Doug Marshall plays “Prelude and Fugue in D Major“ BWV 532 by J.S. Bach

This video was made in memory of my beloved teacher, Virgil Fox, who passed away 40 years ago on Oct 25, 1980. My student Sam Nelson and I originally planned to play a memorial recital at Sam’s church (the Church of the Redeemer Episcopal, in Sarasota, Florida) on the anniversary of Virgil’s passing. Sadly, COVID interrupted those plans and the recital became a virtual event. The full virtual concert can be viewed here: Sam recorded the pieces which he prepared on the church’s Nichols & Simpson pipe organ. The pieces which I prepared were recorded at the Marshall & Ogletree showroom in Needham, MA, where our first instrument, originally built for Trinity Wall Street in New York, is currently set up. This organ has prior history honoring Virgil, as my business partner David Ogletree played a Virgil Fox memorial recital on it at Trinity in 2005. That concert was part of a city-wide 25th anniversary celebration of Virgil’s passing, featuring important organ venues all around Manhattan. I can’t thank Dr. Fox enough for sharing with me from his incredible treasure trove of insights and techniques during the decade I was blessed to study with him. For my portion of this 40th anniversary program, I recorded six pieces which are emblematic of Virgil’s unique approach. I simply pray that this effort honors his memory and his artistry and inspires others to pursue the thrilling challenge of playing the King of Instruments creatively and colorfully. Doug Marshall