|
Larry Cook - Following the
Yellow Brick Road By Jeff Reid
It’s a long way from Cambridge,
Kansas to Wilmington, North Carolina. On those wind-swept plains
about sixty miles southwest of Wichita, Larry Cook grew up in the
golden age of radio. As a boy, he listened to shows like Top 40 and
Hit Parade, but what he really liked was the Sunday.gif)
afternoon broadcasts of the NBC Symphony Orchestra; first with
Toscanini, then Mitropolous. “I know I am really revealing my age
here,” he explains with a smile. But there is no doubt that it had a
huge influence on him as a youth. And there was never any question
of him taking the “classical route” as a musician. Ms. Brooks, his
piano teacher, deplored the practice of playing by ear and had no
use for popular or jazz music. As a result, it always seemed natural
for him to prefer classical styles.
Cook was Associate Professor of Conducting and
Director of Chapel Music at Northwestern University. He also
previously taught at UNC-Chapel Hill. “Then I answered a national
advertisement for the music position at St. Paul’s Episcopal here in
Wilmington. My wife is from southwest Virginia, so we knew and
liked the area,” he reveals. “I accepted the position and we moved
to Wilmington in February, 1998. This year we celebrated my 10th
anniversary here.”
Often joking that Garrison Keillor likes to
make fun of organists for always playing too loud, Cook states that
the fact is that a good organ can play both louder and softer than
just about anything else, and that is one reason why, over the
centuries, it has been the favored instrument for accompanying and
enhancing worship services. “I still enjoy playing the piano and the
harpsichord,” he admits. “But there is no denying that there is a
feeling of power that cannot be matched by any other instrument, so
far as I know.”
This brings up a complex issue in today’s
church music programs – Is organ playing becoming a lost art? Cook
ponders and states that on the one hand many churches are opting for
a more contemporary service, for which pop and rock bands are a more
natural choice -- or to save money they buy barely adequate
electronic organ imitations that provide little satisfaction to a
serious music lover. As a result, the career of the church organist
often appears to be not only unrewarding financially, but also
problematic artistically. This can account for the fact that many
colleges and universities have discontinued majors in organ and
church music.
Yet, he sites that pipe organ builders seem to
be thriving, producing many large, beautiful, --and expensive --
instruments. The huge new LeTourneau in Raleigh’s Edenton Street
Methodist Church, the large new Fisk in St. Paul’s Greenville (a
joint project with ECU), and similar recent large installations in
churches in Burlington and Greensboro all serve as close-at-hand
examples. Likewise, the universities and conservatories that still
train organists are turning out superb top-rate organ virtuosos
albeit fewer graduates than a few years ago.
No matter the plight of organists and the state
of church music programs, Wilmington is fortunate to have Larry
Cook. Not only does he enhance the programs at St. Paul’s, but the
area’s classical scene as well, by performing and conducting with
many groups including the Tallis Chamber Orchestra, The Wilmington
Symphony, Southeastern Oratorio Society and the local chapter of the
American Guild of Organists.
Yes, Larry Cook is not in Kansas anymore and
let’s all hope that he is over the rainbow and stays in Wilmington
for many years to come. His talent and wisdom is a resource for
young and old musicians alike. Any advise, Mr. Cook, for those of us
going down the yellow brick road? “Never make anyone feel stupid
with your apologies on your performance,” he states, “especially
when they compliment you and enjoy your playing. It was advice
given to me early on……very good advice, but hard to put into
practice. Worrying about what people will think is the worst thing
you can do.”
|
