The Rodeheaver Series for the Performing Arts will present organist John Gouwens in recital Sunday at 2 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church of Warsaw.
Gouwens has served as organist and carillonneur of The Culver Academies since 1980. He plays for Sunday religious services in the chapel and presents recitals on both the pipe organ and the carillon, an instrument comprised of pitched bells controlled by levers and pedals. He teaches piano students at The Academies, and teaches carillon and organ students on occasion as well.
Gouwens studied organ and carillon at Indiana University, Bloomington; the University of Michigan; and the University of Kansas. He was raised in Fort Wayne. His instructors included Richard Carlson, Clyde Holloway, Robert Clark and Robert Glasgow in organ, and Albert Gerken in carillon.
He is active outside of Culver as a recitalist (organ and carillon), composer, and music editor, and currently serves as dean of both the Saint Joseph Valley and Fort Wayne chapters of the American Guild of Organists.
Gouwens refers to First United Methodist's Goulding and Wood pipe organ, with two manuals and 40 ranks of pipes, as an "American Classic," meaning not specifically designed to play one individual style of music, but more of a well-rounded, general-purpose organ that can adapt to many different types of music. Therefore, his program will be tailored to reflect this versatility and diversity.For instance, the program will include an obscure set of French variations on a Christmas tune by Pierre Camonin, that Gouwens describes as "extensive, and almost theatrical in its campiness - wonderful fun," and which he thinks is particularly well suited to this organ.
Another portion of the program will include improvisation on a hymntune. Gouwens will ask the audience to sing the hymn, so that it is "in their heads," and then he will begin to play around with it, letting it change and develop in various ways very gradually and spontaneously.
The Rodeheaver Series for the Performing Arts was established in 1990 to support and foster performing arts and artists in a manner which brings glory to God. Named for the Rodeheaver family, legendary for their development and support of Christian music, and long-time members of First United Methodist Church of Warsaw, the Rodeheaver Series has sponsored more than 50 concerts, recitals and theatrical presentations.
The Gouwens performance, as are all Rodeheaver Series performances, is free of charge, and the public is encouraged to attend.
First United Methodist Church of Warsaw is at the corner of Indiana and Market Streets downtown, is handicap accessible, and provides listening assistance.
For more information on the Rodeheaver Series for the Performing Arts, the Goulding and Wood pipe organ, or for directions to the church, call the church office at 574-267-6933 or visit the church Web site at www.warsawfumc.org
