4 Hands and 4 Feet Multiply the Musical Possibilities

The idea of a recital composed almost entirely of duo organ works might at first seem fairly limiting. But organists Raymond and Elizabeth Chenault, who will play at the Crystal Cathedral today, are enthusiastic about the color possibilities that four hands--and four feet--can achieve.

“We’re pretty unique in the organ world,” Ray said during an interview this week at the Garden Grove church. “Since organists, like pianists, are more used to being soloists, performing as an equal partner adds another dimension: You have to listen; you have to be a soloist sometimes, and you have to take a secondary role sometimes.”

And, added Beth, you must “learn to drive the car from the right side.”

The analogy of trying to lean over to drive a car from the opposite side illustrates one of the challenges of sharing the organ bench, for hands and feet must be angled to one side or the other. And, of course, each player must think about where the other person’s hands are. “And you hope,” Ray said, “there isn’t a midair collision.”

Collisions are few for this husband-and-wife team, who have been playing duo organ literature for more than a decade and who now perform an average of 20 recitals a year.

After their graduate study at the University of Cincinnati and a year in Washington, where Ray was a Fellow in Church Music and studied with noted organist Paul Callaway at Washington Cathedral, they moved to Atlanta in 1975 to accept positions at All Saints Episcopal Church, where they now play organ and direct the music program. It was then that the two began searching for music for organ duo. They discovered, they said, that there were not many published pieces and that what there was was not very good.

Then in 1978, organist-composer Arthur Wills played a concert at All Saints. The Chenaults were attracted by Wills’ compositional style and decided to ask him to write a work for them. The result was “Toccata for Two,” one of six works on Friday’s program commissioned by the Chenaults.

“Once we started the ball rolling,” Ray said, “it’s been moving ever since.”

They have solicited works from a number of notable composers, including John Rutter, whose “Variations on an Easter Theme” opens this week’s recital. In fact, most of their programs are composed entirely of music they have commissioned. (Tonight, however, each will offer a short work from the conventional solo organ repertory.)

To ensure that their recitals have sufficient variety, they have been fairly specific in requesting works from composers. “We don’t want 15 fanfares or 10 toccatas,” Ray said. “We like some scherzos or soft, melodic duets--things that will contrast.”

The simple lyrical style of Rutter’s piece, for example, differs markedly from Wills’ “Toccata,” the work “most challenging to play,” according to Beth, with constant meter changes and four-note pedal chords.

Dancers from the Crystal Cathedral will participate in two of the performances, including Douglas Major’s “Advent Dances,” which is about Christ’s Advent and the Incarnation.

Although Elizabeth and Raymond Chenault are the godparents of more than enough music on which to build a full recital, they continue to commission new compositions. At the American Guild of Organists’ convention in Oklahoma City next summer, for example, they will premiere a new work by Daniel Pinkham; four other works are now being written for them.

Some of the works they have commissioned have been published, and the Chenaults hope that most of them eventually will be.

“The main reason that we’re on this--as we call it, ‘cause’--is to expose everyone to this new and exciting literature, and to get other organists excited about playing (music for) two performers on one organ.”

Organists Elizabeth and Raymond Chenault will play original works and works by Rutter, Major, Wills and Vierne today at 8:15 p.m. at the Crystal Cathedral, 12141 Lewis St., Garden Grove. Admission: $6. Information: (714) 971-4017.