Ago Conventions, 1914-1939

AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS CENTENNIAL AGO CONVENTIONS, 1914-1939 Arthur Lawrence, AAGO, ChM For most AGO members in the latter part round-table session dealt with "Choir Work: of the 20th century, active membership in Second Convention Its Difficulties and Inspirations" and infor the organization is based on participation at mal receptions took the place of a closing the chapter level, receiving both national American Guild of Organists banquet. Five organbuilders-Skinner, and chapter publications, and attendance at of the Steere, Austin, Odell, and Moiler-partic national conventions. Members today are United States and Canada ipated in a display of organ consoles. used to the concept of having a national con vention every other year, but it was not al The 1920s: Locations Away from New York ways that way. The first conventions (1914- As early as 1915, the AGO Registrar's 25) seem to have been scheduled on an ad Record notes that there was interest in hold hoc basis, after which they occurred every ing a convention somewhere other than New year for a period. The schedule of biennial York: San Diego, San Francisco, and Oberlin conventions was not established until 1939, were all mentioned. The nod eventually then interrupted by World War II, and re went to the Ohio conservatory town, pre sumed in 1948. sumably because of its organs and ability to When the AGO was founded in 1896, it house a fair number of people at one institu was chartered by the Board of Regents of the tion. Not only was the location new but the University of the State of New York as an ed timing was different: the third national con ucational organization. Education was in vention took place June 22-24, 1920, in deed the chief concern of the New York Oberlin, Ohio. based founders, although there was an early The four-manual Skinner organ in Finney push to establish chapters in various parts of Chapel was the location for recitals by The College of the City of New York the country. There also was interest in pre Charles Courboin, Eric DeLamarter, Lynn St. Nicholas Terrace at One Hundred and Thirty·Ninth Street senting organ recitals in each area, but the wood Farnam, Edwin Arthur Kraft, Rollo � idea of a convention did not surface until Maitland, and William E. Zeuch, and Fred 1914, when, at the Guild's annual meeting, December 26-27-28, 1917 erick W. Schleider gave an improvisation held May 7 at the Hotel Gerard in New York demonstration. The unsigned review in The City, "Mr. Hatfield, of California, made re Diapason of July 1920 (probably by editor marks concerning a possible Convention or S.E. Gruenstein) hailed the events as "three Congress of Organists in San Francisco next the second day ended with a banquet at the days filled to overflowing with the best work year. Others spoke on the same subject. .. " Hotel McAlpin, attended by approximately of some of the greatest recitalists of the Unit (AGO Registrar's Record 1910-1915). A mo one hundred. ed States," going on to note that the "rich diet tion was made and carried, showing it to be Only a few months after this initial con would better have been spread over 30 days the sense of this meeting that a convention be vention, discussions began about the next than over three." This review praised all the held at some time in the near future, and 18 convention. On August 14, 1916, an official performers but noted particularly the ele members went on record as favoring a time national Convention Committee was ap gance of Farnam's playing and the vitality of between December 1914 and January 1915. pointed, with S. Lewis Elmer as its chairman. Courboin's Franck (Grande Piece sym Subsequent discussions considered other The next convention was then scheduled for phonique and Piece heroi"que). Charles Hein times, including the summer, but December December 26-28, 1917, again in New York roth canceled his recital on two days' notice 29-30, 1914, was the time eventually cho City, at the College of the City of New York, because of an attack of neuritis, this despite sen, with New York City as the natural site. St. Nicholas Terrace at 139th Street. Six or the fact that he had already made a special ganists gave recitals, two of them-Charles trip from Pittsburgh to practice at Oberlin. The Earliest Conventions Heinroth and Samuel A. Baldwin-having The organ builder Ernest M. Skinner was a According to a report in The New Music appeared at the first convention. They were featured speaker and his presentation on re Review of February 1915, "The first National joined by Charles M. Courboin, organist of cent American organbuilding was well re Convention of the American Guild of Organ the First Baptist Church in Syracuse, N.Y., ceived. In spite of early publicity that sug ists has become a memory of the past. What but later to be at St. Patrick's Cathedral in gested that Midwesterners could easily reach it has accomplished remains to be seen. The New York City; Richard Tattersall, organist Oberlin by train, the total number registering good comradeship throughout was in evi of Old St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, for the convention was just 130. The Diapa dence on all sides and all those present Toronto; W. Lynnwood Farnam, organist of son commented on the pleasant weather, seemed to appreciate the opportunity of Emmanuel Church, Boston, also later to be in which, in addition to pleasing the visitors, meeting together." Compared to later con New York City at the Church of the Holy brought a circus parade to town. Serendipi ventions, this one was fairly limited, but it Communion; and Gaston M. Dethier, profes tous timing caused the calliope, which was a beginning. Events took place at sor of organ at the Institute of Musical Art brought up the rear of the parade, to pass Columbia University, where four recitalists (later the Juilliard School of Music), New Finney Chapel short!y after the conclusion of performed in the chapel: Charles Heinroth, York, N.Y. Lynnwood Farnam's recital! Pittsburgh municipal organist; Samuel A. The program content ranged from Hein An interesting point that came up at the Baldwin, of the City College of New York; roth 's all-Bach (a lecture recital on "The Oberlin convention was a vote by those as William C. Hammond, of Mount Holyoke Emotional Element in Bach's Organ Music") sembled to join the National Association of College; and James T. Quarles, organist of to Tattersall's "Ride of the Valkyries" to Far Organists (NAO) in a cooperative convention Cornell University. Interwoven with the nam's playing of the complete Sixth Sym the following year, which would mark the recitals were a number of addresses on sub phony by Widor. Addresses throughout the 25th anniversary of the Guild, but for various jects ranging from "Music Appreciation as a three days were devoted to such subjects of reasons this idea did not come to fruition. National Asset" to "In what way can the Or interest as "The Modern Cantata," "Chil The NAO held its 1921 convention in ganists' Guild unite with the Ministry in en dren's Choirs in Non-Liturgical Churches," Philadelphia without help from the AGO, hancing the dignity and beauty of the non and "The Organist and the Church." The not followed by ones in Chicago (1922). liturgical service?" Given the interest in ed composer Horatio Parker spoke on "Mod Rochester, New York (1923), Atlantic City education, it is not surprising that there was ern Church Anthems" and was quoted in The (1924), and Cleveland (1925). Of course, a discussion session on the Guild examina Evening Post as labeling such music "weedy many organists belonged to both organiza tions. The first day closed with a service at and showing a lack of economy." He saw the tions. For its part, the AGO celebrated its St. Thomas Church, with music led by or revival of earlier music to be encouraging, quarter-century mark with a festival service ganist-choirmaster T. Tertius Noble, while noting "We may get back to Gibbons yet." A at New York City's Trinity Church on April 52 THE AMERICAN ORGANIST Charles Heinroth Lynnwood Farnam Ernest M. Skinner 13, 1921. The Northern and Southern Cali Herbert Hyde, organist-choirmaster of St. Washington, D.C., was the location of the fornia AGO chapters hosted a successful re Luke's. 1927 sixth general convention, which took gional convention in Los Angeles, June Back in Chicago proper the next day, Al place June 28-30. Although the official hotel 25-28, 1923, but another national conven bert Riemenschneider performed works of was the Hamilton, the Church of the tion did not take place until June 16-18, James H. Rogers, Bach, and Widor on the Epiphany on G Street served as headquarters 1925, in Chicago, Illinois. four-manual Austin at St. James Episcopal as well as the site of a Guild service, with The Chicago convention, attended by 200 Church, where Leo Sowerby would become music directed by organist-choirmaster registrants from 27 chapters, was headquar organist-choirmaster two years later. The Adolf Torovsky. Featured organs were the tered at the Congress Hotel, where a recep closing event of the convention was a recital large new Moller at the Washington Audito tion opened the events. Kimball Hall, with of music by Thiele, Debussy, Demercaux, rium, played by Rollo Maitland, and the its new four-manual Kimball organ, was the Ravel, Bonnet, Stoughton, Rachmaninoff, Skinner in the Coolidge Auditorium of the site of many activities: recitals by John Pachelbel, Palmgren, and Middelschulte, Library of Congress, played by Charlotte Knowles Weaver (who, as dean of the East played by Hugo Goodwin, municipal organ Klein.

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