A Bach-a-thon is going on today, March 3, at Christ Cathedral
Jimothy James
Former Crystal Cathedral Organist Tom Leonard plays the Hazel Wright Organ during Bach-a-thon 2025 inside Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA, on Monday, March 3, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Former Crystal Cathedral Organist Tom Leonard plays the Hazel Wright Organ during Bach-a-thon 2025 inside Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA, on Monday, March 3, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Charles Raasch, Christ Cathedral Sub-Organist, plays the Hazel Wright Organ during Bach-a-thon 2025 inside Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA, on Monday, March 3, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Charles Raasch, Christ Cathedral Sub-Organist, plays the Hazel Wright Organ during Bach-a-thon 2025 inside Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA, on Monday, March 3, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Organist Bruce Neswick, Artist-in-Residence at St. James by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, listens as former Crystal Cathedral Organist Tom Leonard plays the Hazel Wright Organ during Bach-a-thon 2025 inside Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA, on Monday, March 3, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Former Crystal Cathedral Organist Tom Leonard plays the Hazel Wright Organ during Bach-a-thon 2025 inside Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA, on Monday, March 3, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Visitors to Bach-a-thon 2025 listen as Charles Raasch, Christ Cathedral Sub-Organist, plays the Hazel Wright Organ inside Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA, on Monday, March 3, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Visitors to Bach-a-thon 2025 listen as former Crystal Cathedral Organist Tom Leonard plays the Hazel Wright Organ inside Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA, on Monday, March 3, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Charles Raasch, Christ Cathedral Sub-Organist, plays the Hazel Wright Organ during Bach-a-thon 2025 inside Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA, on Monday, March 3, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Former Crystal Cathedral Organist Tom Leonard plays the Hazel Wright Organ during Bach-a-thon 2025 inside Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA, on Monday, March 3, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Charles Raasch, Christ Cathedral Sub-Organist, plays the Hazel Wright Organ during Bach-a-thon 2025 inside Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA, on Monday, March 3, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Former Crystal Cathedral Organist Tom Leonard plays the Hazel Wright Organ during Bach-a-thon 2025 inside Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA, on Monday, March 3, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
There is a bacchanalia of a musical party going on at the Christ Cathedral today, or really a Bach-analia.
The cathedral is hosting a Bach-a-thon with the Southern California Chapters of the American Guild of Organists, involving musicians performing the works of Johann Sebastian Bach throughout the day.
The music started at 6 a.m. this morning and is set to continue until 1 a.m. as the musicians continuously play through all of Bach’s original pieces.
“I’m a Bach nerd, I’ll play Bach anytime,” said Charles Raasch, who had just finished performing his contributions Monday. Raasch is a substitute organist for the cathedral. “I’ve played at a lot of places, but this acoustic is really nice. It is a nicely appointed instrument.”
The organ at Christ Cathedral is the fifth largest in the world, with more than 17,000 pipes that were filling in the rich sound of Bach’s works on Monday. Choral groups are also joining in for some of the pieces.
