Virgil Fox was one of the most popular, innovative, admired, and controversial organists of the 20th Century. While stories and anecdotes about him abound, they mostly center around the second half of his life, the years following his appointment as Organist of the Riverside Church in New York City in May 1946. Almost no biographical information has been published about the first half of his life – until now. This book sets out to fill that void. Virgil Fox – In The Beginning, examines many of the people and factors that shaped the artist who emerged from a small farming town in Illinois to reimagine the art of organ playing and expand the organ's traditional role as a church instrument into that of a concert instrument. The author has uncovered some surprising facts about Fox's youth, information previously unknown to even his closest associates, and provides answers to many questions people have wondered about for years, such as: What was Virgil Fox's family life like as a youth? What was life like for him in Princeton, Illinois' schools and at the Peabody Conservatory of Music? Who were his music teachers, what methods did they employ, and what was his relationship with each of them? What musical competitions did Virgil enter, in which did he win first place and in which did he not? What compositions did he play in his early years? How did his concert career develop and what role did friends and relatives play in it? What did music critics have to say about his early performances? When, where (and possibly how) did Virgil Fox meet W. Richard Weagly, the man with whom he would form a partnership for most of his adult life? What churches hired Virgil Fox, what were his dates of service, what kind of organ did each one have, and which churches did he join? What were his exact dates of service in the Army Air Force and as Head of the Organ Department at the Peabody Conservatory and what happened during those years? How did he obtain the position of Organist at the Riverside Church and how did his relationship with John D. Rockefeller, Jr. develop there?
This book contains information gleaned from hundreds of hours of historical research, and it includes a detailed chronology of the first 34 years of Virgil Fox's life, a look at his hometown of Princeton, IL and his ancestry there, mini-portraits of the main people in his life, and specifications of many of the important organs he played. It often quotes Virgil's own words to illustrate a point but also includes the author's observations and remembrances from attending many Fox performances and Master Classes in the 1960s. Rather than an academic biography, the author has chosen to write an informal history without footnotes and with few technical musical terms. While familiarity with pipe organ nomenclature is helpful, this book may be enjoyed by anyone who wishes to learn about the early life and career of the iconic American organist, Virgil Fox.