Organist Janette Fishell Launches Provine Chapel Concert Series
Her terrific performance Tuesday evening at the Mississippi College landmark was the first of five special Provine concerts during the 2009-2010 academic year.
"It was a beautiful performance, perfect for the occasion," said MC sophomore Tiffany Johnston. "It magnified the splendor of the sanctuary. I believe Provine Chapel should be commemorated not only for surviving the test of time and the Civil War, but for the sheer majesty of the place itself."
For start to finish, the chair of the Organ Department at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music was well-received as she performed selections from J.S. Bach and others.
Fishell "played Bach masterfully and even let her hair down with What A Friend I Have in Jesus," said MC music professor Bob Knupp.
An accomplished organist on the Clinton campus, Knupp arranged to bring Fishell to the Baptist-affiliated school. During her brief stay last week, Fishell also gave organ lessons to a handful of MC music students.
The MC organ was first installed at the historic chapel in 1969. It was designed by Billy Trotter, who taught at the Christian university for more than 30 years. The magnificent instrument received a major upgrade a couple of years ago.
Named in 1962 for one of the university's earliest presidents, John William Provine, the chapel was built in 1859-1860. Soon after it opened in the midst of the Civil War, the upstairs served as a hospital for the wounded troops of Northern General Ulysses S. Grant. The downstairs was the home to his horse stables. The chapel was the place for local Baptists to worship until First Baptist Church in Clinton was built in 1922.
Fishell's Provine birthday concert on Sept. 15 "was a good way to to start the celebration of the chapel," Knupp said. Some of the building's admirers like retired art professor Kenneth Quinn refer to the chapel on the Quad as "an MC icon."
As the concert began, Johnston says she was a bit skeptical, but "the moment she placed her fingers on the keys, I was captivated."
The MC student describes the chapel as "a place where time seems to stand still, and a sense of peace overwhelms. One can't help but feel a certain feeling of reverence towards it."
Fishell's widely acclaimed performances have taken her to many of the world's finest stages around the United States, Asia and Europe. From Tokyo to Paris to Harvard University, she's got legions of fans.
The appreciative Mississippians on the Clinton campus were delighted the Indiana University graduate added Mississippi College's oldest building to her concert list this fall.
Her next stop will be a concert at Nashville's Covenant Presbyterian Church. A new organ will be unveiled at the Tennessee church when Fishell performs.
For more information on the Provine Chapel concert series presented by the MC Department of Music, contact Linda Edwards at 601.925.3440.
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