Tama County native, organist Christopher Arp – a member of the North Tama Class of 2004 – pictured recently. Arp, the son of Richard Arp and the late Deborah Arp who taught K-5 vocal music at South Tama, will play an organ concert at Dysart’s Zion Lutheran Church on Sunday, July 28, beginning at 2 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

DYSART – The songs of summer will soon fill the air at Zion Lutheran Church.

Tama County native and North Tama alum Christopher Arp will play a solo organ concert entitled “Songs of Summer” at Zion Lutheran in Dysart next Sunday, July 28, beginning at 2 p.m. Arp is organist and choir director at Swedesburg Lutheran Church near Mt. Pleasant, Iowa where he has worked since November of 2019.

A native of rural Tama County, Arp graduated from North Tama High School in 2004. He is the son of Richard Arp and the late Deborah Arp (former K-5 vocal instructor at South Tama Schools). Arp was raised and confirmed as a member at Zion Lutheran and returns to play “Songs of Summer” following recent concerts at Swedesburg and Clear Lake as a member of the Sliding Pipes duo with trombonist Matt Burrows.

Arp graduated in 2021 with a Bachelor of Music degree in Organ Performance from the University of Iowa. He also holds a Spanish degree from Luther College. He has studied organ with Dr. Greg Hand at the University of Iowa and Dr. Gregory Peterson at Luther College. Arp has played organs in Spain, Germany, and across the United States and has been an active choral musician for many years. He is a lifetime member of the American Guild of Organists.

His concert will feature a wide variety of organ music that draws from the instrument’s rich and diverse history. Music in the concert will span four centuries of organ composers from the 17th to the 21st century, including music by Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706), J.S. Bach (1685-1750), and Emma Lou Diemer (1927-2024) amongst several other composers.

“One of the most interesting aspects of playing the organ,” Arp told the newspaper, “is the ability to play loudly, quietly, quickly, slowly, with just a few stops, or with full organ. The dynamic and expressive range of an organ surpasses all other instruments, which led Mozart to name it ‘in my eyes and ears, the king of instruments.'”

The pieces in Arp’s concert were selected to showcase the instrument’s wide variety of colors, sounds, and volume levels. The opening suite by Léon Boëllmann (1862-1895), the Suite Gothique, begins loudly and dramatically in the opening movement before a lively menuet (minuet ) dance. The third movement is a very quiet and reflective prayer. The piece concludes with a fiery toccata in a minor key.

Next, a Prelude and Fugue by J.S. Bach will be followed by a Chorale Prelude of Johann Pachelbel. The concert will continue with a core of Patriotic tunes. Amongst the Patriotic “Songs of Summer” are 20th and 21st century pieces including the “Fanfare for the Common Man” by Aaron Copland (1900-1990). This arrangement is a transcription of the orchestral work and features the Festival Trumpet stop on the organ as well as full pedal stops to imitate drums throughout. Copland was a favorite composer of Christopher’s mother, Deborah, and he will dedicate this piece to her memory.

The third section of the program is a set of Summer Sketches by Edwin Lemare (1865-1934) which are evocative of life on an Iowa farm: Dawn, The Bee, Cuckoo, and Evening.

The concert will conclude with excerpts of Sonata II by 19th century organist Felix Mendelssohn and a Trumpet Tune by contemporary Texas Composer, Jerry Westenkuehler (1966- ).

“Songs of Summer” is free and open to the public. A free will donation will be collected for Zion Lutheran Church. A reception with refreshments will follow the conclusion of the concert in the church’s fellowship hall.