THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 9, 1997 TAG: 9702070107
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 51 lines
HE MOVES LIKE like Fred Astaire over the foot pedals. His hands glide over the keys of the pipe organ. As he reaches the dramatic conclusion to Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, a slight smile brightens the usually stoic face of the handsome teen-ager.
Another organ piece successfully completed by Christopher Clark.
``The organ has the tendency to push you forward,'' said the Norfolk Academy junior. ``It's very powerful, and when you're in control, you know YOU did it. When playing something well, it seems that for the first time in your life you feel you're in control.''
Clark will be in control this evening at Norfolk's Grace Episcopal Church when he performs a special recital including works by Bach, Mendelssohn and Widor.
The South Norfolk teenager has studied piano for 14 years but has been playing the organ only since 1991. Now, at the ripe old age of 17, he's wowing anyone within earshot with his prowess.
His skill has so impressed Dr. Carl C. Haywood, music director at Grace Episcopal and director of the I. Sherman Greene Chorale, that Haywood already includes Clark in a long line of well-known area African-American classical organists, among them Selena Scott, Henry Branch and Reginald Parker.
Clark, who enjoys romantic and contemporary classical music, has studied organ with Dr. James W. Kosnick, an assistant professor at Old Dominion University, for three years. Kosnick is certain he can handle tonight's difficult program.
``I've noticed his technique has been taken to the next level,'' Kosnick said. ``He's done quite a bit of playing locally, and he's quite beyond his age in terms of skill. I've certainly not had a student like him before. He loves to make music and share it with others, not just for personal gratification. He's a joy to teach, and he has such wonderful and supportive parents who keep him so focused.''
Clark, who is also a wizard on the computer keyboard, is a high honor student at Norfolk Academy, scoring in the 95 percentile in the PSAT and SAT exams. He spends some of his spare time tutoring public school students in a variety of subjects, especially math. He hopes to pursue a double major in computer science and music at MIT or Stanford University. His parents, Irene and Wesley Clark, are area high school teachers. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Christopher Clark, 17, has played the piano for 14 years and the
organ since 1991.
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In Concert