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Westminster College Music Faculty Gives Concert in Germany

Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2007

Dr. Elizabeth Harrison, assistant professor of theory and organ at Westminster College, played a concert on the historic Arp Schnitger organ in Cappel, Germany, last month. She was the only American invited to participate in the Cappel concert series this year.

The 1680 organ was built for St. Michael's Church in Hamburg and later purchased by the church in Cappel. It is one of the best preserved historical instruments from the seventeenth century. Harrison's selections for the concert were chosen to fit the time period of the organ and the style of the organ building. Composers included Matthias Weckman, Johann Kasper Kerle, Dietrich Buxtehude, and Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach likely played the instrument during his visit to Hamburg when the organ was housed at St. Michael's Church.

Harrison was in Germany with two groups of students as part of the Westminster Historic Organ Program. Craig Dressler, a Westminster senior religious studies and music major, accompanied Harrison for the first half of the trip. He had the opportunity to practice and have lessons on the Schnitger organ. Dressler, a son of Douglas and Diane Dressler of Erie, is a graduate of McDowell High School.

Back in the United States, Harrison was a featured teacher at a youth music camp for students from the Upper St. Clair, Mt. Lebanon, Peters Township, Bethel Park and Trinity school districts, held at Upper St. Clair High School. She taught the history of stringed keyboard instruments including the clavichord, the harpsichord, and the piano. Following a demonstration of the clavichord, Harrison coached students individually or in small groups as they played pieces from their repertoire on the instrument.

Jennifer Helms, a 2005 Westminster graduate and one of the directors of the camp, wrote to Harrison, "The students thoroughly enjoyed your performance and were enthralled by the clavichord. Your presentation made the unfamiliar instrument easily understandable to our diverse group of students."

Harrison has been with Westminster since 2000. She received bachelor's degrees from Duke University and Southern College, a master's in music from New England Conservatory, and a doctorate in music from Stanford University.

Contact Harrison at (724) 946-7024 or e-mail harrisea@westminster.edu for additional information.

Dr. Elizabeth Harrison