This month, organist Dr Calvin Bowman is finishing preparations for his mammoth 16-hour performance of Bach’s complete catalogue for organ.
“Kind of like an athlete… I have to be physically fit too because when we play the organ, we’re using our whole body,” Dr Bowman said.
He began practising for the performance in June by playing pieces individually, building up to play large collections in two-hour sittings.
This will be Dr Bowman’s fourth performance of Bach’s complete organ works, previously performing it twice at Melbourne Festival in 1995 and 2009, and again in 2022 for MONA FOMA.
Dr Bowman was first introduced to Bach’s works in year nine of high school by his music teacher.
“I was just immediately struck by them,” he said.
Bach’s complete organ catalogue has over 150 different pieces, from well-known arrangements that have been sampled by artists like the Beatles to lesser-known works.
Completing this marathon of organ performances usually leaves Dr Bowman feeling exhausted by the end.
“I can’t move,” he said, “you’re kind of out for like a week… and certainly the day after I can’t string two sentences together.”
“We do have somebody to do massages in between as well, just a quick massage because the shoulders can get very tight and hands can get tired too. That will be very helpful,” he said.
Dr Bowman is looking forward to performing for the people of Brisbane, saying he “hope[s] that they’ll come in with open ears and open minds and open hearts and really engage with this music that they’ve not heard”.
Dr Bowman will perform Bach’s complete catalogue at QPAC’s Concert Hall as part of Brisbane Festival on September 13, starting at 6am.
Audience members are invited to come and go to this free 16-hour performance throughout the day.
Find out more at brisbanefestival.com.au/events/the-complete-bach-catalogue-for-organ.
