[Magdalen] Passing of a Pioneer.

[James Oppenheimer-Crawford]

It was a pleasure to see the name Virgil Fox again.  My wife and I saw him
perform at the Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh. He was playing an electronic
organ, which had the most amazing sound.

This delightful stuffy yet a bit loopy little fellow had filled the hall
with groupies who screamed "Go VIRGIL ! !" (to which he replied, "Why thank
you!").  My wife was taken with his second act costume including rhinestone
studded organ shoes.  He was so flashy, but how he could play.

A lot of people loved to criticize him, but the organist at Ascension
Church, Pgh., where my wife and I met while singing in the choir, showed
the deep impression Fox made. He said that he felt Fox' interpretations
were often a bit over the top -- "but his performance of Bach's chorale,
Komm suesser Tod, brought tears to my eyes."

James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
*“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved,
except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy

On Mon, Jan 2, 2017 at 1:38 PM, Cantor03--- via Magdalen <
magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:

>
> Henry C. Johnson has died, closing in on 100 years of age.
>
> He was one of those encyclopedic persons that was able to hold on to
> detail to an astonishing degree.  I always got the feeling when I  was
> in his presence that someone ought to have been taping every  utterance
> for historical purposes.  He was, for example a virtual repository  of
> information about the great Wilkes-Barre, PA flood of 1972.
>
> I think, all told, the most interesting chapter of his very interesting
> life
> was his days during WW-2 in the Army as secretary to flamboyant
> organist, Virgil Fox.
>
> I hope the obituary can be accessed.  Otherwise just google  Henry
> C. Johnson, Wilkes-Barre, PA.
>
>
>
>
> Funeral arrangements and an _obituary_
> (http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/timesleader/obituary.aspx?n=henry-c-
> johnson&pid=183270578&fhid=7066)  have
> been posted for Henry Johnson.
>
>
>
>
> David S.
>
>
>
>