Assignment: Richard Elliott in Wiesbaden & Dresden

Can you imagine "having" to go to Dresden, Germany, on assignment?  Well, that was our good fortune the last week of August.  So, after a number of 40-hour weeks in the office, we see how we are truly blessed when amazing travel opportunities come our way!

The principal organist for the Tab Choir, Richard Elliott, was here  in Germany
giving three recitals in August, and we were to report on this.

We and the Walkers were assigned to cover two of his three concerts, taking pictures and videos and writing an accompanying article that would go on various European countries' LDS Newsrooms.  His first concert was Sunday night in Wiesbaden, only 30 minutes away.  All four of us traveled there the day before to interview him both in front of the church
 as well as in the organ loft.

St. Bonafatiuskirche was a beautiful edifice!  We used it as a backdrop for our interview.

Brother Elliott was very kind to share his time and talents with us.

Our resident photographers and reporters, the Walkers and Elder G

And someone offering expert advice to those reporters

We moved inside the church and followed him up three flights of narrow, winding stairs to the organ loft.  Bro Elliott was especially impressed with the acoustics and said they were actually better than the Tabernacle's!  He hit a note and then we listened as it reverberated on and on
for over 10 seconds.  It was awesome!

Pretty amazing set of pipes! 

And as it turned out, the church's current organist had actually played on the organ at the Tabernacle, so it was a great "full circle" for the two musicians.  He'd invited Brother Elliott to come here last year for a concert, but that conflicted with his son's leaving on a mission.  But being available now, he was thrilled to have everything fall into place for this summer's concerts.  Brother Elliott actually has German roots since his great grandfather immigrated to America from Bavaria.  So, this tour was especially dear to his heart.

 It was very interesting to watch him play--especially with his feet!  He played one piece that was actually done mostly by his feet alone!  It was also interesting to learn that because all organs differ one from another, at each concert he must make adjustments on the sheet music as to where he needs to do things differently, thus the orange and green dots

on his sheet music below.

Elder G and Elder Walker did their best to spread the word about the concert.  For some reason it had not been widely publicized at our office building or among the couple of nearby wards (German as well as International).  As it turned out, over 200 came, which was about 150 above the average organ recital turnout!  So, I'd say both men did a great job. 

The second recital was in Dresden the following Wednesday evening.  We and the Walkers arrived in plenty of time for the afternoon interview and video-filming in front of the famed
Frauenkirche ("Church of Our Lady"), where he would perform that evening.

Now you can appreciate its size when you see it next to other buildings in the town square.

This building is highly revered in Germany.  It was originally constructed in the early 1700s and had been a famed church throughout Europe for hundreds of years.  Unfortunately, it was leveled during the bombing raids of WWII.  Initially, the rubble lay untouched for almost 50 years.  Even though the ruins around it were slowly restored, its rubble was fenced off and left
as a testament to the devastation of war.

However, after the reunification of Germany in 1989, interest from many sources, not just German, grew with the purpose of resurrecting this beautiful building.  Donations poured in from all over the world, and work was begun in 1994.  It was rebuilt according to original historical plans (preserved since construction) and mainly using the historical materials.  The dark color of the old stones and the different-sized stones where old meets new "resemble the scars of healed wounds."  By 2005 the building was complete and opened to the public as a sign of hope and reconciliation.

This burned metal cross below was the original cross on top of the dome.  When it was discovered in one piece buried in the rubble, it gave hope to the possibility of the church's restoration.  It stands inside the church as a lasting reminder for peace.

Of course, the interior of this building was even more impressive than the exterior.
The beautiful altar piece was rebuilt from more than 2,000 fragments

 This beautiful piece was just above the organ loft.

 And, of course, the organ loft is way up there right below the pipes.

The original organ of the 1700s was actually tested by Johann Sebastian Bach!

View from the loft

All four of us just couldn't get enough of this beautiful building!
It was unbelievably amazing inside and out!  

After Wednesday's wonderful concert, we spent all day Thursday exploring the wonders of this incredibly beautiful city.  Another blog entry will be devoted to that.  But for now, attending and reporting on Bro Elliott's two concerts performed in Germany was an exciting assignment
long to be remembered!