An Extraodinary Recital to Celebrate Gerhard Krapf, Professor Emeritus
Friday, December 12th, 8:00 pm in Convocation Hall
The Â鶹ÊÓƵ Department of Music warmly invites former faculty, students and friends of the late Gerhard Krapf to join in a tribute recital of works by Gerhard Krapf and Johann Sebastian Bach. Performers include former students and colleagues Gerhild Krapf, Eileen Raycroft (nee Armstsrong), Jacobus Kloppers, Marnie Giesbrecht, organists; Baritone Michael Kurschat and Joachim Segger, pianist. Works include Bach's Prelude and Fugue in E flat Major, BWV 552, Fantasia in G, BWV 572, Krapf's Partita on "Vater Unser", Psalm 107 for organ and baritone. Duo Majoya (Marnie Giesbrecht and Joachim Segger) will perform a piano duet "Silent Night" composed by Gerhard for his daughters.
A few former colleagues and students will offer some remarks and memories. Admission is free and donations will be accepted for the Krapf Continuo Organ Fund. Donations received before December 6 will be acknowledged in the program.
Gerhard Krapf, Professor Emeritus, Â鶹ÊÓƵ, was born Dec. 12, 1924, passed away on July 2nd after a long illness. He is survived by his wife Trudl, three daughters and a son. Gerhard Krapf is renowned for his significant contribution to church music with prolific compositions of organ, choral and vocal works; for the designing and supervision of the 1978 Casavant Organ in Convocation Hall at the Â鶹ÊÓƵ, scholarly works on the organ and a decade of teaching at the Â鶹ÊÓƵ from 1977 to 1987. His distinguished career along with building the undergraduate and graduate organ programs at the University of Iowa prior to his appointment at the Â鶹ÊÓƵ, contributed significantly to the development of the graduate programs in keyboard and library resources at the Â鶹ÊÓƵ, and the first Doctor of Music degree in Organ Performance at an English speaking Canadian University. A champion for tracker action, the U of Iowa was the first American State University to acquire a mechanical action instrument (Casavant) and the Â鶹ÊÓƵ followed suit upon Krapf's faculty appointment. A dedicated and brilliant teacher of organ, and related subjects, theory and counterpoint, it was said he could improvise a six-voice fugue. Those of us who had the privilege of working with him will remember his amazing intellect and accomplishments, his devotion as a teacher and friend, his deep Christian convictions and his delightful sense of humour. He is greatly missed.