"A crowd pleasing performance."
(The American Organist)
"Nothing short of electrifying."
(American Record Guide )
"The Chenaults are consummate performers. They know how to relate to an audience, choose repertoire to reach them, and have an elegant, unaffected stage presence. Their tandem negotiation of the console is handled with efficiency and ease. The audience was in the palms of their hands throughout the evening."
(The American Organist)
"Double or triple solo lines over lush accompaniments that would be impossible with only two hands."
(St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
"Elizabeth and Raymond Chenault are noted practitioners of the art of two performers-one organ." (The New York Times)
"The audience ate it up!"
(The Post & Courier,
Charleston, SC)
"Everything was played with the kind of virtuosic security that made you pay attention to the music, not the performers.... Probably the world's premiere duo-organ team." (Atlanta Journal/Atlanta Constitution)
"Virtuosic, non-stop attention...the Chenaults showed mastery of the various idioms."(The Los Angeles Times)
"One of the most delightful evenings of music I have ever encountered." (John-Paul Buzard, organ builder, Champaign IL)
"First rate performance, and they were as delightful as personalities as was their music. Their program was most enjoyable, not to 'high-brow' for an average audience, including tunes that everybody knew." (Mark Jones, First Presbyterian Church, Pompano Beach FL, presenter)
"Magnificent! They gave a performance we will long remember as one of the highlights of our chapter's history." (The Rev. Thadius J. Platt, Rhode Island Chapter AGO, presenter)"Huge success...The Chenaults' musicianship is unequalled, and their playing was clean, articulate, and accurate, yet all the while extremely musical." (Dr. Larry Visser, LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed church, Grand Rapids MI)
"The Chenaults are consummate performers. The audience was in the palms of their hands throughout the evening." (The American Organist)
"Hats off to the splendid and classy Chenaults....Their international reputation is its own recommendation."
(The Diapason)
"The Chenaults played with verve, style and infectious enthusiasm throughout the program of organ works for four hands....The crowd loved it."
(The Richmond News Leader,Virginia)
"The Chenault performance was well attended, enthusiastically received and made to order. The audience ate it up!" (The Post & Courier, Charleston)
“CHENAULT DUO PACKS TWICE THE PUNCH …The Chenaults made tasteful and judicious use of the organ’s bountiful resources…and brought the audience to its feet.” (The Birmingham News, AL, 2011)
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Elizabeth & Raymond Chenault
America's Famous
Duo Organists
Elizabeth and Raymond Chenault's frequent performances throughout the United States and Europe, their best selling recordings, and sizable contribution to the organ duet literature through their commissions have made "organ four hands, four feet" virtually synonymous with "the Chenaults."The Chenaults' duet career began in 1979 when Arthur Wills of England's Ely Cathedral composed "Toccata for Two" for them. This was followed by John Rutter's "Variations on An Easter Theme". Other commissions (composers now number over 40 and include Gaston Litaize, Naji Hakim, Ronald Arnatt, Stephen Paulus, Charles Callahan, Alan Gibbs, Gerre Hancock, Douglas Major, Phillip Moore, Daniel Pinkham, Myron Roberts, Richard Shepherd, Conrad Susa, Paul Lindsley Thomas Robert Hobby, Francis Jackson and Bruce Neswick) followed and the Chenaults were soon performing extensively each season.
They have been featured artists at conferences and conventions of the American Guild of Organists, the American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies, the Association of Anglican Musicians, and in Charleston during the Spoleto Festival. Recitals at such locations as the Crystal Cathedral, Washington National Cathedral, St. Paul's Cathedral in London, York Minster and the Birmingham Town Hall in England have highlighted their schedule.
Mr. and Mrs. Chenault, natives of Virginia, completed music degrees at Virginia Commonwealth University . Mr. Chenault received his Master of Music degree in organ performance from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Upon graduation Mr. Chenault became a Fellow in Church Music at Washington Cathedral. Teachers have included Harold Abmyer, Arthur Poister, Wayne Fisher, Paul Callaway, Lawrence Robinson, and John Fenstermaker.
Since 1975 the Chenaults have been Organists and Choirmasters of All Saints' Episcopal Church in Atlanta. After 31 years they retired in 2007 from the Lovett School where they taught choral music. The duo's recitals have been featured on public radio's "Pipedreams" and "Performance Today." They record for Gothic Records, have been named "Organists of the Year" by Sacred Music USA, and their commissioned works have been published by Warner Brothers/Belwin Mills as The Chenault Organ Duet Library.
“A total success. The concert was superb, and the audience loved them.” (Dr. Edwin A. Rieke, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, San Antonio TX retired, presenter 2010)
“Much beautiful sound which took full advantage of the wide range of sonorities and the impressive skills of the Chenaults.” (Sarasota Herald Tribune FL)
“First-rate playing—musical, rhythmical, colourful and infectiously enjoyable—and a thoroughly interesting programme.” (Organists’ Review, England)