TAMPA - When Simon Morley first heard a pipe organ as a child at church in his hometown in southwest England, he said, he discovered his calling.
"I was captivated by its sound, its grandeur, its majesty and what it could do. And I suppose rather like a kid wanders onto the flight deck of a 747 and says, 'I want to fly one of these things,' it was the same for me and the organ.''
Morley, who is set to perform at London's Westminster Abbey this summer, will play the pipe organ during the annual Bach Birthday Bash March 20 at Hyde Park United Methodist Church. Morley is organist and choir master at St. John's Episcopal Church in Hyde Park.
The event, in its 19th year, is hosted by the Tampa Chapter of the American Guild of Organists to honor musical master Johann Sebastian Bach, born March 21, 1685. Admission is free, though donations are requested. Proceeds will go to scholarships for students who want to play the organ.
"You'll get to hear Bach in a variety of ways that's just, 'Oh, wow,' '' said Richard Ferlita, a board member and organizer of the Bach bash. After the concert, the audience members are invited to have cake to celebrate the great man's birthday. Selections include Fantasy in G Minor BWV 542; Prelude from Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major BWV 1012; Jesu, meine Freude BWV 227; Prelude and Fugue in C Major BWV 547.
Michael Dougherty, director of music at Hyde Park United Methodist - who will conduct the choir at the birthday bash - said Bach's music "kind of went away'' after his 1750 death and did not become popular again until the late 19th century.
""When it came back, it came back with a vengeance,'' he said.
A pianist, cellist, oboist and hand bell ringer will also perform pieces by Bach, along with the choir and Morley demonstrating the majesty of the pipe organ.
"Pipe organs live and breathe,'' Morley said. "They are all custom-designed for their surroundings, and so the pipes move air. And they have personalities a bit like we do. They're rather like old ladies , they don't like it too wet, too cold, too hot or too dry.''
With contemporary religious music becoming popular in more and more churches, there isn't as much of a demand for pipe organs as in the past. The instruments are expensive: the mid-sized one at Hyde Park United Methodist cost about 3 million.
"They all work on the same principle - as a car would - but they're all different,'' Morley said.
"That's part of the excitement of what we do, playing different instruments in these wonderful buildings.''
Contact Philip Morgan at pmorgan@tampabay.com.