The legendary late American organist, composer and pedagogue McNeil Robinson was especially prized for his skill at improvisation: a rare discipline largely restricted to European masters of the organ. Many distinguished composers of his day – including Marcel Dupré, Ned Rorem, Lukas Foss and Vincent Persichetti – were his regular collaborators, providing thematic materials for his peerless improvisatory events.

Robinson himself regarded this revelatory 21 March 2006 performance of improvisations on the fourteen Stations of the Cross – a treasured ritual of sacred Christian liturgy – as the finest of his improvisatory efforts. His dying wish was to have it released to the musical public as the pinnacle of his storied legacy, hence this marvelous live recording of the event.

Based on themes provided by Ned Rorem.

Tracklisting:
1. Jesus is condemned to death
2. Jesus takes up his Cross
3. Jesus falls the first time
4. Jesus meets his afflicted mother
5. The Cross is laid on Simon of Cyrene
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
7. Jesus falls the second time
8. Jesus meets the Women of Jerusalem
9. Jesus falls the third time
10. Jesus is stripped of his garments
11. Jesus is nailed to the Cross
12. Jesus dies on the Cross
13. Jesus’s body is placed in the arms of his mother
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb