Long-serving faculty member Lawrence Archbold will be giving his final Carleton recital this Sunday, April 24th, 2016 at 3:30 PM in the Concert Hall. Archbold has worked as Professor of Music and the College Organist at Carleton since 1982. Some of his many accomplishments include having presented papers at national meetings of both the American Musicological Society and the American Guild of Organists, having co-edited French Organ Music from the Revolution to Franck and Widor, a volume of essays on nineteenth-century French organ music, and having played over one hundred and fifty solo organ concerts.
Over the course of his time at Carleton, Archbold has taught a range of classes, from the traditional music history sequence, to classes in Symphony and Opera, and a course in Music and Gender. He has been quite popular among Carleton’s music students; this is best illustrated by the fact that the music department’s button for new music majors most recently had a picture of Larry printed on them.
Larry’s organ playing has filled the halls of the chapel countless times and been an integral part of students and faculties’ experiences of opening convocation, honors convocation, and more. He has made an impact not only on the music department, but also on the Carleton community at large.
In Professor of Music Melinda Russell’s words, “Larry has been a College and departmental citizen of the most excellent imaginable variety, serving repeatedly and cheerfully (and ‘cheerful’ is always a good description of Larry) in some of the most time-consuming capacities — the grants committee, department chair, helping to figure music teaching loads for dozens of applied faculty, etc. In every circumstance, Larry is both kind and incisive, marshaling institutional history and common sense alike.”
Archbold’s performances are heartfelt, and full of the integrity that those familiar with his personality have come to expect. Notably, he almost always performs without applause, and without an intermission; in this way his concerts are all about purely experiencing music.
His concerts also represent the power of quiet and calm that is an integral and respected aspect of his personality. “Larry has been the quiet heart of the department,” says Music Department Chair Nikki Melville, “and we will miss his calm demeanor, his great institutional and departmental wisdom, and his willingness to always listen and consider all perspectives. His is a great example of integrity and leadership from which I hope we have all learned.”
Professor of Music Justin London agrees when he says, “Most of all, I will miss Larry’s quiet voice. Larry has constantly reminded me that sometimes it is the quietest voice that speaks the loudest.”