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Calling All Music Lovers: Spend Halloween at ASU Organ Studio’s Monster Concert on Oct. 31

By Troy Brooks

Organ music is a great way to add some spooky fun to the Halloween season, and the Appalachian Organ Studio will do just that at its 10th annual Halloween Monster Concert on Saturday, Oct. 31.

The show will start at 8 p.m. in the Hayes School of Music’s Rosen Concert Hall and is free to the public. It will be approximately and hour and a half in length and live streaming will be available online.

“This is our 10th year hosting this event. It was an idea of mine which I brought with me from my days in Houston, Texas,” said Dr. Joby Bell, associate professor of organ and sacred music program coordinator at ASU. “I adapted it to our own purposes by turning it into a studio recital. There’s nothing else like it in the area that I know of — it’s a fun event for people to go to, especially for those folks who no longer trick-or-treat.”

This year’s Monster Concert will feature a selection of fright music including Bach’s “Toccata in d minor,” Charles lves’ variations on “America,” William Albrights’ “Totentanz” (also known as “Jig for the Feet”) andLèonBoëllmann’s “Toccata” from his “Gothic Suite.”

There will also be a silent movie showing with live organ accompaniment followed by the singing of what Bell calls “pumpkin carols.”

“It’s one of the fun activities I threw in,” said Bell. “Many of the silent films we’ve used have been old special effects movies from the early 20th century by George Melies, a French filmmaker who was well known for experimental effects.”

Sport your costume for this fun annual show and enjoy Halloween with the ASU Organ Studio. Free candy will be available at the end of the show.

For more information, call Bell at 828-262-6467 or reach him by e-mail belljr@appstate.edu.