New Britain herald., 1930-10-30
MODERN DIES |RAE
 RECITAL FEATURE
Joseph (. Beebe Begins Another Season Of Organ Programs

Joseph C. Beebe. organist of South Congregational church, last night presented his 1T3d organ re- cital before an appreciative and en- 1husiastic audience in the church, Despite the rain the attendance Wdj fairly large,
 The feature of the program was two preludes by Bruce SlmondS based on Latin hymns, liam Sol Recedit Igneus,' and the "Die5 Irae." In the first Mr. Becbe gay" an excellent rendition of a Tespcr hymn, quiet, sustaining and resttui. but in the second he gave q per formance that eciipscd anything he has presented for quite some tllne. Making experiments with an au- dencc is always a bit risky and the presentation ot the Dies lrae' re- quired some courage but the result left nothing to be desired. 50 that l won't be eiected from the church I wish to explain that the discords are intentional" MT. Beebe said in commenting on the number. And then he proceeded to give a com- position that had more discords than anything else and, despite this nan dicap or perhaps because of it, achieved q remarkable effect. The motif for the composition is the oil Latin hymn on the Day of Judg- ment, commonly asCribed 10 Thomas Of Celano, a Franciscan friar, Being an essential part of the requiem mass the number has become fa- miliar to all music lovers, Simonds'S composition is in the Dorian mode and is based in large part on the first of the many verses of the hymn, "Dies irae, dies illa.'
 Graphically the music depicted that dreaded day, that day of ire when the world shall melt in fire, told by Sibyl and Dayid's Tyre" Ever over and over the opening strains "Dies irae" made themselves heard above the tumult of discords, above the most powerful chords of which the organ was capable. De- spite the elaborate setting the an- cient liturgical refrain stood out in solemn splendor demonstrating the stark Beauty of those very founda- tions of all hymnology which was the contribution of the church of the Middle Ages to our present day musical heritage. At times macabrc, at times showing magnificent so- lemnity, the composition was fit program.
 As is usual with Mir Beebe's recitals the first portion of the pro- gram was devoted to that greatest of masters, John Sebastian Bach There is prevalent an impression that Bach is too heavy for the ordi- nary audience and in some hands perhaps he is. But Mir. Beebe brings to the works of Bach an under- standing that is the result of years of study and the result is moro than pleasing.
 So truly genuine is Mr. Beebe's admiration of this composer that when the Connecticut Council of the National Association of Organists asked Mir. Beebe to appear on their program at the Bushnell Memorial last May he presented six of Bach's choral preludes from the Little Or gan Book as his contribution to the program. Last night he opened with 70 Christ, Who Art the Light" a number that Bach composed when he was only 16 or 17 years old. There is but little pedal work and even that is optional. Following this was the light and catchy "Finale.' from the First Trio sonata and the concluding Bach selection was Fantasia and Fugue" in c minor decidedly orchestral piece with nothing noisy about it.
 In direct contrast to this staid olt