This is one of my favorite recordings of Christmas music. The music is everything I admire, melodic, sensitive, colorful, contrasting, dignified. The organ is a survivor from the Victorian age, the oldest 3 manual organ in the US. The village of Round Lake, New York, boasts an auditorium containing this unique instrument which is perfectly suited to this musical program. The booklet contains a brief history and specification of the organ in English, French, and German. $14.00.

Agnes Armstrong made this recording in 1999 in the Round Lake Auditorium on the III/42 Richard Ferris (1847) which was built for Calvary Episcopal Church in New York City then moved and installed in the auditorium by Giles Beach (1888). Armstrong’s choice of music is admirable—perfect for this organ, and she plays with the sensibility of a musician and historian, making bold statements, gentle comments, and accompanying the soloist with support, grace, and finesse. She holds degrees from the State University of New York at Albany, the College of Saint Rose, and New York University, and has been awarded many organ-related honors. She gives lectures and plays concerts in the US and in France.