For 2024/25, organist Aaron James committed himself to a project that few have completed: performing the complete works for organ by J.S. Bach within a single season. He set out to do that in a series of 16 recitals at Holy Family Church in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood.
A diverse audience of up to 100 and more have been in attendance for virtually all of the free 75-minute recitals. The journey began in September 14, 2024, and will culminate on May 24, 2025.
We asked James about his Bach journey.
Organist Aaron James
Aaron James earned both a PhD degree in musicology and a DMA degree in organ, along with the Performer’s Certificate in organ from the Eastman School of Music. In 2011, he won the National Organ Playing Competition of the Royal Canadian College of Organists, one of many such prizes he’d collect over the years. He is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian College of Organists, its highest academic distinction. In his research, he has focused on Renaissance vocal polyphony, and published several articles in academic and other publications.
He performs as a recitalist and collaborative musician, including appearances at the Toronto Bach Festival, the Pacific Baroque Festival, at festivals of the RCCO and the Organ Historical Society, among others, including both traditional and contemporary repertoire.
James is the Director of Music at the Toronto Oratory of St Philip Neri, where he plays
organ at Holy Family Parish and directs three choirs for Masses and Vespers. He teaches music at St Philip’s Seminary, and is a Sessional Lecturer in organ at the University of Toronto.
Aaron James: The Interview
“It’s a big undertaking and it’s been in the works for a long time,” James says of the Bach Marathon.
As he points out, it takes time just to learn the 263 pieces that make up Bach’s organ repertoire. “It’s a big volume of music to learn.”
The initiative was delayed by the pandemic and other issues, but he was determined to see it through. “In a broader sense, this is Everest for organists,” he says.
Bach’s organ works require both expert technique and expressive interpretation, and while it was a great deal of work to learn, it was an immensely rewarding project. Of course, when it comes to works of the baroque, there is also a certain amount of uncertainty about a handful of the compositions.
“There’s really a question of what’s Bach and what’s not,” James notes. His reference is the Breitkopf edition of the complete organ works. “I’m playing everything in it.”
Taking such a comprehensive look at Bach’s organ works in particular, it’s clear to him that some stand out, and don’t feel as much like the composer’s own works. “But, you have to commit to it,” he says. Some pieces don’t look as interesting on paper as they do once played. The work of slogging through to learn all 263 pieces left him with many insights.
Putting them together into coherent recitals was the next job. Some pieces, as he notes, are less than a minute long. His recitals are thoughtfully programmed to revolve around a theme, and his notes include background on both the music and the composer, along with his time and its realities — like the bubonic plague.
“You’re trying to figure out how to present these in a way that they’ll be appreciated,” he explains.
He’s gratified by the audience attendance, and their overwhelmingly positive reactions. “This is a wonderful thing about playing a composer who’s close to people’s hearts,” he says. As he points out, many music lovers already have a connection to Bach’s music. “This concert really grabs them.”
James points out the fierce devotion to Bach that he’s seen, pointing out that he was a Lutheran composer working within the Catholic church. Some of the audience members have included Lutheran ministers looking to hear the music. “It’s a living tradition,” he says.
The project spans about eight months in total. “We’re just about halfway through,” he notes.
Some of the recitals are programmed around the liturgical calendar, with others more conceptual in terms of programming.
“We’re coming into a kind of celebratory period before Lent,” he says. It’s followed by the more tragically oriented music for Easter.
He’s performing on the newly restored Kney/Gober organ in Holy Family Church, one that he says has been noted for its suitability for Bach.
“Even on an organ that’s a very good Bach organ, coming up with these varied programs is [a challenge],” he says. “You don’t want to play the kind of piece [over and over]. Incorporating a variety of voicings for the organ is important, including both timbre and volume.
“There does come a point, even as an organist, you don’t want to hear the full organ all at once,” he says. “It gets very tiring on the ear.”
- Find details about Dr. James’ Bach recitals, including the next one on March 1, [HERE].
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