Campbellsville University to host Evansville organist Sept. 16

CAMPBELLSVILLE, KY (09/03/2014)(readMedia)-- Robert Nicholls, well-known conductor and organist at First Presbyterian Church in Evansville, Ind., will be the guest for Campbellsville University's first Noon Organ Recital of the new academic year at 12:20 p.m. Tuesday, Sept 16 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, 429 N. Central Ave., Campbellsville, next door to Gosser Fine Arts Center.

Everyone is welcomed to attend this event free of charge.

The half-hour recital will be a mixture of standard and improvisation literature appropriate to the mechanical action Pomplitz organ and improvisation, according to Dr. Wesley Roberts, professor of music.

Nicholls was born and raised in Cambridge, England, and, at the age of eight, he joined the choristers at Westminister Abbey in London under the direction of Simon Preston. He graduated from Oundle School and Cambridge University.

He was a choir member of Gonville, Cauis and St. John's Colleges in Cambridge where he sang tenor.

With an abiding interest in the organ, Nicholls joined the staff of First Presbyterian Church in 1996. He plays the piano and directs the band at Wide Awake Worship at the early service and during the traditional worship service, he directs the choir and hand bells and plays the Fisk Pipe organ Op. 98.

His organ teachers have included James Parsons, Philip Scriven, Roberta Gary and John Schwandt (improvisation).

He is now a highly sought after guest clinician for choral festivals nationwide, and Nicholss' compositions for organ and choir have been preformed and broadcasted in the United States and Europe.

In 2012 he won first place at the American Guild of Organists National Competition in organ improvisation.

Nicholls is a strong supporter of Royal School of Church Music in America where he serves as housemaster and organist for summer resident courses.

He enjoys accompanying silent films including Nosferatu (1922) and The Phantom of the Opera (1925) and won first place at the American Guild of Organists National Competition in Organ Improvisation in 2012.

Nicholls is married to Dr. Emma Nicholls, a pediatric clinical psychologist. They are the parents of Elena and William Nicholls.

For more information contact Dr. Wesley Roberts, professor of music, at mwroberts@campbellsville.edu or at (270) 789-5287.

Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 3,600 students offering 63 undergraduate options, 17 master's degrees, five postgraduate areas and eight pre-professional programs. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.

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Posted Wednesday September 03, 2014 at 12:29 pm by Campbellsville University
Last Updated Tuesday September 09, 2014 at 01:36 pm