The sound rolls and reverberates in the European churches. In this country so much is padded, and that kills the sound. Hard stone churches add to the sound, not only instrumental music but vocal music as well. Performing in this kind of space can be challenging. The organist must take the reverberation into consideration, adjusting tempos, Drake said.
Drake gets approximately eight hours to rehearse before each recital.
The time must be well-spent since every organ and every church is unique. Following his Rottenburg recital, Drake moves on to Esslingen, a suburb of Stuttgart. There, he will be in recital July 19 at a very large Romanesque-style church, St. Albertus. In addition to his recital, he will be featured in a live broadcast for German radio and also complete a recording for a compact disc. The program includes selections by French composers, as well as pieces by three contemporary American composers.