THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 4, 1994 TAG: 9408040218
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: EURE LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
THE PROUD POSSESSOR of The Prize Perfectionment lives in this small Gates County community in a house surrounded by fields of corn.
Christopher Robin Harrell was one of seven organists who competed for the award in June, playing for a strict jury representing some of France's most prestigious churches.
``It was heavy competition,'' said the 24-year-old Eure native, the only entrant to win the coveted prize.
If you would like to hear what impressed the judges, visit Murfreesboro Baptist Church on Sunday.
Harrell, who admits a particular fondness for French organ music, will be in concert, playing music from 17th century Germany, 18th century France, and 19th and 20th century France and England.
The performance is sponsored by the Chowan College Rotaract Club, the District 7720 Rotary Foundation Committee and the Murfreesboro Rotary Club.
Rotary and Harrell have formed a mutual admiration society. The organization has helped the organist advance his career, awarding him an Ambassadorial Scholarship that enabled him to study abroad.
``I was at Conservatoire Superieur de Paris for a year, studying with Mme. Marie-Louis Langlois, the wife of composer Jean Langlois,'' said Harrell, who speaks French and is admittedly obsessed with French music and culture.
While in France, he practiced at the American Cathedral, sang in its choir and eventually worked as associate organist.
``I'm glad I spent a year in France,'' said Harrell, who returned in June. ``But I'm glad to be back home.''
He would like to stay fairly close to home.
``I want to continue studying organ and sacred music,'' Harrell said. ``Then, I'd like to become head organist at a major metropolitan church on the East Coast.''
Harrell wants to get a master's degree in sacred music and plans to attend Emory University in Georgia or Yale. Harrell has spent a lot of time studying. In 1992, he received a music degree in organ performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio.
While there, he was a guest on ``Pipedreams,'' a Public Broadcasting System radio broadcast heard across the country.
``I was on that program in January and April last year,'' said Harrell, who had a lot of help getting to Oberlin - a Union Camp Merit Scholarship, a Rawls Scholarship and the Conrad Plyler Music Scholarship in Gates County.
While in Ohio, he served as organist at Wooster College. Now he holds a similar position at First Baptist Church in Ahoskie.
Harrell, who was salutatorian at Gates County High School, is the son of Joe Duke and O'Neill Harrell. His father is a farmer and a Union Camp employee.
He has three older brothers, one of whom helped inspire him to become an organist.
``He recorded a tape of classical music for me,'' Harrell said. ``Among other things, organist Virgil Fox was playing Bach. At that point, I'd never heard classical organ music. I listened to that recording, and it sparked my interest.''
Harrell began playing the piano in the fourth grade. He began studying the organ at 16.
``I practice, practice, practice from four to six hours a day,'' Harrell said. ``The music is in my blood. I couldn't do anything but this.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by Michael Kestner
Christopher Harrell, of Eure, N.C., will present a concert of organ
music from 17th century Germany, 18th century France and England on
Sunday at Murfreesboro Baptist Church.
by CNB