Gail Archer (Professor of Professional Practice in Music, Barnard) has released “Cantius,” a CD of Polish organ music.
New York, NY (For Release 04.15.22) — Hailed as one this era’s most adventurous interpreters of the classical organ repertoire, leading female organist Gail Archer today announced the release of her 10th album: Cantius (TBR 05.03.22, Meyer Media). Dedicated to drawing attention to Eastern European composers through ongoing research, performances, and recordings, Archer continues her sonic journey with rarely performed works by six Polish composers of the 19th-21st centuries. Named in honor of St. John Cantius, a popular saint in Poland, the album was rightly recorded on the “Tina Mae” organ (built in 1907 and restored 13 times) at Chicago’s St. John Cantius Church.
For this new compilation of Polish music, Archer brings a richness of imagination and dramatic flourish dominant in Eastern European minor and chromatic sensibilities. “Contemporary Polish organ literature contains some of the most unique, bold and audacious music in the world today,” says Gail Archer. “The composers understand the full sonic range of the organ and take advantage of every possible color combination available on the instrument.”
