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Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesNEW YEAR USHERED IN WITH ORGAN AND FLUTE

NEW YEAR USHERED IN WITH ORGAN AND FLUTE

Saturday afternoon a crowd of several hundred was privileged to hear Rebecca Faulkner, daughter of Rudolph and Vivian Faulkner, play an organ recital at the Shiloh Seventh Day Adventist Church.
The occasion was a fund raiser to replace the 24-year-old organ at the church with an instrument capable of making a more joyful noise unto the Lord. The original instrument has been well used and is more than ready for retirement.
Ms. Faulkner is home for the holidays from Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. Although she is a Dietetics major at Oakwood, she has managed to most successfully pursue her love of music with a minor in Music.
At home in the Virgin Islands, Ms. Faulkner is known for her excellence with regard to the V.I. Telephone Corp. Music Competition sponsored by Vitelco, Arts Alive and the Tillet Foundation. In 1990 she took third place in intermediate piano; then moved on to first place in advanced piano the following year, and both first place in instrumental and second place in voice the year after that.
Ms. Faulkner has been a member of the Oakwood College Symphony Orchestra where she played second violin, and a member of the Oakwood Percussion Ensemble playing the double second pan. She is currently pianist for the college String Chamber Orchestra and String Quartet. Her future plans include graduate studies in the organ.
The recital began with several short pieces by Gordon Young, the French Carol "He is Born, the Holy Child" by Alice Jordan and Bach's "Prelude and Fugue in C Major."
Next she was joined by Eboni Edmeade, an eleventh grade student from Eudora Kean High School, playing the flute solo in "Oh Holy Night."
Ms. Faulkner closed her recital with "Bachiana" by Gordon Young. Throughout the performance it was most obvious Ms. Faulkner had chosen pieces she could enjoy playing, and which stretched the organ's capabilities to the limit.
The afternoon was both enjoyable musically, and educational with regard to how much music can be coaxed from such a limited instrument. Finally, the afternoon was doubly enjoyable simply because here were two fine young Virgin Islanders with the ability, poise and confidence to present themselves to several hundred adults. Thank you ladies for a most happy and joyous afternoon.

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