Holiday Pipes by John Schwandt

John Schwandt directs the American Organ Institute, the only school in the world that trains pipe organ builders. But Schwandt is equally a world-class performer and improvisator, as this new holiday release illustrates. Using surprising—and often comic—tune pairings such as “Deck the Halls with Frankincense and Myrrh on a Clear Midnight,” Schwandt plays up a storm. The improvisations are as thrilling as they are ingenious. The disk ends with the University of Oklahoma choirs joining Schwandt for Silent Night. (Order by emailing aoi@ou.edu.)