The mission of the American Guild of Organists is to enrich lives through organ and choral music. The Dean’s Message October 2013 Chapter Officers Dean Dear Members and Friends, Sheri Peterson [email protected] Recently, I’ve been doing some research for a paper at school and read about Sub-Dean the guilds that existed in France during the eighteenth century. As I studied Jack Stoneman how they functioned and what their purpose was, they seemed rather exclusive. [email protected] It caused me to think about the origins of the American Guild of Organists, its Registrar & Treasurer David Chamberlin purpose, and whether or not it seems exclusive to “outsiders.” I reread the [email protected] AGO’s official document online, and I’d like to share a portion of it with you. Secretary Jennifer Morgan The American Guild of Organists (AGO) is the national professional [email protected] association serving the organ and choral music fields. The Guild serves Newsletter Editor approximately 20,000 members in more than 300 chapters throughout the Miranda Wilcox United States and abroad. Founded in 1896 as both an educational and [email protected] service organization, the Guild seeks to set and maintain high musical Web Master DeeAnn Stone standards and to promote understanding and appreciation of all aspects of [email protected] organ and choral music. Historian Judy Wright Under the leadership of the National Council, a network of volunteer [email protected] committees and officials at the regional, district, and local levels directs the Education activities of the Guild. The AGO National Headquarters is in New York Lori Serr, CAGO City where a full time staff supports and coordinates publication, [email protected] administration, and development activities of the organization. For Publicity Mark Clark purposes of administration and representation, the Guild is divided into [email protected] nine geographical regions, and each chapter is assigned to one of them. Photographer Kari Nay The American Guild of Organists and the Associated Pipe Organ Builders [email protected] of America (APOBA) share a mutually beneficial association, a BYU Student Representative collaboration that has existed since 1975. For several decades this Kymberly Stone [email protected] relationship has been strengthened by financial contributions from APOBA Members-at-Large and its members in support of the AGO and its Pipe Organ Encounters Florence Hawkinson (POE) program. The AGO has responded with generous provisions for [email protected] bringing news from APOBA and its members to the organ public. Carol Dean (http://www.agohq.org/about/about.html) [email protected] Linda Rehart I’m sure that we would all agree that it is a privilege to be associated with the [email protected] AGO. I hope that as we strive to widen the circle this year that we can assist Lella Pomeroy others in understanding what the guild really is, an educational and service [email protected] oriented organization. Let’s try to be inclusive, rather than exclusive of others. Sincerely, Sheri 1 Sheri Upcoming Events At the Bench by Miranda Wilcox Utah Valley Chapter Meetings This spring I learned Oct 21 Master class with Jeremy Filsell, Madsen Recital Hall, BYU, 5:00 pm Méditation, the second of Louis Vierne’s Trois improvisations. In Nov 16 Pedals, Pipes, and Pizza, Provo Central Stake Center, 10:00 am December 1928, Vierne Jan Organ Tour in SLC recorded three improvisations live on the Cavaillé-Coll organ Feb Hymn Sing Workshop of Notre-Dame de Paris. It was March Chapter Bach Recital one of the first phonograph recording session of the April Super Saturday electronic age. His student, May Chapter Hymn Sing Maurice Duruflé, transcribed the improvisations in 1953. Organ Recitals Duruflé wrote, “What tender emotion, what sweet Oct 6 Jean-Baptiste Robin from Chapelle Royale du Château de Versailles melancholy in the Méditation. Cathedral of the Madeleine, 8:00 pm Vierne possess . the art of Oct 18, 19 Richard Elliott and Timpanogos Symphony Orchestra making the organ sing, of Timberline Middle School, 500 W Canyon Crest Road, Alpine, 7:30 pm leading a melody, of developing it with Oct 20 Dongho Lee from Christ Church in Charlotte, North Carolina inexhaustible breath, of Cathedral of the Madeleine, 8:00 pm varying it to great effect, of Oct 23 Jeremy Filsell from Washington National Cathedral taking it up again under Tabernacle, Temple Square, 7:30 pm another form, and all of this, which is constructed and Nov 3 Isabelle Demers from Baylor University logical, like a written piece, Cathedral of the Madeleine, 8:00 pm blossoms with abandon, with a naturalness, a rare sensitivity. And what charm, what freshness in the modulations! Please Join Us Vierne knows how to reconcile Jeremy Filsell, renowned organist and artist-in-residence at Washington National the two extremes, that is to say Cathedral, will be visiting BYU in October. UVAGO members are invited to attend the rigor of logic and the a master class and recital by Filsell. Details are below. Filsell is replacing Ulrich fantasy of the imagination. He Bohme, organist of Thomaskirche in Leipzig, who had canceled his visit. The doesn’t drop his theme for an instant. Nor does he forget the chapter had planned to attend Bohme’s master class and recital for our October principal key in the course of activity, and when we heard he was not coming, we hastily planned an informal his tonal escapes. He calls it music share activity, which members received an email about last weekend. We back furtively with a delightful only just found out about Filsell’s visit, and decided that this rare opportunity unexpectedness. And despite should not be passed up. We apologize for the confusion. We will not be having this continual presence of the the informal holiday music share. We will schedule that for a future date. We intellect, he opens his heard instead encourage chapter members and friends to attend a master class with wide.” I love the unique rhythm and tone. The unusual Jeremy Filsell at 5 PM Monday, October 21 in the Madsen Recital Hall on the juxtaposition of duple and campus of Brigham Young University. Everyone is also invited to Filsell’s recital in triple meter is counter- the Tabernacle on Temple Square at 7:30 PM Wednesday, October 23. intuitive, but immensely beautiful. Take a few minutes Call for Music and listen to the original We all enjoyed Blaine Olson’s duets last year, and I would like to invite anyone in recording on YouTube, the chapter who would like to share hymn arrangements, introductions, preludes, http://www.youtube.com/watc h?v=UyxUGtVp34A. etc. to email them to [email protected]. Organ Teacher List on Chapter Website 2 The chapter will be posting a list of local organ teachers on the chapter website. Please contact DeeAnn Stone at [email protected], if you would like your name to be included on the list. Super Saturday Follow-up Training Reports Jennifer Morgan reports: On September 14th from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. we presented a Super Saturday follow-up workshop at the American Fork Stake Center. This workshop was attended by more than 50 organists from all over Utah County, as well as Salt Lake, Tooele, and Wasatch Counties. It was a great experience for all involved. The overall feeling from the attendees was of gratitude for the time that was taken to offer some basic instruction in church organ playing. David Chamberlin and Mike Carson offered instruction in pedal and manual technique and registration, while Jennifer Morgan's instruction covered the importance of proper preparation and a new approach to prelude and postlude. Following a formal question and answer session, many attendees stayed after to ask more questions and to visit with other organists. The morning was a great success, and we hope to be able to offer more events like this one in the future. Mike Carson reports: Yesterday’s Super Saturday follow-up workshop was a great experience. The overall feeling from the attendees was of gratitude for the time that was taken to offer some basic instruction in church organ playing. Here’s an e-mail I received today from one of the attendees: Hi Mike! I was thinking of the workshop as I played in church today. I appreciate the efforts you and others made for our benefit. Your impact does carry over into our playing, and I hope to further improve. You did go beyond the call of duty in all the preparations, etc. As time goes on I hope to be able share what I came away with. Thanks – Becky I think we’ve hit onto something with these “local,” two-hour workshops. I was amazed that we had people attend from all over Utah County, as well as Salt Lake and Heber. I’m glad that another one is scheduled for February 2014. The workshop was completely planned via e-mail by Jennifer, David, and me in basically one week! Every message was sent “reply to all,” so we were all in the loop on all conversations. We discussed topics and arranged for sign-up sheets, name tags, handouts, printed program, room set up, rehearsal beforehand, and every other detail in this manner, even dress for the event. Needless to say, the messaging was active day and night! I asked David to demonstrate musical examples at the console during my presentation on “All Things Pedal.” I had all the examples copied for him, and we had a quick run through at the church before everyone arrived. It was very helpful to me to have him do that, as it freed me up to teach and field questions more effectively.