Artist: Erik Simmons

Carson Cooman is many things musical – organist and Composer in Residence at the Memorial Church, Harvard University; writer, critic and consultant, concert organist, and above all a highly prolific composer of music in a wide variety of genres, from orchestral to song. Recent counts show over 3000 tracks of his music available online with over 300 compositions written for him by more than 100 composers.

His organ compositions come in many styles, from liturgical models, to substantial secular pieces such as his organ symphonies, preludes and fugues. On this album a range of works, most composed between 2013 and 2020, wonderfully realized on a fabulous instrument.

Erik Simmons is a superb organist, making his 14th Cooman organ album for Divine Art. We hear the gorgeous voices of the organ of Propsteikirche St. Ludgerus in Billerbeck, Germany, recorded through the Hauptwerk system.

Carson Cooman is many things musical – organist and Composer in Residence at the Memorial Church, Harvard University; writer, critic and consultant, concert organist, and above all a highly prolific composer of music in a wide variety of genres, from orchestral to song.

His organ compositions come in many styles, from liturgical models, to substantial secular pieces such as his organ symphonies, preludes and fugues. On this album a range of works, most composed in 2017-9, which are ideal for the rich and atmospheric sound of the chosen instrument.

Erik Simmons is a superb organist, making his 13th Cooman organ album for Divine Art. He is again playing the wonderful ‘Sun Organ’ of St. Peter & Paul, Görlitz, recorded through the Hauptwerk system.

Carson Cooman is many things musical – organist and Composer in Residence at the Memorial Church, Harvard University; writer, critic and consultant, concert organist, and above all a highly prolific composer of music in a wide variety of genres, from orchestral to song.

His organ compositions come in many styles, from liturgical models, to more gritty and substantial pieces such as his organ symphonies, preludes and fugues. This album contains several fine works including the Third Organ Symphony.

Erik Simmons is a superb organist, making his eleventh Cooman organ album for Divine Art. He is playing the wonderful ‘Sun Organ’ of St. Peter & Paul, Görlitz, recorded through the Hauptwerk system.

This is volume 11 of this highly praised series. Volume 12 is a Christmas music album; volume 13 due June 2020.

Find the other volumes and a discount complete set by clicking composer name above or in the composer index.

From quiet liturgical pieces and hymns to awe-inspiring symphonies, the varied and inspired compositions of Carson Cooman make him the foremost American composer of today specializing in music for the grand organ. Each of the albums has been recorded using the Hauptwerk system to bring to life the sound of a number of sublime instruments in true clarity without the excessive resonance and echo often a part of organ recordings. The performer in each case is Erik Simmons, who over several years has become extremely familiar with Cooman’s work and is the ideal interpreter.

For track information and reviews on each volume check the links on the catalog numbers below. The entire set of fourteen albums, if purchased here, offers a 25% saving on the individual titles. You can also find Carson Cooman’s orchestral vocal and chamber music and his recordings of works by other composers (just use the composer and artist index to find his pages).

Digital downloads include all booklets in PDF format.

Volume 1: ‘Litany’ – DDA 25116
Volume 2: ‘Masque’ – DDA 25127
Volume 3: ‘Preludio’ – DDA 21229 (double album)
Volume 4: ‘Hymnus’ – DDA 25147
Volume 5: ‘Exordium’ – DDA 25154
Volume 6: ‘The Cloak with the Stars’ – DDA 25159
Volume 7: ‘Owl Night’ – DDA 25163
Volume 8: ‘Zephyr’ – DDA 25177
Volume 9: ‘Sea Dream’ – DDA 25181
Volume 10: ‘Jubilee’ – DDA 25185
Volume 11: ‘Portals’ – DDA 25195
Volume 12: ‘How Great our Joy!’ – DDA 25196
Volume 13: ‘Eternal City’ – DDA 25200
Volume 14: ‘Antiphonies’ – DDA 25218

Carson Cooman is many things musical – organist and Composer in Residence at the Memorial Church, Harvard University; writer, critic and consultant, concert organist, and above all a highly prolific composer of music in a wide variety of genres, from orchestral to song.

His organ compositions come in many styles, from liturgical models, to more gritty and substantial pieces such as his organ symphonies and preludes and fugues. This album contains a mix of liturgical and secular works of great variety and individuality.

Erik Simmons is a superb organist, making his tenth Cooman organ album for Divine Art. He is playing the wonderful ‘Sun Organ’ of St. Peter & Paul, Görlitz, recorded through the Hauptwerk system.

This is volume 10 of this highly praised series, which now extends to vol. 12 (vol. 13 to be released in June 2020). Click composer name above or in the composer index to access all volumes and the discounted complete set (1-12)

Carson Cooman is many things musical – organist and Composer in Residence at the Memorial Church, Harvard University; writer, critic and consultant, concert organist, and above all a highly prolific composer of music in a wide variety of genres, from orchestral to song.

His organ compositions come in many styles, from liturgical models, to more gritty and substantial pieces such as his organ symphonies and preludes and fugues. This album includes several works written to honor fellow musicians and the fine Organ Symphony No. 2, a work of restraint and mainly pastoral mood.

Erik Simmons is a superb organist, making his ninth Cooman organ album for Divine Art. He is playing the main and transept organs of Laurenskerk,  Rotterdam, recorded through the Hauptwerk system.

This is volume 9 of this highly praised series. Volumes 10 and 11 have been recorded and are scheduled for release in 2019.

Carson Cooman is many things musical – organist and Composer in Residence at the Memorial Church, Harvard University; writer, critic and consultant, concert organist, and above all a highly prolific composer of music in a wide variety of genres, from orchestral to song.

His organ compositions come in many styles, from liturgical models, to more gritty and substantial pieces such as his organ symphonies and preludes and fugues. The music in this programme, all composed in 2016 and 2017, is varied and consists of concert pieces (though suitable for church use) as opposed to explicitly liturgical works.

Erik Simmons is a fine organist, making his seventh Cooman organ album for Divine Art. He is playing the Cavaillé-Coll organ of the Abbey of Saint-Etienne, Caen, France in a live performance recorded through the Hauptwerk system.

This is volume 7 of this highly praised series. Volumes 8-13 are now also available.

Carson Cooman is many things musical – organist and Composer in Residence at the Memorial Church, Harvard University; writer, critic and consultant, concert organist, and above all a highly prolific composer of music in a wide variety of genres, from orchestral to song.

His organ compositions come in many styles, from liturgical models, to more gritty and substantial pieces such as his organ symphonies and preludes and fugues. Much of the music here, tonal and accessible though never lacking in complex chromaticism, was written for and dedicated to the German composer Andreas Willscher whose works Cooman is also recording for Divine Art.

Erik Simmons is a fine organist, making his sixth Cooman organ album for Divine Art. He is playing the Cavaillé-Coll organ of the Abbey of Saint-Etienne, Caen, France in a live performance recorded through the Hauptwerk system.

This is volume 6 of this highly praised series. (Now up to volume 13)

Carson Cooman is many things musical – organist and Composer in Residence at the Memorial Church, Harvard University; writer, critic and consultant, concert organist, and above all a highly prolific composer of music in a wide variety of genres, from orchestral to song.

His organ compositions come in many styles, from those inspired by the Renaissance, to liturgical models, to more gritty and substantial pieces such as his organ symphonies and preludes and fugues. The music on this album is very suitable for both concert and church performance and is at the ‘traditional, tonal’ end of the Cooman spectrum: works of intense beauty and wide appeal.

Erik Simmons is a fine organist, making his fourth Cooman organ album for Divine Art. He is playing the organ of the Church of St. Peter & Paul in Weissenau, Germany (built 1787) in a live performance recorded through the Hauptwerk system.