Those who have heard her play say that Dr. Carol A. Williams will "blow the cobwebs off your image of the King of Instruments." On Jan. 13, Williams will present an organ recital at Sacred Heart Retreat House in Alhambra. Sponsored by the Carmelite Sisters, the 7 p.m. concert is billed as a "thrilling evening of recital music."

Williams is the San Diego Civic organist and the director of the Spreckles Organ Society --- the first woman to be appointed to such a position in the United States. A native of Great Britain, Williams studied at London's Royal Academy of Music as well as Paris and finally Yale University.

Williams has been a guest performer with a number of leading orchestras including the BBC Concert Orchestra and, more recently, the Beijing Symphony. She has also featured in the video "Carol Williams: A Musical Tour of Blenheim Palace" having previously recorded a CD, "Music from Blenheim Palace."

Devoting much of her time giving organ concerts, Williams has played in Prague, Germany, the United Kingdom and historic monasteries in Poland. She is an expert in playing all schools of classical music written for the organ and, periodically, she loves to play jazz and ragtime styles on the organ.

For more information about the concert, call the retreat center, (626) 289-1353.