Large video screen captures the organist’s keyboard work at the console of the Spreckels Organ at summer concerts.

Summer Festival Kickoff Packs the House An estimated 3,000 enthusiastic fans filled the for the June 24th premiere concert of the International Organ Festival, featuring Raúl Prieto Ramírez on the organ together with drummer “T- Bone” Larson, guitar players Andrew McKeag and Ariel Levine with Kenseth Thibideau on bass, plus vocalists Lauren Leigh Martin and Ryan Kuntz. Thanks to concert sponsors Tan and Anh Nguyen, John Fankhauser and Robert Fullerton, and to Beverly Stebbins (at left), who used the occasion to celebrate her birthday! Mark Your Calendar: On July 1, Civic Organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez offered a solo concert on the Coming Up at the Organ Pavilion...

Spreckels organ, heralded by District 3 representa- Saturday, August 31 tive Chris Ward (at right), followed on July 8 by David Wickerham and on The Spreckels Organ plays every Sunday, rain or shine, at 2 p.m July 15 by Rising Stars Aaron Tan and Luke Staisiunas, followed by an Movie Night will conclude the for a free public concert in the heart of Balboa Park. summer season as the Spreck- amazing duo concert with Peter Richard Conte and Matthew Ennis Here are additional special dates at the Organ Pavilion: els Organ Society joins the (featuring a double rainbow; click here for more), and then a surprise appearance by Pacific Southwest Railway Tuesday, August 13—6:30 p.m. “Twilight in the Park” Concert features Raúl David La’O Ball as a substitute for Hector Olivera. The concerts continue: Museum to celebrate the Prieto Ramírez on the Spreckels Organ. Friends of Balboa Park hosts a free Ice 100th anniversary of the San Monday, August 5 – Thomas Ospital, France Cream Social at this concert. Diego & Arizona Railway, Monday, August 12 – Isabelle Demers, USA/Canada which was built by John D. Monday, August 19 – Gunnar Idenstam, Sweden Saturday, August 31 — 7:30 p.m. San Diego International Organ Festival Finale Spreckels and completed in Summer 2019 Monday, August 26 – San Diego Civic Organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez and Symphonic 1919. Movie Night will fea- Concert: Clark Wilson plays for Movie Night, preceded at 5:30 p.m. by the ture “Chasing Choo Choos,” Musicians: Organ Duo, Trio, and Quintet In this issue Spreckels Organ Society’s Wine & Beer Taste Fundraiser at the Japanese Friend- which was filmed along the Saturday, August 31 – Silent Movie Night with Clark Wilson, USA San Diego & Arizona Railway ship Garden Letters from Leaders Preceded at 5:30pm with a Fundraising Party at the Japanese Friendship Garden. in San Diego’s back country. —Page 2 Saturday, October 26 – Members Trip to Baja Wineries Thursday, October 31 — Halloween Night Concert Wine/Beer Tasting Fundraiser Saturday, November 9 – Family Festival Concert - See upper right Saturday, November 30 - Community Christmas Center Opens - Organ Pavilion

Organ Students Friday, December 6 - December Nights, Park-wide —Page 3 Saturday, December 7 - December Nights, Park-wide Dear Music Lovers, success of the rock concert that closed the 2018 Festival, Dear Spreckels Friends: for the 2019 premiere concert we were expecting to ac- If you have attended any of our The 32nd International San Di- commodate a large crowd again. The Society arranged San Diego International Organ Festi- ego Organ Festival is here with for porta-potties, valet parking, and a VIP seating area val concerts on Monday nights, you some new improvements and al- (using 40 of the Pavilion’s 500+ benches). The valet and have seen some changes to our pro- ready great success. Two bright 86 VIP seating option helped to raise more than $2,000 for ductions. We recently acquired two -inch video screens located on concert expenses. The project was very kindly managed large video screens and small camer- both corners of the stage now offer by Society Trustee Tony Uribe. When the Society plans as to display the organist’s hands and our audience and visitors the expe- another Rock Concert, or for similar big-crowd occa- feet. The screens will also be used rience of watching close-ups of the sions (such as Movie Night), this approach will again be for our educational programs, includ- hands and feet of our artists as they perform. These used. Concerts at the Organ Pavilion are and will remain ing Fifth Grade in the Park and special member events screens can also project essential information about free of charge but, as our members know, they are not coming up later this year. We have also upgraded our each concert as the audience arrives, as well as during free to produce--! So, thank you for your continued kind sound equipment, and our technical wizards are working Young Organists Celebrated the intermissions. support that allows us to offer the best quality music on a couple of new CDs which will soon be available in Together with the American Guild of Organists / The Spreckels Organ in Balboa Park is a powerful right at the center of our beloved Balboa Park. our gift shop. San Diego Chapter, the Spreckels Organ Society en- tool that provides a pathway to new musical experi- Finally, it’s important to mention that the letters of Our rock concert was such a success last year that we courages young organists with the chance to play the ences and styles to very broad audiences, some of support from public officials included in the Festival decided to upgrade this year’s concert experience with Spreckels Organ. In 2019, two such Honors Concerts whom are listening to the “King of Instruments” and Program Book symbolize how our great task for the San improved sound and a light show. In keeping with the were held: June 2 and June 16. Student performers on high quality non-mainstream musical styles for the Diego Community and Balboa Park is being supported rock concert theme, we offered a VIP package, which is those dates included (above) Stephen Priest, Aska first time in their lives. I like to consider the Spreckels and appreciated. a standard offering at rock concerts. The VIP package Enomoto, Blake Bundschuh, Declan Bohley and Organ as the Museum of Music in Balboa Park, where In recognition of your steadfast support as members, included valet parking, reserved seats and a “goody bag” (below) Shane Cowell, Nathaniel Powell, Grace F. locals and visitors get to know all kinds of MUSIC in we are offering the first special members’ field trip to be with snacks, water, a CD and DVD. Purchasers who are and Sam Rudenberg. capital letters. The new video screens open a whole conducted in years, scheduled for October 26. Provided Spreckels Organ Society members also received a fleece new palette of possibilities to boost the honorable task by “Baja Wine Tour,” it’s a one-day round trip to the lap blanket with the Spreckels Organ Society logo. that the Society performs in the world of music and Guadalupe Valley in , starting and ending in Bal- The VIP package was very well received, and pro- the arts. boa Park. Wine tastings, landscape sight-seeing and vided us with income to offset the cost of the concert. It’s also very important to highlight the very gener- meals at wonderful restaurants. Please join our family of Although we receive very generous contributions from ous donation of a five-piece acoustical “shell” for the Music Lovers on such a great new event! concert sponsors, we still run a deficit with the summer stage created and donated by Curator Emeritus L.W. festival. If every person who attends a concert became a Blackinton & Associates. Performing with the Spreck- Raúl Prieto Ramírez / Civic Organist & Artistic Director Spreckels Organ Society member, or even contributed els Organ is becoming both very popular and desirable $5 or $10 at each concert, we would not have to look for for instrumentalists and choirs. Nevertheless these in- StopTab: A Quarterly published by the additional ways to pay for the concerts. But they don’t, struments are not designed to work with the world’s SPRECKELS ORGAN SOCIETY so we have to find ways to pay for the number and qual- largest open-air musical instrument, so amplification 1549 El Prado, Suite 10, San Diego CA 92101-1661 ity of concerts that we present. The city does provide for them is essential. The new shell dramatically im- (619) 702-8138 / [email protected] / www.SpreckelsOrgan.org part of the funding for the Sunday concerts and pays for proves the quality of such joint performances from Officers the upkeep of the organ, but the summer festival is paid many perspectives: it allows a much cleaner sound, President - Jean Samuels Vice President - Dang Nguyen for solely by the Spreckels Organ Society. Of course, since it blocks out the sound of the organ pipes from Treasurer - Tom Warschauer YOU are the Spreckels Organ Society, and we are so On July 15, three young organists received scholar- the microphones for singers or instrumentalists; it Secretary - Paul Saunders grateful for your support. ships from the Society: Blake Bundschuh in the Nov- brings the visual beauty of the stage to a professional The Beer and Wine Tasting fundraiser will be held level; and it allows guest musicians to properly listen Trustees ice Division; Shane Cowell in the Intermediate Divi- Manuel Aguilar Jared Jacobsen on Saturday, August 31, our last concert of the festival, sion; and Stephen Priest in the Advanced Division. to themselves while performing. In addition to the Gary Allard Robert Kilian which is also silent movie night. Tickets are $45 in ad- new shell, the Spreckels Organ Society – with the sup- Charles Ballinger Alfred Lewis Mitch Beauchamp Robert Plimpton vance, $50 at the door, and $40 for Spreckels Organ port of Trustee Gordon Stanley – has acquired new Andrea Card Paulette Rodgers-Leahy Society members who purchase tickets at the member- Presenting: the “Hammond Loaner” sound equipment to support the quality of these joint Brandon Carpenter Gordon Stanley ship table or the gift shop. The ticket includes wine, beer Thanks to a recent bequest by the family of Mrs. Ron DeFields Tony Uribe performances even further, while the City’s Park and from local breweries, hors d’oeuvre from a local bakery Gladys Miles, a mint-condition Hammond A-100 or- Bill Galante Tony Valencia gan will now be made available free of charge to Recreation Department has also improved the overall Dwight Gordon Antonia Villafranca and other appetizers, along with reserved seating in the sound system of the Pavilion. Charles Gunther Randy Ward organ pavilion. I hope to see you there! young organists in need of a practice instrument, as a Ralph Hughes Arlene Way VIP seating has been a long tradition of the loan from the Society according to need. Thanks to Spreckels Organ Society for underwriters of the Festi- Ex-Officio Trustees Sincerely, Brian Miles and to Bryan Lundquist for facilitating val concerts, while parking has long been a concern Lyle Blackinton—Curator Emeritus this gift. Ross Porter—Executive Director & StopTab Editor Jean Samuels for audience members. In view of the overwhelming Dale Sorenson—Curator President Raúl Prieto Ramírez—Artistic Director Page 2 ⧫ StopTab ⧫ Summer 2019 Page 3 ⧫ StopTab ⧫ Summer 2019