The organ's histories in the sacred and secular world have always been closely intertwined. There were eras when sacred organ music was essentially secular music played in a church service and vice versa. Some of the earliest pieces of church music were based on popular melodies and even today, it is not uncommon to hear folk songs played during a mass.
In this programme, organist Michael Hey explores this confluence of the sacred and the secular, with works by JS Bach, Max Reger and Pierre Cochereau. He is joined by soprano Rebecca Li in a selection of music for voice and organ, including Schubert’s Ave Maria and Mozart’s Laudate Dominum.
Described as "flashy" and "exciting" (The American Organist), Michael Hey has been captivating audiences around the world. Still in his early 20’s, Michael is Assistant Director of Music and Organist of Saint Patrick's Cathedral in New York. He has played organ for a papal vespers service at Saint Patrick's and a papal mass at Madison Square Garden, during Pope Francis’ recent visit to the United States. Michael performs as an organist throughout the United States and has performed solo at renowned concert venues such as Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall and the David H. Koch Theater, Philadelphia's Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center, and Washington D.C.'s Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center.
