Organ Recital: Kenneth Corneille

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Fantasia & Fugue in A Minor, BWV 561

Médéric Corneille (?-1731)
organist at Notre Dame de Paris (1689-1730)
Five Songs (tr. Ken Corneille)
   1. Brillantes fleurs (shining flowers)
   2. Dure loi du péché (severe law of sinfulness)
   3. Grand Dieu (Great God)
   4. Si vous avez beaucoup (if you have a lot)
   5. Une éternelle inquiétude (an eternal worry)

McNeil Robinson (1943-2015)
Dismas Variations (1980)

 

Kenneth Corneille has been an organist/music director/music minister/cantor at many parishes in the New York Archdiocese. His most recent position is at Saint Anthony's Parish in Yonkers, where he serves as music director and organist/choir director and cantor. Ken is an active recitalist and has played in many churches in the United States and Canada. He performs in recital with his wife Peggy, who is a flutist, in many church venues. He is also a published composer and arranger.

Since 2018, Ken has composed fifteen symphonies, a suite for two tenor saxophones and piano, a suite for piccolo trumpet and piano, two suites for oboe and string quartet, a suite for string quartet and double bass, a string quartet, a suite for tenor saxophone, percussion, bass and piano and 135 preludes and fugues for piano since COVID started in March 2020. He’s also written three masses, the latest being Mass for Justice and Hope, for liturgical use in the Roman Catholic liturgy during this period.

Ken Corneille formed a group called Infinite Lights (flute, B-flat clarinet, tenor saxophone, electrified acoustic guitar, double bass, percussion and soprano) in 2018 that plays Jewish music. The last venue that they played was at Drew University in New Jersey in February of 2020 as part of the Peace Islands initiative. Since 2021, the group has played in many temples and churches in the New York City area. All the music that Infinite Lights performs was either composed and/or arranged by Ken Corneille.

Ken is also a singer (baritone) who in June of 2022 sang Bach Cantata #82 “Ich have genug” with string quartet and oboe and a program called Music from the Isles (featuring melodies and songs from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England) that was arranged for flute, oboe, harp and uillean pipes by Ken Corneille.

Ken also teaches privately organ, piano, voice, improvisation and composition. Ken graduated from Saint John's University (B.A.) and from Queens College (M.A.). He studied organ performance with McNeil Robinson, music composition with Nicolas Flagello and voice with Arlene Adler and Maurice Stern.