapman, and has played Harmonium for their performance of Rossini's "Petite Messe Solennelle."  He will be finishing his degree from the University in the Spring of 2009.  


We thank Holy Cross Church and its Director Music Ministries: Kathryn Ann Weyenberg, for hosting this recital today.  Holy Cross was founded in 1869. Their first church was built in 1873  and they acquired their first pipe organ in 1884. The church was enlarged and bricked-in in 1897, but in 1913 the church and its organ were destroyed by fire.  The present church was built in 1916, and the gathering space  was added in 2000.  The organ we hear today was built by the Wangerin Company of Milwaukee, and added not long after this church was built.  The organ may have come from another church or was greatly reconfigured here early on.  The case is in two sections and shows evidence that it once looked quite different.  It had 16 stops on two manuals which were warmly voiced in the romantic tradition.  In 1994 a second console was added near the front of the church.   In 2003, Kaukauna organ builder J. C. Taylor added several more stops and gave both consoles solid state relays and switching along with several other upgrades.  The two manual organ now has 22 stops on 25 ranks.  It was rededicated on Nov. 23rd, 2003 by Michael Burkhardt.