Lawrence I. Phelps 1922-1999: A Tribute

Gordon W. Brooks died on January 20 in Warren, Ohio, at the age of 82. He was born on February 22, 1916 in Mineral Ridge, Ohio, attended Niles McKinley High School, and earned the BA in organ from YSU Dana School of Music. He was a piano and organ teacher for many years and was organist at Indianola Methodist Church in Youngstown; organist at several Lutheran churches in the Youngstown and Niles area; music director at First Presbyterian Church in Warren for 14 years; and organist at Robert H. Roberts-Clark Memorial Home for 10 years. An Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, he was a member of the National Gmanfa Ganu Welsh Society, where he was organist for 50 years and formed the Welsh quartet "Cor Bach Cymreig."

Patricia "June" Kean died last November in Springfield, Missouri. She was born on June 22, 1933, in Fort Worth, Texas, and was married to Barry Kean in 1959. She was preceded in death by her husband, and is survived by three sons, three grandchildren, and two sisters. Dr. Kean completed the BMus at Oklahoma City University in 1954, the MMus in piano at Eastman School of Music in 1957, and the DMA at North Texas State University in 1973. She served for many years as organist at University Heights Baptist Church and Minister of Music at Calvary Temple, as well as organist for King's Way United Methodist Church in Springfield. She had played recitals in Argentina, Austria, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, China, and the US. A long-time member of the AGO, Dr. Kean served as Dean of the Springfield chapter. She was also a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, the Springfield Music Club, and the Missouri Teachers National Association.

Lawrence I. Phelps died on February 22 of double pneumonia at a hospital in Boston. He was 75 years old. He was born on May 10, 1923 in Boston, and studied conducting and organ at the New England Conservatory of Music. He apprenticed with G. Donald Harrison at the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company in 1944 and worked for the company for five years, and then spent a year as a voicer and tonal finisher with Walter Holtkamp. In 1949 he became an independent consultant and was engaged by the Christian Science Board of Directors to oversee the design, installation and tonal finishing of two organs for the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston. He was appointed tonal director of Casavant Frères in 1958, set up a division at Casavant for mechanical action organs in 1961, and remained with the firm until 1971. Phelps operated his own firm in Erie, Pennsylvania 1973-78. Among the organs he built are the IV/74 mechanical action organ for the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul in Providence, Rhode Island, and the 1973 installation at St. Luke's Church, Ft. Collins, Colorado. From 1982-1995 he was tonal director of Allen Organ Company. Prior to this he was responsible for nearly 800 pipe organs, 60 of which were mechanical action. He left Allen to become curator of organs at the Mother Church in Boston. His first marriage was to Ruth Barrett, organist of the Mother Church, Boston. He later married British organist Gillian Weir. He was a frequent lecturer at organ builder conferences and wrote many articles for a number of organ journals including The Diapason. A memorial service will be held on April 17 at 2 pm at Trinity Church, Copley Square, Boston.

--David Burton Brown

James David Christie, David Craighead, Thomas F. Froehlich, John Grew, Stephen Hamilton,

Recitalist, teacher and recording artist, Marie-Claire Alain is one of the leading personalities in the world of organ music. Born into a family of musicians at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, she studied music at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris, where she won four first prizes, soon followed by several awards in international competitions.
Marie-Claire Alain’s concert tours have led her throughout the world, including numerous trips to the United States and Canada since 1961. Critics praise the clarity of her playing, the musicality of her interpretations, the purity of her style, and her mastery of registration.
Greatly sought after as a teacher and justly famous for her lectures illustrated with musical examples, Marie-Claire Alain bases her teaching on extensive, unrelenting musicological studies in organ literature and performance practices of early music. After teaching for sixteen summers in Haarlem, The Netherlands (1956–1972), she now holds a workshop every summer in Romainmôtier, Switzerland, where the house organ from her family home in France is located. She taught for many years at the Conservatoire National de Region de Rueil-Malmaison, followed by several years at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris. Her discography is impressive, containing over 220 recordings, including the famous “integrales” or complete works (J. S. Bach, Couperin, de Grigny, Daquin, Franck, Handel, J. Alain, etc.), which have won her numerous Grands Prix du Disque in France and abroad. In addition, an educational DVD featuring Mme. Alain was produced by the American Guild of Organists in 2002. Marie-Claire Alain has received honorary doctorates from Colorado State University (Fort Collins), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, The Boston Conservatory of Music, McGill University, Montréal, Canada, and most recently in 2006 from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1984, she was named International Performer of the Year by the New York City AGO chapter, and in 1999 was given the AGO Lifetime Achievement Award. In France, she was awarded the degree “Commandeur des Arts et Lettres.”
As an outgrowth of her great interest in the pipe organs of her own country, Mme. Alain serves on a commission of the French government for the promotion and construction of new pipe organs in France. Classic CD magazine named her one of “The Greatest Players of the Century” in 2001 in a list that included the entire classical music world. For many years, she has been an adjudicator at organ competitions all over the world. In 1999 she was president of the jury of Concours Suisse de l’orgue, and on several occasions she has presided over the juries of the Concours International de Chartres and of the Musashino International Competition in Tokyo.
—Stephen Hamilton
 

•

In 1965, a brilliant young student of Arthur Poister, Byron L. Blackmore, moved to my hometown of La Crosse, Wisconsin, to assume the city’s only full-time church position. I had the privilege of being his first organ student at the age of 13, and it was Byron who introduced me to the artistry of Marie-Claire Alain. He had me purchase her recordings of de Grigny, Couperin, Bach, Handel and Jehan Alain, and from these recordings my life completely changed. I immediately fell in love with her incredible musicianship, her extraordinary attention to detail, touch, ornamentation, breath, style and, above all, music-making, and I knew I wanted one day to be her student.
I met Marie-Claire for the first time at a concert she performed in Rochester, Minnesota, when I was 14 years old. She made a very ordinary electric-action organ come alive. Following the concert, we spoke at the reception in French, and she patiently coached our conversation along, helping me with my first year “command” of the language. She was so kind, warm and encouraging. She gave me her home address in L’Etang-la-Ville and told me to keep in touch. I couldn’t believe such a great artist would be so kind and take so much time with a young student. Many years later, I realized I was the same age as her only son, Benoit. She has always had a loving maternal relationship with all of her students.
Throughout my high school and early undergraduate years, I followed her around the country for masterclasses and concerts. The most memorable was her week-long seminar at Fort Collins, Colorado, in 1971. It was amazing to see her deal with so many diverse students. She had an uncanny way of meeting every student where they were and helping them change by opening their ears and minds. She received her first honorary doctorate on this occasion and, twenty years later, I had the honor of placing a doctoral hood over her head as Chair of the Organ and Harpsichord Department at the Boston Conservatory. After my junior year at Oberlin, I decided to take a year off and go to Paris to study privately with Marie-Claire. We worked mainly on classical French works, Buxtehude, and Jehan Alain. Her attention to detail, her pleas to always listen to the music, and her insistence that the organ itself was one’s best teacher changed my approach to performing and certainly influenced me greatly in my own teaching. As I was particularly interested in Buxtehude, she encouraged me to go to North Germany and play the historic organs, which I did. Because of this, I devoted the next ten years of my life to an intensive study of Buxtehude and the North German masters of the 17th century.
Marie-Claire Alain taught all her students to question, to be stylish, eclectic, open, inquisitive, ready to do research, always prepared to learn and change one’s mind, and to live as a 20th-century musician. She stressed the importance of knowing, studying and performing music of our entire heritage and to be “diversified” (she was using this term years before investment companies did!). Her performances of music including the complete classical French masters, Muffat, Bruhns, Bach, Franck, Liszt, Widor, Jehan Alain, Duruflé, Messiaen and Charles Chaynes were all equally thrilling.
The most moving day of my life was in Paris in January, 1995, when Marie-Claire invited me to move from “vous” to “tu”—but it never feels right when I do this. The respect I have for our “Mâitresse” is too great. Happy birthday, dear Marie-Claire—thank you for all you have given the world—you will live forever!
—James David Christie
Professor of Organ
Oberlin Conservatory

 

 

•

It is both a privilege and an honor to be invited to join with those who are contributing tributes to Marie-Claire Alain. Like many, I first became acquainted with her through her prolific recordings and writings. It was not until the 1981 organ workshop at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, that I had the opportunity to observe her as a recitalist and teacher, and to get to know her as a person. My wife Marian was at the conference with me, and we were completely captivated at how the remarkable personality of Mme. Alain showed forth in all that she did—conducting classes and performing. Her enthusiasm and love for many different styles of music, along with her attention to detail and appropriate fingering, were things that those of us who were observers could retain far into the future.
Marian and I both found Mme. Alain to be supremely generous with her musical ideas, and gracious in letting us “pick her brain”! I clearly recall Marian remarking wistfully how she wanted so much to play Franck’s E-Major Choral, but her hands were too small. The immediate response was “Oh nonsense! I’ll show you how to do it!”
Aside from music and pedagogy, Marian was quite taken with her many other interests, especially relating to her home life—her children and the roses she tended to with loving care. We couldn’t get over how, being a genius, she was so very down-to-earth!
Regarding Mme. Alain’s stature as a teacher and scholar, the two occasions that gave Marian and me the best opportunities for observation and assimilation were the Fort Collins workshop and then, sometime later, a similar week at the Eastman School of Music.
The five-day Fort Collins event included a recital, which was divided in half and played on two different organs. The first part, devoted to Bach, was played on the 3-manual Casavant (1969) at the university. The second half was at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church where the organ is a 2-manual Phelps (1974). This program included Nivers, Franck, and Alain. It was of interest to me to note the effective way in which she handled the Franck and Alain on an unenclosed instrument that was predominately North German in style.
I was also greatly interested in her class presentation of the connection between French and German organ music. There were five groups of music for illustration:
1. Music written on religious texts. (from Couperin Parish Mass, Bach Partita O Gott du frommer Gott)
2. Use of liturgical melodies (four excerpts from de Grigny Mass; Bach, four chorales from BWV 651) 3, 4. Bach’s influence through the 19th century (Bach Prelude & Fugue in a minor, Franck Choral No. 3 in a minor, Bach Passacaglia, Franck Choral No. 2 in b minor)
5. Connections of J. Alain with J. S. Bach (Bach Sonata No. 3 in d-minor, Alain Variations sur un thème de Clement Janequin, Choral Dorien, Choral Phrygien, Litanies).
Marian and I gained so much from the sessions that week that I find myself wishing I could hear them all over again!
One especial gesture of kindness that I cannot forget is the beautiful note that Mme. Alain wrote to me following Marian’s death ten years ago. This letter completes the esteem and admiration we both had for Mme. Alain for all these years—as a performer, teacher, and a wonderful person!
This is to wish her continuing great joy and success for many, many years!
—David Craighead
Professor Emeritus
Eastman School of Music

 

 

 

 

•

Like my friend and colleague Jim Christie, I was also a young person in Wisconsin when I first came to know of Marie-Claire Alain. Playing the organ was my first love, and it was during my senior year in high school that I went to hear her play a recital at Northwestern University. The program made such an impression on me that to this day, 35 years later, I can still remember some of the compositions that she performed.
My decision to enroll at the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music was largely based on the fact that their organ teacher, Miriam Duncan, had recently returned to the States after a year of sabbatical study in Europe. During that year she was a student of Anton Heiller, but also took some lessons from Mme. Alain, specifically to study early French music. So, having the opportunity to study with a student of Marie-Claire Alain, I soaked up information and performance practice like a sponge. All I wanted to do my freshman year was to play early French music! Quite coincidentally, in the fall of my sophomore year, I happened to win a contest in which I played Clérambault’s Second Suite. Anton Heiller was on the jury and was the first to plant the seed that perhaps I might want to study with Mme. Alain myself some day. That’s exactly what I did during my senior year. After graduate school I went back to France for two more years.
Mme. Alain’s students traveled to her home in L’Etang-la-Ville, a western suburb of Paris. (In about the mid-1970s, she affiliated herself with the conservatory at Rueil-Malmaison, and so students after me studied in a more structured conservatory environment.) It was such a relaxed environment (including her cat sitting on the window sill) that it was more an atmosphere of friends getting together than a young student in the presence of a great teacher. My lesson time was on Tuesdays at 10:15, and I was her only student of the morning. Sometimes the lessons were an hour; sometimes they stretched to 90 minutes or more.
I’ll never forget my first lesson. One can imagine what a bundle of nerves I was, yet Marie-Claire put me instantly at ease with a simple admonishment: “You’re not here to impress me with how well you play, nor to make me cry with what beautiful music you can produce. You’re here to learn.”
And so it was, for three years, countless lessons during which we covered all of the major French Baroque literature, nearly the complete works of Bach, and most of the music of Jehan Alain, Franck and other French masters, as well as a generous smattering of North German music, too. The repertoire at each lesson was totally different. Only once did I play the same piece twice.
Mme. Alain’s teaching style was similar to what I had been used to as an undergraduate. She started with the assumption that one could at least play the notes and beyond that very little was ever necessarily right or wrong. Often she would throw out a provocative question about interpretation just to quiz general knowledge of a period and style. On more than one occasion I caught her purposely stating something totally contrary just to see if I’d have the wherewithal (or nerve?) to contradict her! More than anything, Marie-Claire made a very conscious effort to allow her students the freedom to express themselves at the organ. I remember her saying “the last thing the world needs is a bunch of little Marie-Claires running around!” Since then I’ve always been of the opinion that the mark of a really great teacher is one who can teach without stifling the spirit or creativity of the student. Her students bear her imprint without being her clone.
In the 30 years that have elapsed since those days as a student in France, I have been continually impressed with Marie-Claire’s continued interest in her former students. It is often said that her students are like her children and that, while they grow up and move away, the bond remains nonetheless. When I consider the sheer number of students that she has taught over her impressive career, I wonder how she has time to do anything else except to keep up with her extended family. Recently, I’ve heard Marie-Claire play any number of times and, like Horowitz or Rubenstein, who played well into their 80s, she continues to play beautifully. Clearly you’re not ready to retire from performance, Marie-Claire! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your wisdom, your guidance, your inspiration, and, most of all, for your enduring and loving friendship.
—Thomas F. Froehlich
Organist, First Presbyterian Church
Dallas, Texas

 

 

 

 

•

One of the great pleasures for me during the past 30 years of teaching at McGill has been those numerous occasions when Marie-Claire Alain came to give masterclasses and play concerts. The most memorable of these was in November 2001 when her visit happily coincided with the Fall Convocation, and McGill was able to confer a Doctor of Music, Honoris Causa, on her. The text of the citation that I read was as follows:
“Marie-Claire Alain is one of the legendary musicians of our time. Mme. Alain was born in 1926 at Saint-Germain-en-Laye into a home full of music. Her father, Albert Alain, who had studied with Caussade, Guilmant, and Vierne, was an accomplished church musician, performer, and composer. Her brother, Jehan, killed in action in 1940, left a legacy of some of the 20th century’s finest organ music. A second brother, Olivier, became a leading musicologist. By the age of 12, Marie-Claire was already, on occasion, replacing her father in the organ loft. Her own teachers, after her father, included such illustrious musicians as Marcel Dupré, Maurice Duruflé, André Marchal, and Gaston Litaize: a goodly heritage indeed.
“As concert organist, Mme. Alain has toured worldwide and made over 200 LP recordings and more than 60 CDs, and earned numerous prizes, including multiple Grands Prix du Disque. “As a pedagogue, Mme. Alain has had a spectacular career. Students from the four corners of the globe have flocked to Paris to study with her, their names reading like a veritable Who’s Who of the organ world today. Probably no other organ teacher has produced so many prize winners at international competitions. Her courses are legendary, her teaching marked by an open questioning manner and a quest for authenticity in matters of historical performance practice.
“Mme. Alain has also been a champion of historical instruments, evidenced by the great care she takes to choose the most historically appropriate instrument for each recording project. This obviously entails exhaustive research.
“As a scholar, Mme. Alain has published numerous articles on performance practice, many of which have been widely translated. We are pleased to note frequent citation in musicological literature of one of her articles published by McGill in L’Orgue à notre époque, a collection of papers and proceedings of an organ symposium held at the University in 1981 on the occasion of the installation of the French classical organ in Redpath Hall.
“Marie-Claire Alain has been named a member of the Swedish Royal Academy of Music. The city of Lubeck granted her the Buxtehude Prize in recognition of her work promoting early German music, and the city of Budapest awarded her the Franz Liszt Prize. In France, she is a Commander of the Légion d’honneur and a member of the Ordre Nationale du Mérite and of the Ordre Nationale des Arts et Lettres.”
The 2001 visit of Marie-Claire also happily coincided with the 20th anniversary of the splendid Wolff organ in Redpath Hall. She gave masterclasses on both weekends before and after convocation and played a memorable recital. During the planning stages of this organ in the late 1970s, she was always ready and willing to answer questions, or to point us in the right direction and open doors. Needless to say, planning an historical copy in the 1970s was somewhat more nerve wracking than it might appear today. It was a great adventure, and Marie-Claire knew how to encourage us to stay the course whenever doubts set in.
There are many anecdotes that come to mind. One of the most memorable for me dates from 1969 when she invited all her students to come to Poitiers. She had just completed a recording session over the preceding two days, and there she was giving us a class on this great Clicquot. The energy and the generosity were breathtaking to say the least. And of course there was wonderful food and wine in a little restaurant sympathique!
A story that I love to tell my students, especially those having difficulty remembering where the stops are, concerns a visit to play a concert on the von Beckerath in my church in Montréal. I met her at the airport around 11 am and we proceeded to the church. She spent about half an hour trying out various registrations and asking my opinion but she never wrote anything down. Then we went off for a leisurely lunch bien arosé. After lunch she went to her hotel to rest and to study her scores. That evening she played her concert from memory and pulled all her own stops in the process. All the registrations worked magically! What métier!
There were the many occasions when she traveled for concerts and I would go along as assistant, especially during the Haarlem organ academies. Not only did I get a chance to play some incredible organs, but we drank some splendid wine.
When all the faculty were assembled to teach at the 2003 McGill Summer Organ Academy, I realized that half of the fourteen were her former students. I think that even she was a little surprised—at least momentarily—when I announced this at the opening dinner. Has there ever been an organ teacher more admired and loved by her former students than Marie-Claire Alain?
—John Grew
University Organist, Chair of Organ Area, Schulich School of Music,
McGill University
Artistic Director,
McGill Summer Organ Academy

 

 

 

 

•

It was in 1961, when I was a 13-year-old organ student, that the Des Moines (Iowa) Chapter of the American Guild of Organists presented Marie-Claire Alain in a concert at University Christian Church on the Walter Holtkamp pipe organ. It was impressive to hear her performing from memory, and captivating to hear Litanies for the first time.
From that moment, I became obsessed with finding all of her recordings. My quest took me to every bookstore and record shop in central Iowa, and unearthed recordings of Couperin, de Grigny, Buxtehude, Pachelbel, Franck, Alain, and Widor; Musical Heritage Society had the good sense to issue her performances of all the works of Bach.
In 1967 during my college years, Mme. Alain performed in St. Louis at the Priory on an instrument with mechanical action. I remember her playing all six of the Bach Schübler Chorales, the third Trio Sonata, the St. Anne Prelude and Fugue, and the Franck Pastorale as well as Messiaen’s Dieu Parmi Nous and both of the Jehan Alain Fantasies. The clarity and vibrancy of her rhythm coupled with her registrations made this concert an unforgettable example of personal expression and music making.
From 1972 to 1986, I taught organ and theory at a small college in Virginia that was fortunate to have a new concert hall housing a Flentrop organ. In 1973, 1978, 1982 and 1985, Marie-Claire Alain came to campus for concerts and masterclasses. It was inspiring and exciting to hear her perform and teach as well as to have the opportunity to solidify a blossoming friendship. As a pedagogue, Mme. Alain has sought out scores and documents that helped bring historical research alive and into the mainstream of today’s teaching.
In 1973, an inquiry about private study took me to Paris for the first of several such sojourns. Her enlightened teaching brought current performance practices to my inner musical ear and new expressive sensitivity to my playing especially in early French music and the music of Bach. Our lessons on her house organ or at her church at St. Germain-en-Laye shall forever remain as highlights of my career.
Since moving to New York City in 1991, it has been a joy to present Mme. Alain in concert at The Church of the Holy Trinity (Episcopal) in four special events. Her New York City appearances have been inspiring. Her preeminence as a musician has been noted in the New York Times referring to her as “the Grande Dame of the organ world” and by the New York City AGO chapter bestowing upon her its “Performer of the Year” accolade. The AGO national council presented her with a lifetime achievement award following her concert at The Church of the Holy Trinity in October 1999. The education committee of the Guild further endorsed Mme. Alain’s prominence as a teacher by filming her masterclasses at Holy Trinity and the University of Kansas for the AGO Master Series.
We all come together to honor Marie-Claire Alain on her 80th birthday as a performer, teacher, scholar and friend, and to celebrate her life, her love of music, and her lasting influence on our profession. —Stephen Hamilton
The Church of the Holy Trinity (Episcopal)
New York City

 

 

 

 

•

In the late 1960s, while I was an undergraduate student at St. Olaf College, my teacher, Robert Kendall, arranged for his students to travel to Minneapolis to hear a recital by Marie-Claire Alain. The recital was held in the cavernous sanctuary of Central Lutheran Church, and on that evening every seat was occupied. There was a sense of anticipation as the crowd was waiting for the first sight of the performer, and it was evident that we would be experiencing something exceptional that evening. I remember the thunderous applause when she appeared—a tiny figure facing that huge crowd—and I remember that she performed completely from memory. But even now, over 40 years later, I vividly remember being completely transported by her music making. I had no idea that organ playing could be so beautiful, could communicate so clearly. I wanted to meet her after the recital, but the crowd completely engulfed her, and we students were whisked away back to Northfield. That evening I vowed to meet her someday and thank her for that recital. Little did I know how our lives would intersect. Through the years, I heard her play many times both in North America and in Europe. I not only got to meet her, but to study with her, and she became the dominant musical force in my life. I discovered that not only can she communicate with her playing, but that as a teacher Marie-Claire is without peer. Whenever I feel my busy schedule overwhelming me, I have only to remind myself of Marie-Claire’s prodigious output as a performer, recording artist, teacher, and scholar, and I realize I’m moving in slow motion in comparison. While most of us know Marie-Claire as the recipient of numerous awards and honors, her greatest pride has been her family—both the family that she grew up in and the family that she created. Without the inspiration, love and support of her family, she could not have had the career that has brought her so many accolades. Her home is full of laughter, good food and good wine. My wife Patti and I treasure the evenings that we spent with Marie-Claire and her late husband, Jacques Gommier. I don’t think we have ever laughed more than on those occasions. The close and gregarious relationship that she enjoys with her children and grandchildren is reflected in her music making. Marie-Claire likes good food. She likes to read books; in fact, she learned English in large part by reading novels in English. She loves flowers, especially roses, and has always made room for a big garden in her yard. She finds knitting a good way to relax. She loves to drive—fast!! She has traveled more than anyone I know.
I recently reminisced with Marie-Claire about the first time I heard her play. She was pleased to know that she had achieved the goal she sets each time she performs—to communicate her love of the music. It has been my great fortune to know Marie-Claire—as a teacher, a colleague and a friend. Happy Birthday Marie-Claire!
—James Higdon
Dane and Polly Bales Professor of Organ
The University of Kansas

 

 

 

 

•

Some 40 years ago, I took a carload of students from Albion College (Michigan) to hear a little-known organist from Paris perform one of her first concerts in the United States. We were all dazzled by her technique, musical sensitivity, versatility of style, but above all, her ability to communicate with the audience. My friendship with this great artist, Marie-Claire Alain, began when we met and visited after her recital.
As a result of that first encounter I arranged to study with her during the early summer of 1966 at the Alain family home in St. Germain-en-Laye on the now famous “Alain Organ,” and also on the smaller house organ in her home in L’Etang-la-Ville. Later that summer I took her classes at the International Summer Academy for Organists in Haarlem, the Netherlands.
This petite young lady sat on the bench at that huge St. Bavo console, would swing around to face the various student groupings, and instantly switch from French to German to Italian to English. Amazing! She had a command of the music like no one else I had ever known. Always gracious and kind, she gently corrected and coached us with skill and authority.
A particularly memorable experience happened during that Haarlem experience. She announced to the class that she would be playing a recital on the famous Schnitger organ in Zwolle, and since I had a car I volunteered to be her chauffeur. Now if I were preparing a recital—anywhere—I’d arrive at least one day in advance. But arriving mid-afternoon on the day of the recital was apparently plenty of time for her, and that commenced only after we first took time for a beer to quench the thirst after a warm afternoon drive.
She graciously let me spend some time “trying out” the great Schnitger—a real challenge for me since its pitch was one step higher than A=440, and my ears and fingers couldn’t reconcile playing the Bach E-flat Prelude in the key of F. Obviously this was not a problem for her.
We had dinner across the town square, and when the check hadn’t arrived just minutes before the recital was to begin, I remained to settle up while she hurried across the plaza. By the time I arrived she had already begun what was to be a brilliant performance to a packed church. What an ability to concentrate!
After that wonderful summer there were many more occasions to experience our friendship, usually in conjunction with a recital. Many of those times she was a guest in our home, occasionally joined by her husband Jacques Gommier. Being a true friend, she invited us to be their guests in Paris and Maule. Marie-Claire Alain has countless friends in this country and Europe as witness the long receiving lines after every recital. Even though she may be exhausted after a demanding day of teaching and playing, she’s always warm and friendly to all who greet her, and always available for advice and counsel—and a hug.
This remarkable artist has made more friends for the organ than any one other person I know. Happy birthday, dear friend.
—John Obetz
Professor Emeritus
Conservatory of Music
University of Missouri at Kansas City Organist Emeritus, the Community of Christ World Headquarters (formerly RLDS), Independence, Missouri

 

 

 

 

•

 

 

Study

I first heard Marie-Claire Alain play in Detroit in 1964. The following day, she was on campus at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with Marilyn Mason. Dr. Mason was driving her to Lansing for a masterclass and recital, and I was invited to accompany them. As I observed Mme. Alain’s work with students in the masterclass, I realized that she had not only an enormous wealth of knowledge to share and could immediately analyze what might help the person’s playing, but also was exceptionally kind and down to earth. Right then I began to formulate the idea of studying with her. A few weeks later when she played in Evanston, Illinois, I drove over to hear her. Afterwards I got up the nerve to ask if I might come to study with her.
I went to Paris after completing my master’s degree at Michigan. I was 22 years old, knew little French, yet felt instantly at home. As it turned out, I was her first full-time American student.
On the day of my first lesson, she picked me up at the train station in St. Germain-en-Laye and took me to the family home. In the parlor was a 4-manual organ. My lessons would be on the Alain organ! We got right to work and later that afternoon I went back to Paris with a large list of repertoire to learn. From then on, after lessons I tried to write down everything she said in a notebook as I took the return train. I still have that notebook.
Our lessons were usually two hours in length. As they progressed, I came to understand that pieces needed to be learned in their entirety for the first lesson, and “perfected” by the second. Except for large Bach works, pieces were seldom brought a third time. My repertoire grew by leaps and bounds. She would allow me to play a piece through before making comments. Good work on my part was met with generous praise; criticisms were delivered gently. She got to the important things immediately. Once in a while, for example, she might show me fingerings for a small hand. But her approach to everything was musical first and foremost; technical work came only when necessary to express the music. She was always kind, often funny, and lessons were an absolute joy. (See continuation of this article.)

January 18, 1914-September 19, 2003

Tributes by Thomas Harmon, Karen McFarlane, John Strege and Frederick Swann

Catharine Crozier died on September 19, 2003, in Portland, Oregon, at the age of 89. A complete obituary appears in the November issue of The Diapason ("Nunc Dimittis," page 10). The following tributes are presented In Memoriam.

Catharine Crozier--Paragon of our profession

A fond remembrance by Thomas Harmon

Long before I saw her or heard her play, I heard the name Catharine Crozier spoken with reverence by my boyhood organ teachers. It was not until my undergraduate years at Washington University in the late 1950s that the long awaited opportunity presented itself when she came to St. Louis to play on the university's recital series in Graham Chapel. I shall never forget seeing her walk gracefully in her stunning floor length gown to the console, front and center on the chapel dais. A radiant smile on her face, she was truly a vision of elegance and beauty as she ascended to the bench, parting the skirt of her custom-made gown and draping it in a regal train over the back of the bench. Even before she raised her hands to sound the first notes, she had me mesmerized. I was in the presence of royalty, and, as the recital unfolded from memory, piece by piece, so perfectly juxtaposed, meticulously registered, beautifully articulated and flawlessly played, I knew that I was experiencing greatness. Little did I know, when I stepped up in awe to meet her and gush my admiration following the recital, that someday she and her renowned spouse Harold Gleason would become dear personal friends during their California years.

Many times over the next four decades I was treated to a Crozier recital, and my experience was always the same--programming that was on the cutting edge in exploring both early and new music, remarkable stylistic versatility that was always historically informed and up-to-date throughout her long recital and teaching career, meticulous registration with appropriately applied artistic restraint and impeccable technique. My first opportunity to hear Catharine after that unforgettable recital in Graham Chapel came more than a decade later, after she and Harold had moved to California and I had assumed the post of university organist at UCLA. One of my first actions in that post was to oversee restoration of the 4-manual, 80-rank Skinner organ in Royce Hall, designed by Harold in consultation with G. Donald Harrison. Harrison did the tonal finishing, and Gleason played the inaugural recital in September, 1930. Thus, I had many reasons for inviting Catharine to play at Royce Hall in January, 1972. My wife and I invited Catharine and Harold to be our houseguests during her recital visit, and we spent a memorable time together getting to know each other. They kept us laughing with their favorite form of humor, limericks, at which they were both virtuosi. Harold contributed greatly to my file on the Royce Hall organ with colorful stories of his California days and his interaction with UCLA, E. M. Skinner and G. Donald Harrison. (I was later to capture this on tape in an oral history interview that I did with him in another of the Gleasons' visits with us in 1978.) Catharine enjoyed our new Hradetzky house organ and revealed her ingratiating personality and clever wit, complemented by her delightful chuckle, as well as her appreciation of fine food and an occasional glass of sherry before dinner. Her Royce Hall recital was, of course, a triumph and a special moment for Harold to whom we paid tribute as the designer of the organ.

Sue and I later enjoyed being the Gleasons' guests in Rancho Bernardo, near San Diego, and later in their second California home in Claremont. Despite their success and fame, they lived a disciplined, unpretentious life, committed to artistic and scholarly excellence. It was in their Rancho Bernardo home that I saw and heard for the first time Catharine's harpsichord and cherished house organ by Laukhuff, with its 2-manual, custom-built Aeolian-Skinner console, on which she did much of her practicing and memorization throughout her career. The organ was designed to fit comfortably in a normal 8-foot ceiling height and to be easily movable, quite fortunately, since I believe it was purchased in their Eastman days, subsequently moved with them to Rollins College in Florida, then to four different locations in southern California and finally to Portland.

The year 1980 marked the 50th anniversary of UCLA's Royce Hall organ, and I invited Catharine to re-create Harold's 1930 dedication program, an invitation that she was pleased to accept. By this time we had become dear friends, and I revelled in hearing stories about Catharine's then forty years as a major recitalist. We discovered that we had a mutual love of trains, and she told enthusiastically of her train adventures all over the country as well as her spirit of adventure in exploring, usually on foot, each new town or city in which she performed. Catharine's recital at Royce Hall on June 6, 1980, was a very special event, indeed, and in retrospect was given further poignance and meaning by the fact that Harold Gleason passed away just three weeks later. Harold's funeral in the Claremont church that the Gleasons had attended offered yet another example of Catharine's very special qualities as a human being. Her presence that day was a role model of  deep spiritual faith, personal strength and acceptance, and her decision on the music for the service was communicated by the simple printed statement that the organ would be silent this day in respect for the loss of Dr. Gleason.

Another memorable recital occurred sometime in the early 1980s, when she performed Ned Rorem's complete Quaker Reader at Whittier College Chapel, including narration by Hollywood actor Peter Mark Richman.  Rorem, a great admirer of Catharine who was a champion of his and many other composers' new music, was present. If I had to rank them, I would say that the greatest Crozier performance that I have ever heard, perhaps the greatest organ recital that I have ever experienced, was her program for the 1987 Far West Regional Convention of the AGO in San Diego. Flawlessly performed by memory on the First Presbyterian Church's superb 4-manual Casavant organ were three 20th-century works: Ned Rorem's Views from the Oldest House, Norberto Guinaldo's Lauda Sion Salvatorem, and Leo Sowerby's Symphony in G Major (a Crozier signature piece throughout her long career). Following her performance, I told Catharine that I had never heard her play with such flair and depth of expression, and in an example of her keen wit, she replied that she was just now beginning to feel in control of the instrument. A day or so after the recital, dear Catharine accepted my invitation to have lunch with me and take a cruise aboard my boat at the harbor in Oceanside, and I shall always remember her boarding the boat like a seasoned yachtsman and her delight in the sea world around us. She loved adventure.

When I made my decision in 1983 to step down from my position as organist at the First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica to take on the job of Chair of the UCLA Music Department, I approached Catharine, who had moved to Whittier after Harold's death, about the possibility of her serving as interim organist at the church while a search was conducted for my successor. She indicated that she might like to do this, and the end result was her decision sometime later to accept the church's hopeful invitation to stay on as the regular organist. Fortunately, she accepted, moved to the Santa Monica area and delighted the congregation with her marvelous service playing for the next nine years. I was on hand to pinch hit for her when she was away playing recitals, but she proved to be dedicated to the position and seemed to thoroughly enjoy being back on the bench playing services regularly. The choir adored her (everyone did!) and many stayed in touch with her as personal friends after she moved to Portland in 1992. At that time, I had just stepped down from the chairmanship at UCLA and accepted the church's invitation to return for what turned out to be another nine years. While she was there, Catharine had overseen the installation of new swell reeds and a new great mixture, making the organ better than ever. Typical of her exemplary pedagogical approach to playing the organ, the organ copies of the hymnal and anthems were lightly marked in pencil with her fingerings, pedallings, registration and manual changes. I learned a lot from them and respectfully left the markings for my successors.

Late memories: her stunning 80th birthday recital at the Crystal Cathedral (how could anyone but Crozier play such a huge organ with such grace and control at the age of 80?); her 85th birthday recital at the First Congregational Church on the world's largest church organ (by this time she was handicapped by the loss of vision in one eye, but she had no trouble finding her way around the maze of that immense console and tossing off the Liszt BACH as though it were easy); and, finally, her "Life Experiences" presentation at the 2001 Northwest Regional Convention of the AGO in Eugene. I noted that she had grown quite frail, as John Strege and I called for her at her hotel room to escort her to the venue for her presentation, but her radiant smile and warm greeting were not frail. Her presentation was deeply moving to me and, I am sure, to everyone present. It was the last time I saw Catharine in person, although we spoke on the phone periodically after that. I shall miss her presence and her friendship but will be nurtured for the rest of my life by happy memories and her supreme example of excellence.         

A tribute to Catharine Crozier Gleason

by Karen McFarlane

To read Catharine Crozier's recital reviews is to realize what a superb artist we have lost. "Catharine Crozier . . . may be an honored veteran among organ players . . . but she can still run rings around much of her younger competition, not only in interpretive style but in sheer technique as well." (New York Times) "At home in any style, the versatile performer captured the excitement of an accelerating fugue by Schumann, tossed off a Hindemith sonata with neat non-sentimentality and made sparks fly in a fiery virtuoso finale by . . . Milos Sokola." (The Plain Dealer) " . . . she always got to the heart of the music." (Los Angeles Times) Through the observations of music critics, we have a picture of some of the recitals she played.

Those who were in her audiences during the course of her 62-year career saw a slender, elegant woman walk "onstage" and instantly communicate a commanding presence. By her demeanor, one knew even before a note was heard, that she was an authority; as she played, the depth and range of her artistry simply confirmed it. Her discipline, her attention to detail and her high intelligence were all part of a persona "programmed" for a successful life and career as performer and teacher. In thinking over the 38 years I knew Catharine, several adjectives come to mind: elegant, shy, witty, hard-working, thoughtful, warm and yet also reserved. She was comfortable with solitude. One did not "buddy up" with Catharine Crozier, yet she had close friendships in her life which she greatly prized.

I have clear memories of Catharine. First meeting her in 1965 during a sweltering summer in New York City, I was struck by how cool and unruffled she was by the heat, how as she taught students whose fingers were nearly sliding off the keys, she seemed unaffected by a similar human malady! In my mid-twenties I had the good fortune to share some delicious and entertaining meals with Catharine, her husband Harold Gleason, and Fred Swann, three people who from my perspective were on towering pedestals. It was the first time I realized that the finest artists tend to also be marvelous people, a truism I have been interested to observe ever since. Although I remained in a certain awe of Catharine all the years I knew her, I came to see her as a human being rather than as someone out of reach.

At the opening of the Tully Hall organ, where she shared the program with E. Power Biggs and Thomas Schippers, I was thrilled by Catharine's performance of the Barber Toccata Festiva, from the moment she walked onstage till the moment she left it. I remember being riveted by her performance at The Riverside Church of "Mary Dyer did hang as a flag" (Ned Rorem's Quaker Reader), as she fiercely portrayed that condemned woman's death. Then, on her 80th birthday she played a dazzling recital (all from memory except for one piece) at the Crystal Cathedral, closing with the Widor "Toccata" as her smashing encore. Considering that she had awakened the morning of the previous day in a swaying 20th-floor hotel room during the 1994 Los Angeles earthquake, her performance was remarkable for its calm ease. She was always so well prepared and confident, that even an earthquake could not shake her performance.

One of my fondest memories is of the time Catharine, my husband Chick Holtkamp and I vacationed at Mohonk Mountain House. She would invite us to her room for sherry in the late afternoon and, beautifully attired, she would join us for dinner. Though she declined to go on strenuous hikes with us or swim in the lake, she treated us to a staid carriage ride, which was pleasantly old-world in its flavor. Her innate sense of formality in such a setting was utterly charming; she had a talent for quiet enjoyment in any place she inhabited.

I recall watching her teach a master class at Eastman during her late 80s, with her mind untouched by age in any negative way, her warmth toward the students genuine, her knowledge of the music complete. She was a total professional to the end of her life. I recall the time when I was astounded at hearing her play a certain wedding processional. When I expressed my amazement that "I never thought I would see the day when Catharine Crozier would play the Wedding March," she in turn surprised me by her retort, "It comes with the job!"

The last ten years of Catharine's life were among her happiest, mainly due to her appointment as Artist-in-Residence at Trinity Cathedral, Portland, Oregon. The high musical standards of Canon John Strege and his superb choir met her own on a happy level. I flew out to Portland on four occasions during her final decade, always dining with her in good restaurants (she had a fine time "researching" restaurants before choosing which ones we would go to) and of course going to church with her. Each time we would attend a service at Trinity Cathedral, she would lean over and quietly say "I just love it here!" The last time I heard her there in recital was the first day of April, 2001. She was, as ever, splendid.

In addition to Catharine Crozier's grace and intelligence, she was possessed of an optimistic nature. She was not immune to sadness, but she had that sturdy Oklahoma constitution that just goes forward in the face of any adversity. Even when she lost one eye in the last years of her life, she said "Well, I just go on." Indeed, after the loss of that eye, she played her 85th birthday recital at First Congregational Church, Los Angeles, to a packed church of admirers. Catharine had a funny story to relate about the eye trouble that caused her to stop driving. She started calling a local taxi company to take her to the cathedral to practice each day, then later back to her apartment. After about a week of this, the drivers stopped asking her destination and automatically took her to one place or the other! She was pleased at being such a celebrity among Portland's taxi drivers!

There are many good stories "out there" about Catharine. Upon her death, I received some touching e-mails from friends and admirers which related to first meeting her, first hearing her play, studying the organ with her, and so on. One man commented on the special quality of light which seemed to infuse her playing during her later years, and he was quite right. In the early part of her career she was well-known for her brilliant technique and effortless playing, but as she grew older she continued to build on that technique, bringing a complete artistry to her mature years. We are fortunate that she recorded several CDs during the last 20 or so years of her life, among them first-rate performances of Rorem and Sowerby. A supporter of the highest possible standards in musical performance, she remains an excellent model for today's young musicians to emulate. She would probably tell them to seek out a fine teacher, develop an infallible technique, practice diligently, learn your repertoire thoroughly, have a firm goal of becoming an artist, behave in a professional manner, and you will have a fine chance for a career. Catharine Crozier lived a full and interesting life. Her innate musical talent, her thoroughness in her work, and her consummate artistry gave us a person who was a living legend in the world of organ music. The immense regard her fellow artists the world over had for her is testimony to her great stature among them. On both a professional and personal level, our loss is deeply felt.  

Remembering Catharine Crozier

by Canon John Strege, Director of Cathedral Music, Trinity Cathedral, Portland, Oregon

Reflecting on Catharine Crozier's involvement at Trinity Cathedral as Artist-in-Residence these past ten years is a remembrance of graciousness, superb artistry, encouragement, and unbridled enthusiasm. When I was notified that Catharine was moving to Portland, the Dean of the Cathedral and I immediately wrote her asking if she would consider becoming Trinity's Artist-in-Residence. In what seemed like only hours, she quickly responded by saying that she would be most pleased to accept this position. So began my relationship with Catharine.

Catharine would practice most afternoons in preparation for occasional Sunday morning voluntaries, organ recitals, and in the first years, her out of town master classes and recitals. As we developed a friendship, I was always humbled by her enthusiasm for the music at Trinity. She embraced the magnificent Rosales organ, the liturgy, the Trinity Choir and Cathedral Chamber Singers, and the loving Trinity community.

In the later years, as we drove together, attended concerts, had lunches and dinners, I was privileged to sample her great sense of humor, her many opinions about legendary organists from the past, her reminiscences of her extraordinary career and life with Harold Gleason, and her timely words of encouragement for my work in the church. When I asked her if she could arrive a few minutes early for one of her practice sessions to hear an organ piece I was preparing, she responded with, "How about this afternoon?" With her generosity, these "brief" coaching sessions could last well over an hour. As I have frequently mentioned to my colleagues, having Catharine Crozier in the congregation on any given Sunday gave a new meaning to the preparation of organ voluntaries for the liturgy.

As Catharine lived out her final decade in our midst, her playing at Trinity evoked an unspeakable transcendence. Her life was lived in the realization of being in the moment, maintaining the integrity of purpose and spirit, and always looking ahead to new challenges and opportunities.

Of the many blessings in my life, I consider the opportunity of being with Catharine one of the greatest. I cherish our friendship and affection we had for each other. Her physical absence is a profound loss, but her spirit, musicianship and grace will remain with me for all time.              

Remembering Catharine Crozier

by Fred Swann

Many of us can identify a person who, by their influence and inspiration, has been paramount in the development of our lives and careers. Catharine Crozier was that person for me.

Although I had read about her and had heard one of her recordings, I didn't meet Catharine until the summer of 1949. I had just finished my freshman year at Northwestern University School of Music when she and her distinguished husband, Harold Gleason, came to teach and to lead a summer church music workshop at the university. I had been playing the organ since age 10 and intended to be "a good church organist," but that summer the Gleasons convinced me to commit to a career as an organist.

Catharine played a recital on the E. M. Skinner organ in St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Evanston as part of the conference. The combination of her incredible performance and that organ, one of Skinner's most remarkable and exceptional instruments, was so overwhelming that on that very evening my standards of musicianship and performance were set in stone for life. I became a Crozier "groupie"--wore out all her recordings as they came out, traveled huge distances to hear her recitals, and tried, pathetically as I look back, to emulate her playing style. In addition to the musical benefits, I was privileged to develop a cherished friendship that has lasted a lifetime.

That same summer I played the Langlais Te Deum for the Gleasons. It was then still new to most American organists, and even they had not heard it. It became one of "her pieces" and she would frequently remark about my bringing it to her attention. Despite her encouragement and interest in having me study with her at Eastman after completing degrees at Northwestern, I felt so inferior and in awe of her that I was terrified to take the Eastman audition. Fearing the humiliation of not being accepted, I chose to study at Union Theological Seminary School of Sacred Music in New York. Mrs. Gleason, as we called her then, became quite cross with me over this, but, as things sometimes happen, the decision to go to New York City turned out to be a fortuitous thing for my career and for our friendship.

Forgive me if I've written too much in attempting to establish the roots of my indebtedness with this wonderful lady and consummate musician. The stories and anecdotes would fill a large book, but here I want to pay homage to my mentor--for although I never formally studied with her, I have never stopped absorbing knowledge and inspiration from her.

You're reading a number of tributes in these pages, and very probably many of them have used the same words in describing Catharine. She could be stern in her expectations from students, but her compassion and humanity never stopped growing throughout her life. She was thoroughly professional and never failed to live up to the highest demands that she made upon herself. She was the personification of elegance in her playing, and just to watch her at the console was a lesson in grace and form. Posture, hand position, economy of movement and a complete involvement in the music all combined for incredible performances. She had a great thirst for continual learning that allowed her music making to remain fresh and vital whether she was playing one of the "old masters" or a contemporary work. She played in perfect style, and with the latest scholarship, everything she chose. She embraced new works of many composers, especially American. Her performances of these works was so compelling that she "sold" them to a profession and to audiences that were usually more ready to accept the latest from France and elsewhere.

A physically attractive woman who carried herself with poise and grace, she was a quiet person--but she never "missed a thing," had a wonderful, dry sense of humor, and an infectious laugh. She could often say more with a look than some people can with many words. She delighted in simple things, like being driven up and down Fifth Avenue in New York to look at all the lights at Christmas time. When young, she enjoyed fine food and fancy restaurants at times, but her own cooking abilities were limited. If she invited you to dinner the invitation often came with the question "Well, would you like the tuna casserole or the other one?"

Dr. Crozier kept performing until about a year before her death. People just wouldn't let her stop. I had to do some real arm twisting to convince her to play recitals on her 75th and 80th birthdays at the Crystal Cathedral, where I was in residence at the time. Each program was stunning despite her misgivings beforehand. When I greeted her as she left the console at the conclusion of her 80th birthday recital, she, having just finished a stellar performance of the Reubke Sonata on the 94th Psalm broke into a wide grin, cocked her head, snapped her fingers, and said "By crackey, I did it!" And she continued to "do it". Despite advancing age and physical handicaps that would cause most people to quit, she finally agreed after much cajoling to come to First Congregational in Los Angeles to play a recital on her 85th birthday--and what a wonderful time we had! Friends had come from literally around the country and even some from Europe. After that she slowed down gradually but still played Vesper recitals at Trinity Cathedral in Portland, Oregon, on the great Rosales organ she loved and recorded on so magnificently.

Because of the wonderful friendships with the cathedral staff, especially Canon John Strege and Kevin Walsh, and the loving care she was given, she almost reached her 90th birthday in a very content existence. When a handful of us gathered near the organ console in early October for a private service of blessing and commitment of her ashes, there were tears and sadness--but also enormous thanksgiving for a life that brought so much joy and inspiration to untold thousands of people over her long and distinguished career. Her influence will live on for many generations to come.  She is now at peace.  May light perpetual shine upon her.      

by Ronald E. Dean

For its 39th Annual Convention, the OHS returned to central
Connecticut where it had held its 20th Annual Convention in 1975. There were revisits to only eight of the instruments heard in the previous meeting which lasted for only three days compared to the full week for the 1994 convention which offered 47 events (including optional choices) to the more than 435 who registered for all or part of the week. Headquarters was the Holiday Inn in Cromwell.

Sunday

Events began with a trip to New Haven to hear several
organs, which, although too new to be historical in the antiquarian sense, are landmarks of organ building in the area and are all situated on or near the famous New Haven Green.

The United Church on the Green and its 1967 3-manual
Hillebrand (as rebuilt by Kinzey-Angerstein, 1979-1981 with further mechanical
revisions by Foley-Baker) was the site for a recital by Mark Brombaugh: Toccata in d (BuxWV 140), Buxtehude; Poolsche Dans, Sweelinck; the hymn "New Songs of Celebration Render" sung by all to the tune Rendez à Dieu; and Introduzione, Aria e Passacaglia, Op. 15c, Healey. Brombaugh, the church's Director of Music, provided a vigorous start to the convention with his reliance on energetic agogic accents and appropriate plenum ensembles as well as artistic exploitation of the many colorful solo combinations available in this modified North German tonal design.

A short walk next door to Center Church (where Charles Ives
had been organist from 1894 to 1898) brought us to a short recital presented by
Kimberly Ann Hess on a 3-manual Fisk, Op. 54 (1971 and 1974): Präludium
in D Major (BuxVW 139), Buxtehude; Variations on "Puer Nobis Nascitur," Sweelinck; Chorale Prelude: "Drop, Drop, Slow Tears," Persichetti; the hymn "Drop, Drop, Slow Tears" sung to the tune Prince; and Variations on a Noël, Dupré. Ms. Hess displayed the instrument well, even though its rather thin and intense tone did seem to be a bit too much for the totally unreverberant room.

Dwight Chapel on the Yale campus was the site for a short
recital by the extremely talented Marvin Mills on the 3-manual Beckerath of
1971: Partita on Showalter (1992),
Spong; the hymn "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" sung to Showalter; Pastorale (1991), Conte; Agnus Dei
(from the Mass for Double Choir,
1992), Martin; and Maple Leaf Rag,
Joplin. All of the pieces spanned the 20th century, with the lyrically
expressive Conte work being especially attractive. Mills exhibited his usual
subtle balance between virtuosity and musicality and seemed to enjoy himself as
did the capacity audience in this lofty and acoustically sympathetic former
library. It was tempting to compare these three instruments heard in close
succession, produced, as they were, within a span of a few years of each other.
To this reviewer's ears, the Dwight Chapel Beckerath, aided no doubt by the
favorable acoustics, seemed to be the most well balanced and musically
satisfying of the three.

While many conventioneers immediately sought out the
air-conditioned comfort of the undercroft of Trinity Episcopal Church to escape
the almost tropical heat and humidity of the afternoon, others opted for a more
leisurely stroll and enjoyed a carillon recital from the famous Harkness Tower
presented by Timothy Hurd: "Allegro non presto" from Organ
Concerto No. 2, Handel; Prelude
on "Chartres," Johnson; Sonata a cimbalo solo, Op. 1, no. 4, van Noordt; "Visions" from Etudes in a New Age
style='font-style:normal'>, Courter; and Melodeon
style='font-style:normal'> (Toccata 1982-87
style='font-style:normal'>), Hurd. It was an uplifting experience for those who
took their time to listen as they wandered around the quadrangle on their way
back across the Green for a service of Evensong at Trinity.

Many people had been looking forward to hearing Trinity's
choir of men and boys as well as the magnificent 78-rank Æolian-Skinner
(Op. 927, 1935), as recently restored by the A. Thompson-Allen Co. They were
not disappointed. The service itself was beautifully done, and the choir, in
spite of the continuing heat, performed extremely well under the direction of
Walden Moore. Organists David Chrzanowski (assistant at Trinity) and Peter
Stoltzfus (formerly assistant there also and now assistant at St. Thomas' in
New York) provided expert accompaniments and revealed the Harrison-designed
organ to be a superlative service instrument and an outstanding vehicle for
solo organ music. The Prelude was Evening Song, Bairstow, followed by the Introit, "O Thou That Hearest
Prayer," Davies. Preces and Responses as well as the Lesser Litany,
Suffrages and Collects were settings by Shepherd. Hymns were: "O Blest
Creator" (Bromley);
"God Fashioned Earth and Called it Good" (Dominus regit me); "And did Those Feet" (Jerusalem); and "For all the Saints" (Engelberg). Psalm 91 was sung to an Anglican chant setting by Parratt. The Magnificat and Nunc
Dimittis were by Howells, and the anthem
was "Lord, Thou Hast Been our Refuge," Bairstow. The service ended with Tu es Petra
style='font-style:normal'>, Mulet. Congratulations and deep gratitude are due
to those who prepared and participated in this event, especially those Trinity
parishioners who offered their hospitality to many a hot and thirsty
conventioneer.

The newly and magnificently restored Battell Chapel on the
Yale campus was the scene for an evening recital by Will Headlee on its
landmark Holtkamp (Op. 1653 of 1951) which had been restored by the A. Thompson
Allen Co. in 1985 without any alterations to the original voicing: Praeludium
in F-Sharp Minor (BuxWV 146), Buxtehude;
"Das Alte Jahr" (BWV
1091), "O Jesu, wie ist dein Gestalt"
style='font-style:normal'>(BWV 1094), "Du Friedefürst, Herr
Jesu Christ" (BWV 1102), "Alle Menschen müssen sterben" (BWV 1117), all from the Neumeister Collection, Bach, which had been premiered in Battell Chapel in 1985; Fantasia in G (BWV 572), Bach; Sonate I, Hindemith; Choralpartita: "Lobe den Herren," Ahrens; the hymn "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" sung to Lobe den Herren; "Cantilène" from Suite Brève, Langlais; and Dieu Parmi Nous, Messiaen. Like his counterpart, G. Donald Harrison, Walter Holtkamp was a tonal pioneer in seeking out greater ensemble clarity, and this instrument shows him at his most convincing with its clear but colorful and firm foundations, intense mixtures and buzzy reeds. Curiously, some of the most effective stops for subtle carrying power issued from the apse division. This location had been the site of a Hook organ of 1875. Perhaps we can indeed learn from history. Headlee, who provided well chosen verbal comments concerning some of the pieces as well as the instrument itself, received a rousing reception at the conclusion of the recital.

Monday

The day began with an illustrated talk by OHS Archivist,
Stephen Pinel, on the background, personality and work of Philadelphia and New
York organ builder, Thomas Hall. Supported by many slides of archival material,
Pinel gave a fascinating and lively account of the early years (up to the mid
1820s) of this influential builder and later partner of Henry Erben and John Labaugh.

A short bus trip to Hartford brought us to Second Church of
Christ, Scientist for a recital by Lorenz Maycher on its Skinner, Op. 793 of
1929: A Solemn Melody, Davies, arr,
Perry; the hymn "Brood o'er us With Thy Sheltering Wing" sung to the
tune Vita; A
style='font-style:normal'> Joyous March and Arioso
style='font-style:normal'>, both by Sowerby; and Sketch in B-Flat
Minor, Op. 41, Dupré. The welcome
change to bright, clear and crisp weather together with the ambience of the
immaculate and impressive edifice helped create a congenial atmosphere for rich,
warm and colorful sounds of the Skinner which was handled in the usual expert
Maycher fashion. The unassuming demeanor of this young artist belies the fire
and musical intensity that he always projects. His playing of the Dupré
Sketch in particular displayed his effortless virtuosity. It is obvious why he
has become a favorite with OHS audiences (beginning with his debut at the New
Orleans convention in 1989). Make a special effort to hear him if you have the
chance. You will be in for a musical treat.

We then took a short walk virtually across the street (much
to the impatient consternation of central Hartford late morning traffic) to the
sumptuous Art Deco Horace Bushnell Memorial Auditorium to hear the magnificent
Austin of 1929 as expertly restored by the original builders in 1988-89. Like
many such civic organs, this instrument's future was uncertain until reason
prevailed, and through the generosity of the Beldings of Old Lyme, CT, Austin
Organs, Inc. undertook its thorough rehabilitation. Since they still had the
original pipe casting information as well as other engineering and tonal
specifications on file, any necessary reconstruction and voicing adjustments
were done in the manner of the 1929 installation. Thus, this was a true
restoration.

Peter Sykes utilized the organ's vast tonal resources
spectacularly as he presented the world premeiere of his transcription of
Holst's The Planets to the delight and
awe of those in attendance. What a perfect match of locale, organ and artist
for such an occasion! The ceiling decoration features planets and
constellations, the organ was in perfect condition, and Sykes astounded all
with his playing from both the technical and musical standpoints. He had begun
this monumental task just this past April and found Holst's original two-piano
score helpful as he reworked the composition into, as Sykes put it in his
program notes, " . . . an organ work that would uniquely and effectively
display the resources of the orchestral organ of the 1920s, today's best reason,
after all, for attempting such a project." His wife, Victoria Wagner (who
also played accompaniments on a small 1-manual Smith organ later in the week)
provided an additional set of hands at the console for the final movement,
"Neptune." The audience acknowledged the performance with
appropriately wild enthusiasm. Through the generosity of an endowment by the
Dexter Corporation of Windsor Locks, such concerts will continue on this
monumental instrument. The program concluded with the singing of "Star Spangled Banner" to an arrangement by Edwin H. Lemare. Convention chairman, Scot Huntington, presented an OHS Historic Organ Plaque to an official of the Auditorium as the concluding event of the morning.

After lunch, we continued with a visit to yet another Austin,
Op. 166 of 1906 in St. Mary's R.C. Church in New Britain, whose elaborately
decorated interior has recently been restored with great care. The unusual
Austin (with tubular pneumatic action) was a revelation as it erased any
assumptions of what the tone of a 1906 Austin might be. Reconditioned by
Foley-Baker in 1983, it features remarkably bright and singing diapasons and
such a well integrated chorus (up through 2') that one almost forgets that
there are no mixtures or, indeed, any off-unisons. Timothy Edward Smith
obviously enjoyed the instrument as he played both sensitively and with
dramatic flair in the following program: "Andante rustico" from Sonata Cromatica, Yon; Alpine Fantasy and Storm, Flagler; the hymn "Ye who own the Faith of Jesus" sung to the tune Daily, Daily; An Elizabethan Id
style='font-style:normal'>yll, Noble; and Toccata
style='font-style:normal'>, Fletcher. All these works came from the decade
following that in which the organ was installed, and thus revealed the sounds
and musical tastes of the time. Alan Laufman presented an OHS Historic Organ
Plaque to the curate, Fr. Carter, in recognition of the worth of this
remarkable Austin.

A trip to the scenic and historic town of Litchfield and its
United Methodist Church featured a short program by Gregory Crowell assisted by
Paul Austin (horn) on a rare 2-manual tracker built by F. J. N. Tallman in 1893
for a New York residence and later moved to Litchfield: Canone all' ottava, Boëly; Meditation, Foote; Four Aeolian Versets (1990), Woodman; Andante for Horn and Organ, Saint-Saëns; Scherzetto, Vierne; and the hymn "My Soul Gives Glory to my God" sung to the tune Morning Song. Crowell's beautiful, flexible and expressive playing coupled with the bright and musical sounds of the Tallman and Austin's expert horn playing in the Saint-Saëns piece provided us with a total musical experience. For those who might be looking for a fine ensemble piece, this duet for horn and organ is well worthwhile and will suit many different occasions. Very active trackers in the duet and a momentary cipher at the beginning of the hymn did not detract in any way from the enjoyment of the program and demonstrated once again that such things may well be expected in playing a vintage instrument. An experienced player like Crowell can simply take such occasions in stride.

The final event of the afternoon was a short recital by Lynn
Edwards on an elegant 1-manual, 7-stop Thomas Hall organ of 1823 in Trinity
Episcopal Church, Milton. The tiny wooden combination Classic and Gothic style
building with its modified barrel vault ceiling in pastel blue contrasted with
light rose hues on the walls together with white and gray on the woodwork
provided a visually subtle setting for the elaborately carved mahogany
English-styled case with its gilded front pipes: Solo per Cembalo in E-flat
Major, C.P.E. Bach; Variations on
"Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan,"
Pachelbel; Fantasia in C Major
(G. 60), Handel; Prelude and Fugue in B Minor
style='font-style:normal'> (BWV 867), Bach; Voluntary, Op. 1, No. 5, Walond; and the hymn "Lord of all Being, Throned Afar" sung to the tune Mendon. Even though there is an electric blower available, Ms. Edwards chose to have her wind raised by hand pumping for most of the program to demonstrate the subtle difference in effect this produces on tone and phrasing. The standing-room-only audience gave her and the restored Thomas Hall organ a well deserved ovation.

Prior to the main evening recital, there was a short
pre-dinner program on a large reconstructed McManis, originally his Op. 35 of
1957, in St. John's Episcopal Church, Waterbury. The event was not on the
original schedule, but dinner in the Parish Hall was, so the convention
committee thought this would offer an opportunity to hear a major example of
the work of a distinguished veteran American organ builder. John W. Sherer played the following program: Fugue in E-Flat ("St. Anne"), Bach; Prelude on "Iam sol recidit igneus," Simonds; "Allegro" (Symphony No. VI), Widor; and the hymn "Immortal, Invisible" sung to St. Denio. Scherer's very capable playing showed off the colors and intense ensembles of this modern landmark instrument.

The evening event was a recital by Rosalind Mohnsen on the
3-manual Johnson and Son Op. 778 of 1892 in Sacred Heart of Jesus, R.C. Church
in Waterbury: Concert Overture in C Minor, Hollins; Concerto in D Minor (from "L'estro Harmonico") (BWV 596), Vivaldi-Bach; Sonata No. 1 in F-sharp Minor, Reger; Méditation à Sainte Clotilde, James; the hymn "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say" sung to Tregaron; St. Francis of Paola Walking on the Water
style='font-style:normal'>, Liszt; the hymn "O Jesus, in Thy Heart
Divine" sung to Jesu dulcis memoria; and Lauda Sion (from "Suite Latine
style='font-style:normal'>," Op. 86), Widor. The organ's history and
restoration had been the subject of a recent article by Susan Armstrong (see
The Tracker, Vol. 37, No. 4, 1993) and Ms. Mohnson handled it in the grand
manner by displaying its hefty but colorful ensembles and many solo colors
(including a particularly delicious Doppel Flute on the Great). The highly
decorated and wonderfully restored interior of the church with its magnificent
rear gallery Johnson combined to create an uplifting end to the day's round of
recitals and demonstrations. Opening remarks by the Pastor and the Director of
Music revealed that the parish realizes the worth of the instrument and will
continue to cherish it for both its beauty and utility.

Tuesday

The Annual Meeting of the OHS took place as the first event
of the morning with President, Kristin Farmer, attending to necessary business
matters and reports with dispatch. Among the items of general interest were the
announcement that the Hook organ recently removed from Woburn, MA will be
installed in Berlin (Germany) in a couple of years; the convention for 1995
will be headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI, with Dana Hull as chairman
(Philadelphia, the Pacific northwest area, Washington, D.C., and Boston are
sites for upcoming meetings through the end of the century); and the
announcement that the OHS Distinguished Service Award goes to John K. Ogasapian
this year. Since he was busy preparing for his recital later in the morning,
the actual presentation was done in conjunction with that event.

A lecture entitled, "Tonal and Mechanical Development
of Skinner and Æolian-Skinner Organs" followed the meeting and was
introduced by a sampling of the new video tape produced by The Symphonic Organ
Society on "Mr. Skinner's Home Movies." This informative and often
hilarious video was presented with background and comments by Jonathan
Ambrosino and Joe Dzeda after which Dzeda and Nicholas Thompson-Allen of the A.
Thompson-Allen firm, Curators of Organs at Yale and experienced experts in the
restoration of Skinner organs, gave advice on restoration in general and of old
pipework in particular.

The Second Congregational Church in Middle Haddam was the
location for the following short program by John Ogasapian, editor of the OHS's
quarterly, The Tracker: Pastorale in F (BWV 590), Bach; Sonata in G Minor (W 70/6), C.P.E. Bach; and the hymn "All Glory be to God on High" sung to Allein Gott in der Höh. This fine 2-manual Appleton of 1827, which had suffered from both neglect and damage, was discovered by Barbara Owen several years ago. Long thought hopeless, it received a masterful reconstruction and restoration in 1992 by Mann and Trupiano (who had restored a similar Appleton of 1830 for the Metropolitan Museum in New York). Ogasapian's sensitive playing and appropriate programming showed off the subtle colors of this delightful instrument. He was aided as page turner and stop puller by the organ's restorer, Larry Trupiano, who must have been proud of his "baby" and the way it was played. Barbara Owen presented an OHS Historic Organ Plaque to the church and gave some heartfelt remarks on the background and history of the efforts to save this musical jewel. This is a distinguished example of one of the purposes of the OHS--to engender interest in preserving worthy examples of American organ building even though the effort may take a generation to accomplish. Ogasapian and the Appleton (together with Trupiano and Owen) were given an appropriate standing ovation.

A scenic bus ride through the picturesque Connecticut
countryside brought us to the beautiful 1820 Congregational Church in
Killingworth for a recital by Kevin Birch on a 2-manual 1875 E. L. Holbrook as
restored by Richard Hamar in 1971. The organ, in a rear gallery, features a
highly decorated case with exposed Great pipework. The program: Sonata V ("Allegro di molto"), C.P.E. Bach; Cantilena in F, Op. 71, No. 1, Foote; "Prelude" (Symphony No. II), Widor; the hymn "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind" sung to the tune Repton; and Carillon de Westminster, Vierne. The solid and bright Holbrook was served well by Birch's wonderfully sensitive, energetic and intelligent playing. It was refreshing to hear the Vierne Carillon played in a sane tempo which allowed the musical phrases to happen and communicate. This young artist is a player to watch--he should have a fine career.

From Killingworth we returned to New Haven for the first of
two recitals on a 3-manual E. & G.G. Hook Op. 576 of 1871 which had been
transplanted from St. Alphonsus R.C. Church in New York to St. Mary's R.C.
Church in New Haven in 1982 and restored by a group of New England organ
builders under the direction of Larry Trupiano of Brooklyn, N.Y. This reviewer
had heard the organ in its original location many years ago and had marveled at
its tone and musical effect at that time in spite of the instrument's obvious
mechanical difficulties. The church (now razed) was a somewhat higher building
than St. Mary's, but the organ now looks and sounds "at home" in its
new loft. The building sounds as large as it looks and features a recently
restored opulently decorated interior which creates an appropriate setting for
the colorful and robust tone of the Hook. Bruce Stevens played magnificently in
the following program: Sonata No. 3 in G Major, Op. 88, Rheinberger; Concert Variations on "The Star
Spangled Banner," Paine; Canon in A-Flat Major, Op. 56, No. 4, Schumann; Fantaisie in A, Franck; "Andante sostenuto" (Symphonie Gothique), Widor; Toccata and Fugue ("The Wanderer"), Parry; and the hymn "Holy Ghost, Dispel our Sadness" sung to Geneva. Throughout, Stevens exhibited his usual superlative, mature and artistic approach to communicating the music and seemed totally in command of the piquant small and vigorously-voiced large ensembles as well as the many solo colors of this important organ transplant. The recital was certainly a high point of the convention.

Nearby St. Paul's Episcopal Church hosted a late afternoon
recital by John Cummins on a relocated 2-manual 1876 Jardin & Son tracker
which had been renovated by Brunner and Heller in 1982-1985. The facade pipes
had been decorated by Kristin Farmer within a couple of weeks of the beginning
of the convention. Her expert work, featuring a bright cardinal red in the
mouth area of the pipes led one wag (who shall remain nameless for her own
protection) to affectionately dub the organ, "Hot Lips." Cummins gave
good verbal explanations on the music and registrations for his program: Sonata II in C, Mendelssohn; "The Peace may be Exchanged" (from Rubrics), Locklair; the hymn "Praise the Lord, ye Heavens Adore Him" sung to the tune Faben, written by former St. Paul's organist, the renowned J. R. Willcox; and Concert Variations on "Old Hundredth," Paine. Cummins is an excellent player who displayed both virtuoso pedal technique in the Paine and expert hymn playing as he and the gutsy Jardine led the large audience in vigorous singing.  Following a catered pizza party in St. Paul's Parish Hall, we took a welcome post-prandial stroll through a portion of the Wooster Square area of New Haven to St. Casimir's R.C. Church for an evening recital by David Dahl on the church's large 2-manual E. & G.G. Hook and Hastings, Op. 750 of 1874 as restored by Richard Hamar in 1970. Unlike the Jardine in St. Paul's, this Hook was originally installed in this building which at that time was the home of Davenport Congregational Church. The program: Praeludium in d, Lubeck; Four Organ Chorales, ("Wo soil ich fliehen hin," "Schmücke dich," "Sei Lob und Ehr dem höchsten Gut," "Christ lag in Todesbanden"), Homilius; Sonata IV in A Minor, Op. 98, Rheinberger; Four Pieces ("Canon in the 5th," Op. 68, No. 1, "Romanza," Op. 13, No. 3, "Novelette," Op. 68, No. 3, "Fugue" Op. 36, No. 3), Parker; the hymn "We will extol You, ever-blessed Lord," sung to the tune Old 124th; Nordic Lament, Dahl; and Fantaisie in G (BWV 572), Bach. Tim Smith presented an OHS Historic Organ plaque to the church during the intermission. Dahl handled the instrument both musically and brilliantly with his solid, sensitive and dramatic playing displaying the tonal features of the organs to great advantage. His Nordic Lament was a particularly colorful and attractive work. Dahl and the finely restored Hook received a well deserved standing ovation.

Wednesday

A morning illustrated lecture by The Reverend Nicholas
Thistlethwaite on "The Tonal Development of 19th Century British
Organs" exposed us to the differences and similarities in character of
organ building trends vis-à-vis the U.S. and Britain presented from the
perspective of the British Institute of Organ Studies, a younger sister
organization of the OHS.

Glenn Kime gave the first recital of the day on a magnificent
late Johnson, Op. 788 of 1893 in the Unitarian Universalist Church in Meriden: Trumpet Tune, Phillips; Canzonetta, Op. 71, No. 4, Foote; "Allegretto" (from Sonata in E-flat Minor, Op. 65), Parker; Amazing Grace, arr. Held; Variations on "America," Ives; and the hymn "Sing out Praises for the Journey" sung to Westminster Abbey. Prior to the program, Dana Hull presented the church with an OHS Historic Organ plaque. The handsome restored Romanesque structure with its pristine Johnson singing out from its corner installation, its beautifully balanced sound elicited by the expert playing of this young artist with his refined and relaxed technique which let the music really speak, formed a wonderful beginning for an equally wonderful day--the almost tropical humidity having given way to another example of crisp New England early summer weather.

The final morning event was a recital by Mark Bighley on
what may be the only remaining 3-manual Ryder, Op. 156 of 1890 in St. Francis
R.C. Church in Naugatuck. His program: "Wir treten zum Beten vor Gott
den Herren," Reger; the hymn
"Once He Came in Blessing" sung to the tune Gottes Sohn ist
kommen with settings by Pepping as organ
interludes between the stanzas; "Christus der ist mein
Leben," Rinck; and Four Short
Pieces, Pinkham. The organ, a tracker,
features an unusual reversed console and an almost "see-through"
facade. Since most of the pipework is situated low in the case, the west window
is visible through the pipe front. Bighley demonstrated the colorful organ well
and registered the Pepping settings to show off the transparent and light
colors as a contrast to the fuller ensembles during the sung verses.
Unfortunately, the subtle registrations in the quiet Pinkham pieces were
punctuated with the sounds of happy children being released from a neighboring
school.

Wednesday afternoon was devoted to a variety of options: a
tour of the Austin organ factory in Hartford; a visit to the Trolley Museum in
East Haven; a trip to the Hitchcock Chair Museum in Riverton with a program on
its diminutive 1-manual organ of unknown manufacture followed by a trip to
Otis, MA for a short recital on the 1-manual Whiting in St. Paul's Episcopal
Church; a trip to the famous seaside resort of Watch Hill, RI; or a few hours
of free time for rest and relaxation back at Cromwell. Since one could not be
in all of these places, this reviewer chose the tour of the Austin factory
which was open for all with printed floor plan maps to help in locating the
various departments, from pipe casting and fabrication, chest making, and small
parts manufacture to console constructions and the design and voicing rooms.
Our hosts were very helpful and courteous in explaining the various operations
and fielding questions posed by the visitors. Of particular interest was the
important display of historical documents that had been set up for our perusal.
In addition, we were able to see bits and pieces of Austin's Op. 500 of 1915, a
large instrument built for the Panama-Pacific Exposition that had been severely
damaged in the recent California earthquake and had been returned to Austin's
for restoration. One can only imagine the immense amount of work involved in
shipping this vast organ across the country for rehabilitation by its original
builders. We shall await the news of its reinstallation.

For those who wished, there was time to visit the former
residence of Mark Twain on nearby Farmington Avenue We then traveled to
Rockville for Ezequiel Menendez's recital on a 2-manual Johnson & Son
tracker, Op. 830 of 1895, formerly in the Masonic Hall in Hartford, and
successfully relocated to the First Lutheran Church in Rockville. His program: "Komm Gott, Schopfer, heiliger Geist" (BWV 667), Bach; Pastorale in G, Whitney; Toccata, Villancico, Ginastera; the hymn "Who Trusts in God, a Strong Abode" sung to Was mein Gott will; and Sonata I, Mendelssohn (which contains the hymn tune just sung). Menendez's sensitive, bold, brilliant and musical playing delighted all those in attendance. This young Argentinian is undoubtedly an artist of major talent, and we should expect to hear of his great international success in the near future The performer seemed totally at home at the Johnson, another example of a successful transplant of an instrument which had been slated for destruction. Relocation and reassembly was accomplished in 1992 under the direction of Thad Outerbridge.

After dinner back in Cromwell, we bused to Hartford again
for a recital by Christa Rakich on an extraordinarily fine 3-manual Kilgen, Op.
4828 of 1932, in St. Justin's R.C. C The Pastor, Fr. Devito, accepted the OHS
Historic Organ plaque from Lois Regestein and made moving and appropriate
remarks prior to the recital. The program: "Liebestod" from Tristan
und Isolde, Wagner; Prelude and
Fugue in D Minor, Clara Schumann; Variations on "Wondrous Love," Barber; "Sweet Story," "All Things Bright and Beautiful," "Wonderful Words of Life," and "Praise our Father," all from Folk Hymn Sketches, Diemer; the hymn "Amazing Grace" sung to New Britain; Sweet Sixteenths (A Concert Rag), Albright; and Prelude & Passacaglia in festo Pentecostes, Woodman. An encore was in order, and that was the Sicilienne of Paradis. The wonderful Art Deco vastness of the marble interior with its alabaster rererdos and elaborate decorations was the perfect milieu for the truly distinguished sounds of the Kilgen which had been designed and overseen by Charles Courboin who also had played the "Liebestod" at the dedication of this instrument in 1932. Ms. Rakich, who is Director of Music at St. Justin's, obviously was much at home on this instrument and displayed its sumptuous, bold and luxuriant colors with expertise. There is always an extra dimension of success to the effective use of the organ when the incumbent musician is at the console. Fr. Devito and the parishioners of St. Justin's deserve our plaudits for seeing that the organ received a sensitive restoration by Michael Foley.

Thursday

The day began with a short trip to Storrs and the University
of Connecticut's St. Thomas Aquinas R.C. Chapel for program by Richard Hill on
a gutsy Steer & Turner 2-manual tracker, Op. 8, of 1868 which had
originally been built for the Baptist Church in Rondout, NY and moved to Storrs
under the supervision of the Organ Clearing House and installed by A. David
Moore in 1973. The program: the hymn "Now Shall my Head be Lifted
High" sung to the tune Victory; Grand Centennial March, Zeuner; Chorale-Prelude on "Jewels," Bitgood; Rondo-Caprice
style='font-style:normal'>, Op. 35, Buck; Berceuse
style='font-style:normal'>, Shelley; and Sortie in D Major,
style='font-style:normal'> Rogers. Most of the pieces chosen had a connection
with Connecticut, a nice touch in programming. The contemporary and modest
sized chapel features a narrow and long barrel vault ceiling, which is not only
visually attractive, but also helps give the room acoustics. The organ, with
its natural chestnut case, fits in with the architecture well. Its sound is
robust, with a firm and bright tone. Hill demonstrated the colorful single
registers persuasively and gave the larger ensembles an appropriately vigorous
touch. Some out-of-tune ranks and a rather violently aggressive tremolo were
the only jarring factors.

The next stop was in Willimantic for a superlative recital
by Leo Abbott on a later Steer & Turner, Op. 86 of 1874, in St. Joseph's
R.C. Church. The 2-manual tracker is in the rear gallery and filled the
recently restored church interior with its dignified, bright and bold sounds
which led one to think that the organ was much larger than it is. The program: Festival Voluntary, Op. 87, Peeters;
"Incantation," "Pastorale," "Antienne,"
"Hymne," and "Danse" from Mariales pour Orgue, Hakim; the hymn "Hail, Holy Joseph, Hail" sung to Maritus; Menuet-Scherzo, Op. 54, No. 2, Jongen; and "Allegro con moto" from Grand Sonata, Op. 25, Whiting. The instrument, restored by Charles Aitken in 1989, fairly danced at the expert virtuosity and artistic playing by Leo Abbott who demonstrated his talents in improvisation by supplying appropriate interludes between the verses of the hymn. After such a musical treat, we all needed some time to absorb what we had just heard, and we were able to do so, as well as to absorb a wonderful catered luncheon held in St. Joseph's Parish Hall.

After lunch, Ray Cornils presented a short recital on the
last of a series of the three Steere organs of the day, a 2-manual tracker, Op.
340 of 1892 in First Baptist Church, Willimantic. His program: "Mein
junges Leben hat ein End," Sweelinck; Fuga IV, Zeunner; the hymn "All Hail the Power" sung to Diadem; Scherzo, Buck; Pastorale and Aviary, Roberts; and Variations de Concert, Op. 1, Bonnet. It was instructive to hear these three Steeres, one after the other, and thus to compare them. This instrument, the mildest of the three, also featured a bright and well balanced principal chorus, characteristic of Steeres of this era, with an extremely quiet Great Dulciana and Swell Salicional. A recessed front location for the organ and the dead acoustics may have had a bearing on the understated effect. Cornils demonstrated the various subtle and colorful combinations to great effect and proved once again that he is a well disciplined and thoroughgoing musician. The capacity audience showed their appreciation with an appropriate ovation.

Lorenz Maycher

Note: All letters, photos, articles, and other memorabilia used here are from the personal library of Dr. Alexander Boggs Ryan, housed at Trinity Episcopal Church, Longview, Texas, and Kilgore College, Kilgore, Texas. The letters were first publicly presented at the Gregg County Historical Society, Longview, Texas, by David Ford during the 2012 East Texas Pipe Organ Festival. All spelling and punctuation has been retained as found in the original letters.

 

Introduction

Marcel Dupré and Alexander Boggs Ryan—By one who knew them both

Marcel Dupré (1886–1971) had many American pupils, notable among whom were Emory Gallup, Carl Weinrich, Clarence Watters, and Dora Poteet. Although the foregoing were better suited to his approach than some others, there is no doubt that Clarence Watters and Dora Poteet were shining examples of his tradition and that they in turn passed this legacy on to their pupils in a way that insured reverence and respect.

Alexander Boggs Ryan (1928–1979) possessed an enviable and, in some ways, unique musical pedigree. Quite apart from his excellent piano background and well before he came to Dupré, he had received the Great Tradition (the Parisian organ school’s “apostolic succession”: Bach to Kittel to Rinck to Hesse to Lemmens to Guilmant & Widor and their pupils) from Dora Poteet Barclay. Helen Hewitt, one of Lynnwood Farnam’s pupils at the Curtis Institute, would become another early influence. (Although Farnam lacked a direct connection to the Parisian organ tradition, he was on intimate terms with many of its great lights. Farnam was in and out of many famous organ lofts and established bonds with Albert Dupré, Henri Mulet, and Charles Tournemire among others. He and the Duprés often met at Claude Johnson’s country house. As is well known, Vierne’s Sixth Symphony is dedicated to him.)

When Boggs arrived in Paris in 1952, Marcel Dupré was in the final years of his professorship at the Conservatoire. In previous decades his organ class included a glittering roll-call of greats, from Olivier Messiaen to Jeanne Demessieux, to name only two. In the immediate post-war period alone there had been, among the women, Françoise Renet, Marie-Madeleine Chevalier, and the fabulous Suzanne Chaisemartin; among the men, Pierre Labric, Jean Costa, and the unforgettable Pierre Cochereau. Beginning in 1954, Dupré would place the organ class in the hands of his faithful Rolande Falcinelli and assume the title of director of that august institution.

Much nonsense has been written and muttered-about concerning the so-called Olympian aloofness of Marcel Dupré but the facts, as well as the testimonies of his pupils, tell a very different story. It is true that the moment he began playing, one felt strongly the presence of an artistic giant—a god of music. In that respect his playing was quite unlike any other of my acquaintance. Privately, he was the most affectionate and loving master that one could possibly imagine, full of fatherly care for every aspect of one’s life and thought. High standards and unremitting work were necessary but he inspired and guided with a unique, genial humor and sweetness.

Boggs, I believe, was an almost ideal subject for study with Dupré. With his superb pianism (very important to the master) and his familiarity with the Parisian organ school, he was able to imbibe the maximum benefit from study in Meudon. Boggs’ fine Southern manners would have been appreciated by the Dupré family. In addition, he brought Dupré repertoire that would not have been part of the usual conservatory organ class drill (i.e., the Reubke Sonata). The notoriously miserable organ in the Salle d’Orgue had recently been replaced by a new, electric-action instrument. Dupré was able to provide this venue for Boggs’ début in 1953.

As a fitting coda to his years of study, Boggs earned his DMA at Ann Arbor in 1963. He studied with Helen Hewitt’s classmate, Robert Noehren, another member of Farnam’s celebrated Curtis organ class.* Marilyn Mason was also an influence, with her connection to Palmer Christian, a sometime pupil of both Straube and Guilmant.

Alexander Boggs Ryan had an acute sense that this great cloud of witnesses had contributed in many and various ways to his musical footprint. In my opinion, his best years as a player were, roughly speaking, a ten-year period from 1954 to 1964. Everything that he played seemed to contain a leading soprano line and cantabile legato, including Reger, a composer that benefited greatly from his relaxed, lyric approach. 

—Karl Watson

Staten Island, New York 

 

*In the years before his early death, Lynnwood Farnam taught the first organ class at the then newly founded Curtis Institute of Music. The members of the class were Lawrence Apgar, Robert Cato, Helen Hewitt, Alexander McCurdy, Robert Noehren, and Carl Weinrich. 

 

Letters

CONSERVATOIRE NATIONAL
DE MUSIQUE

PARIS, le 22 February 1955

14, RUE DE MADRID, 8E

LABORDE 20-80

LE DIRECTEUR

I have pleasure to state that Mr. Alexander Boggs Ryan who has studied organ with me during a year has proved a most interesting and satisfactory student. Through steady and intelligent work he has made continued progress. He has a fine brilliant technique and undeniable musical gifts.

He has been through an exhaustive repertory of classical and modern works with me and given a fine organ recital which has won him applause in the organ hall of the National Conservatory of music in Paris. Serious and earnest in his work, of perfect good-breeding, I am confident he will fulfil with distinction any post he may be entrusted with.

(signed) Marcel Dupré

 

§

 

40 BOULEVARD ANATOLE-FRANCE

MEUDON (S. &-O.)

November 12th 1961

My dear friend,

I returned from concerts in Germany last night and found your good letter for which many thanks. I was glad to hear your news about your work and activities.

I am sending you the photos dedicated. When I have a little time, I will look up whether I have the signature of Philipp and Widor, but I am leaving to-night for a concert tour in England and have still much work on hand.

The concert for Liszt’s commemoration was not a recital, but a concert with orchestra at Palais de Chaillot. Two transcriptions of mine for organ and orchestra were performed, with myself at the organ and the Pasdeloup orchestra: Fantasy on “ad nos” and the transcription of the piano work “St. Francois de Paule marchant sur les flots.” Both had a great success.

Yes, the long-playing record of Dora Poteet was sent to me. Her death has been a great sorrow for us. She was such a remarkable artist and a fine woman.

I also have the photo taken at St. Sulpice with Widor, Philipp and myself, but thank you all the same for your
kind thought.

I certainly was most happy about the wonderful reception I had in Detroit and it was so good to see again so many old students such as yourself and so many friends who had come from quite a distance.

With affectionate thoughts from Madame Dupré and myself and best wishes for continued success,

Yours ever,

(signed) Marcel Dupré

 

§

 

40 BOULEVARD ANATOLE-FRANCE

MEUDON (S. &-O.)

OBS. 14-45

March 27, 1962

My dear friend,

Many thanks for your letter. It was kind of you to write about the article on Alexandre Guilmant.

Thanks for the interesting programs you sent me and for the French program for your third recital.

I congratulate you on your recent fine appointment at Western Michigan University and am very happy to see that your hard work and talent are being acknowledged. I shall always be interested in the progress of your musical career.

The centenary of the organ of Saint-Sulpice will be commemorated on May 3rd. It was dedicated on April 29, 1862 by César Franck, Guilmant and Saint-Saens. So, I shall play some of their music, also my Passion-Symphony etc. The organ is always magnificent.

With warmest regards,

Sincerely,

(signed) Marcel Dupré

 

§

 

40 BOULEVARD ANATOLE-FRANCE

MEUDON (S. &-O.)

OBS. 14-45

April 25, 1962

My dear friend,

Many thanks for your kind letter, for the interesting programs you gave in New-York and for the photo at the organ in Detroit. I am returning the other two which I have inscribed according to your wish.

With every good wish,

Cordially,

(signed) Marcel Dupré

 

P. S. In 1956, I recorded several works for the Westminster Co. on the St. Sulpice organ, among which my “Stations of the Cross.” I know the Company has had financial difficulties, and I have, of course, never got any royalties, but this is not what I am concerned about. I have written to them to inquire whether my “Stations of the Cross” were available, but they never replied. The recording of that big work means a lot to me and I should be more than sorry if my work came to nothing.

Do you know anything about it or could you kindly make some inquiries? Many thanks in advance.

 

§

 

40 BOULEVARD ANATOLE-FRANCE

MEUDON (S. &-O.)

OBS. 14-45

May 10th 1962

My dear friend,

Many thanks for your letters and for the information about the Westminster Co. and their successor. I am writing to them.

How kind of you to have got my “Stations of the Cross” as a gift to me. I shall let you know when the record comes. I have the two other records.

I am sending you the program of the St. Sulpice organ centenary. The concert was a tremendous success. Thousands packed the church and the organ sounded more gloriously than ever.

Concerning the rebuild of Notre-Dame, the rebuild is not completed yet. The new console has been connected with the organ, but the combinations are not ready yet, nor the new stops. So, at the present moment, but for the new console, the organ is as it was.

As for Saint-Sulpice, I keep my own beautiful console and organ as they are, as they were when I started playing there as Widor’s assistant over fifty years ago.

I am sorry not to be able to send you a program of the bi-centennial of Liszt, but I have none left.

With kindest regards and best wishes,

Yours cordially,

(signed) Marcel Dupré

 

§

 

40 BOULEVARD ANATOLE-FRANCE

MEUDON (S. &-O.)

OBS. 14-45

October 14, 1962

My dear friend,

I am just back from Holland, where I gave four recitals during the week and find your letter, for which I thank you. I am delighted to hear you are doing so well both in your teaching and concerts. Thanks for the interesting clippings you sent.

I am glad to hear you will play at Rockefeller Chapel, Chicago during Lent. Such a magnificent organ! I shall think of you playing my “Stations.”

As regards the Variations of the Symphonie Gothique, it was Widor’s wish that one of them, the Canon in trio form, should be omitted. He considered it as too scholastic, so I always complied with his wish.

When I write to Marriott, I will certainly put in a good word about you.

You inquire about my activities? The next will be the performance of my Oratorio, “La France au Calvaire,” for choir, soloists, organ and orchestra, at Palais de Chaillot on November 4th at the Pasdeloup concerts.

Then I am leaving for Switzerland on November 10th. I have another busy year ahead. A new organ work of mine will be released this month.

We both keep in the best of health.

With every good wish,

Cordially,

(signed) Marcel Dupré

 

§

 

Tuesday, 12 February 1963

Dear M. Dupré:

This is my first communication to you in 1963, and I trust that this finds you and Mme. Dupré feeling well and busily engaged in activities that you both love so much.

We have had a terrible winter so far: much more snow than in former record years. I’m not used to it, of course, originating from Texas, but am confronted with the facts at hand.

I hope to finish my Doctorate at the University of Michigan by June. I’m working on my third and final recital, which will be all French. It includes some of your “Stations” as well as your “Noel Variations.” In addition, I’m preparing a document on all three recitals, which will contain program notes and an analysis of some 30 works.

Is M. Legouix (the second-hand music dealer) still alive? The reason I ask is that, when I studied with you ten years ago, I bought a considerable amount of music from him in rare editions—mostly German publications that had long been out of print. At that time I studied the Reubke “Sonata” with you, which I performed at the Conservatoire. I tried to locate an “original” of that work, originally published by J. Schuberth & Co., Leipzig. This organ-work was not among Legouix’s holdings at the time, although he promised to get me a copy. I have never heard from him since.

Now, the point is this: I would like, if possible, to get these compositions from Legouix. They are all works by Julius Reubke, and would be helpful in the preparation of my document. They include piano works, also. They are the following, and I’d appreciate your giving M. Legouix a call on the phone in order that he might make some inquiries for me. For this favor, I’d be
most appreciative:

Titles, as they appear in German:

Organ: 1) Sonate in c moll. Der 94ste Psalm. J. Schuberth

Piano: 2) Sonate in c moll. Der 94ste Psalm. Edition Cotta

(transcribed for piano by August Stradal, Stuttgart, 1926)

Piano: 3) Sonate in B moll. J. Schuberth

Piano: 4) Scherzo (not certain of publisher, probably J. Schuberth)

The above enumeration indicates one copy of each, as to get will take some work on the part of M. Legouix.

Cher maître, I realize that you are a busy man. If you do not have time to attend to this for me, just send me the address of M. Legouix. I don’t have it, or would write to him direct.

Am off for recitals in Chicago, Wichita (Kansas), Columbus (Ohio), and New York City during March and April. Wish me luck.

Sincerely,

(signed) Alexander Boggs Ryan

 

P. S. I forgot to tell you. My information states that Stradal also made an organ edition of the Reubke “Sonata,” in which he made some corrections (notes) indicated by Liszt. This was also Edition Cotta, and I’m interested in this, too. So tell Legouix about it. Thanks.

 

§

 

40 BOULEVARD ANATOLE-FRANCE

MEUDON (S. &-O.)

OBS. 14-45

March 18th, 1963

My dear friend,

I apologize for this belated answer to your letter, but we have been away a good deal.

We found Legouix address, which is:

4 Rue CHAUVEAU-LAGARDE

8e

Madame Dupré called at the shop this afternoon and was received by Madame Legouix from whom she heard that her husband died seven years ago accidentally. But she is carrying on his work with some help. She could not tell me whether she had the works you ask for, but is going to make some research and let me know. She took my phone number and has your list of works in hand.

So, as soon as I have some news, I will let you know.

Cordially yours,

(signed) Marcel Dupré

 

§

 

40 BOULEVARD ANATOLE-FRANCE

MEUDON (S. &-O.)

OBS. 14-45

October 2, 1963

My dear friend,

As soon as your letter of August 7 arrived I wrote to Madame Legouix saying you had never heard from her and asking whether she had been able to find any of the rare editions you wanted.

Her reply to my letter came yesterday only. (She may have been away during the summer vacation.) A very short reply it was as you may see, at the back of the first letter you wrote in February. (“With my apologies for not finding this.” L. Legouix) I am sorry it will prove disappointing for you.

Our most sincere congratulations on your Doctor’s degree from the University of Michigan.

We were shocked to hear about Parvin Titus’ terrible accident but were somewhat relieved when we were told recently by Mr. Cunkle, the editor of “The Diapason,” that he was getting better. But his poor wife!

With affectionate regards from both,

(signed) J. Dupré

 

§

 

December 3, 1963

M. and Mme. Marcel Dupré

40, Boulevard Anatole France

Meudon, S.- et - O.

France

My dear friends :

It is with a sense of extreme regret that I have just read of the passing of your daughter, Marguerite, on October 26, 1963. I had no idea that she had been desperately ill, and there was no indication of this in Mme. Dupré’s letter of early October.

Herefore, please accept my sincerest sympathies in this your hour of extreme sorrow. Please convey to Marguerite’s husband and her children my heartfelt shock upon receiving this news.

I am looking forward to seeing you next summer, as I contemplate my first trip to Europe in ten years.

Very sincerely,

Dr. Alexander Boggs Ryan

Chairman of the Organ Dept.

Assistant Professor of Music

Western Michigan University

ABR/leh

 

P. S. In as much as Marguerite and the late Dora Poteet Barclay were close friends some twenty-five years ago, I shall inform Dora’s husband of this tragedy; for surely he will want to write to you.

 

§

 

40 BOULEVARD ANATOLE-FRANCE

MEUDON (S. &-O.)

OBS. 14-45

January 6, 1964

Dear friend,

Many thanks for your letter of sympathy in our great sorrow. We are heart-broken, for our beloved Marguerite always filled our lives with happiness. Life will never be the same again for us. But we have to go on for the dear children she has left us.

Mr. Dupré is very courageous, though, and has resumed all his duties. Music helps us and I am always looking forward to St. Sulpice on Sundays.

We are going next week to Frankfurt, where a group of organists is to give a concert of M. Dupré’s works, and the day before, he will be giving a recital of French music.

We have read the programs you sent us with great interest, always touched about your devotion to your master’s music.

Affectionately Yours,

J. Dupré

 

§

 

Mr. & Mme. Marcel Dupré

40, BOULEVARD ANATOLE 

FRANCE

MEUDON (S. &-O.)

Telephone 14-45

Observatoire

Undated handwritten notecard

Dear friend,

Many thanks for your nice card and for the interesting press notices. We are happy to know your concerts are so successful. We both keep well and Mr. Dupré is as busy as ever with concert playing, composition and teaching. He has made some new recordings for Philips recently—a disc of Bach Chorales.

 

§

 

40 BOULEVARD ANATOLE-FRANCE

92 – MEUDON

027-14-45

Friday 23 July 1971

My dear friend,

Your letter reached me this morning and I was profoundly moved by all you wrote from your heart. Yes, I have received letters and telegrams by hundreds from all over the world and am far from having answered them all. But yours, which came apart, gets this returned answer.

The sudden passing away of my beloved husband was a terrible shock. On Whit-Sunday, May 30th, he was playing his two masses at St. Sulpice, ending at 12 o’clock with an improvisation on the Easter Alleluia which a friend had requested, and a few hours later, at the end of the afternoon, all was over. After St. Sulpice, we had driven back home, had a quiet lunch together, then he read his Sunday paper and said suddenly: “I feel a little cold; I am going to lie down on my bed.” Shortly after, he lost consciousness and passed without any pain. When the Doctors arrived, there was nothing to be done; rupture of abdominal aneurism.

I am heart-broken. After our many years spent together in such close union, the loss of that wonderful companion, so great, but so simple, so kind, so loving is so hard to bear. 

But I thank God for his peaceful end, a blessing for him, this end he deserved after his great life of devotion to his art, to his students, to his friends, and his humanity. Everybody loved him. 

I try to get some strength from so many happy memories of our life, particularly from the very last ones. On April 22, he played for the last time in London, at the Albert Hall for the celebration of the centenary of the Hall in which he had given his first concert abroad in a concert hall fifty years before, in December 1920. He had such an ovation from the impressive crowd: 7000 people. We were both deeply moved. I am sorry I have no programs of the Albert Hall.

Then for his 85th birthday, there was a most moving evening at St. Sulpice: his oratorio “De Profundis” was sung during the first hour, then a big group of his former pupils at the Conservatoire where he had taught for 28 years, gathered around him in the centre of the church; Messiaen, Langlais, Cochereau, Mme. Durufle, etc., etc., read beautiful tributes before him.

A week later, on May 13th, Rolande Falcinelli who succeeded him as the head of the organ class when he was appointed Director of the Conservatoire gave a recital with his 2nd Symphony and he concluded the recital by a great improvisation.

The funeral took place at St. Sulpice on June 3rd, in the packed church. The service was so beautiful, with the Requiem Gregorian Mass which I had requested.

He was buried in our little cemetery in Meudon, a few minutes from our home, with our darling Marguerite. We both used to go to her grave every day. Now I go alone until I join them.

Marguerite was our only child. The girl you saw at the concert last year was a cousin from Rouen.

Now, I am trying to be courageous for my three grandchildren, all three students and who still need me. They are sweet kids and their grandfather loved them so.

With many thanks for your sympathy,

Sadly Yours,

J. Marcel-Dupré

 

P. S. I don’t get The Diapason and would be so grateful if you would send me a clipping of the article.

 

§

 

French Institute

(Institut de France)

Academy of Arts

(Académie des Beaux-Arts)

Funeral of Marcel Dupré,

Member of the Musical Composition division,

held in St. Sulpice Church

Paris, 3rd June 1971.

 

ORATIONS

By

M. Jacques Carlu,

President of the Académie des Beaux-Arts

And

M. Emmanuel Bondeville,

Permanent Secretary of the Académie des Beaux-Arts

 

Paris,

MCMLXXI

Institute publication

Printers to the Institute:

1971 No. 13

Firmin-Didot & Co.

Rue Jacob 56.

 

ORATION

by

M. Jacques Carlu

President of the Académie des Beaux-Arts

Madame,

My dear colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is with deep emotion that I come here today, bringing in the name of the whole Académie des Beaux-Arts, a last farewell to our illustrious colleague and friend Marcel Dupré, who has been taken away so suddenly from the affectionate companionship of his family and his countless disciples and admirers.

On this sad day, it is not only the French Institute and our society which shares your mourning, Madame, but also the whole world of music or as one can truly put it, all the musicians in the world, for, in the unanimous opinion of his peers, Marcel Dupré must be classed in the first rank among musicians, composers and organists of all time.

Member of the music division of the Académie des Beaux-Arts 15 years, he was one of the most remarkable figures in its long history.

Without any doubt Dupré was a great artist, as his whole life and career bear witness, and his immense musical output will presently be described for us by his lifelong friend and companion, and fellow native of Rouen, our permanent secretary, the musician Emmanuel Bondeville, with all his wide knowledge and the brotherly affection he felt for the musician who has passed away.

But one didn’t have to be a musician to admire Marcel Dupré, for although not everyone is gifted with a good ear, you only needed to have a heart in order to love the man.

For among all those who in many countries have drawn near to Marcel Dupré, is there a single one who could forget the man, the friend, or the master? He was so innately good and infinitely gracious, always ready to share the fruits of his experience and his immense talent.

Whatever the circumstances he could never be selfish or insensible—his natural and unvarying kindliness would not allow it. So the great artist Marcel Dupré was surrounded by much admiration and loving respect among all the circles he frequented.

Rarely can France have possessed a better ambassador for the art and culture of our country, hence the warmth of the welcome which greeted him on his numerous tours abroad, especially in the United States.

Happily he is not dead altogether since a large part of himself will never pass away. Then Death, where is thy victory? For he will pass through this supreme test and emerge still greater; and the glorious reputation which he leaves us is as the sun shining from the world beyond the grave.

Thinking of the life of the soul in the kingdom of shade which is now his, where is the new Paul Valery who can describe for us in the style of “Eupalinos” the fascinating discussions which Marcel Dupré will be able to have with his well-loved J. S. Bach, and with all the giants of music whom he will meet in the Elysian Fields.

For us, it remains to measure the enormous void created by the disappearance of our dear and illustrious colleague. One can succeed to the post of a Marcel Dupré, but one can never replace him.

In this day of sadness, Madame, may I express to you and your children the deep and sorrowing sympathy felt by the members of the Academy of Arts, all of whom share your grief. But as the great Christian orator Massillon, who belonged to the Academy more than two centuries ago and whose statue stands before us in this Square of Saint-Sulpice, said in one of his famous sermons: “the feelings which a sudden death arouse in our hearts are feelings of a day of grief, as though death itself was a matter of a single day.”

Dear Marcel Dupré, our friend and colleague, you rest assured that our grief will be unending.

 

ORATION

pronounced by

M. Emmanuel BONDEVILLE

Permanent Secretary of the Académie des Beaux-Arts

Madame,

My dear Colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

How can one call to mind the great figure of Marcel Dupré without recapitulating the main stages of the career which marked his astonishing and ineluctable ascendance?

He had this great privilege of the strong, of following with sureness the ordained path, climbing it with firm undeviating steps, and reaching the higher summits by an unbroken ascending curve.

He always remained close to his roots. The rue du Vert-Buisson, at Rouen, was an excellent musical centre. The province and regions provide generous facilities for the arts, for study, practice, and the faith which gives life meaning and nobility.

Albert Dupré, the organist of St. Ouen, which possesses one of the finest organs in France, used to run a choral society “Perfect Harmony” (L’Accord Parfait), which enabled the music-lovers of Rouen to become familiar with the masterpieces of music, notably the great works of Bach. His wife, Alice Dupré, a cellist, possessed a lively musical intelligence.

In such a home, an exceptionally gifted child found the most favourable climate possible for the flowering of his talents. Without having frequented that blessed dwelling, called simply “le Vert-Buisson” (the green bush)—the name of the street—by the people of Rouen, one could not possibly assess how much ardour, hard work, and faith, the love of a difficult art can muster in order to achieve the most important objectives, which are to arouse curiosity, to consolidate knowledge, and to create enthusiasm.

For his enlightened parents applied the utmost care in nourishing the talent of Marcel Dupré, which declared itself early. At the age of twelve, he performed the opening recital on the organ at the church of St. Vivien. He soon became a living legend for the young musicians of the town. My mother was always talking to me about him, with the ardour of an admiring music-lover, who hoped to inspire her young offspring at an early age with sound reasons for working, hoping, and admiring in his turn.

These reasons quickly multiplied. Recitals succeeded one another, keeping always the same high standard of perfection. Prizes accumulated, marking the fruits of a complete musical training, including as they did prizes for performance on the piano and the organ, and the Grand Prix de Rome for composition. At the same time, to hear Marcel Dupré praising the teaching of Guilmant and Widor, was a lesson in their contribution to music, but it was also a lesson in modesty, a spiritual quality which this great man never forsook.

In spite of these successes, which gave as much pleasure to those who loved him as they did to himself, an even higher summit was to be reached in 1920, when Marcel Dupré played in ten recitals the whole of the organ works of John Sebastian Bach, from memory.

This wasn’t merely a feat of stupendous prowess, but a manifestation of something even greater, for Marcel Dupré had performed these recitals with the meticulous care which he insisted on applying to every act, whether of interpretation or of creation. “Do you know,” said his father one day to me, “that before giving these recitals, Marcel consulted all the editions, and all the available manuscripts of the works of Bach, particularly those in the Berlin library?”

The news of these concerts was to spread like lightning. One of the most impressive figures of the art of sound had revealed himself.

At the same time, Marcel Dupré brought the art of improvisation to an undreamt of level of proficiency. Here, too, there was no room for mere facility. A rigorous mastery led to fullness of expression. Each work revealed the fathomless resources offered by a simple theme, but instead of this result being achieved by patient work at the desk, the edifice of sound sprang forth from an act of spontaneous creation.

It is true that the act of improvisation had had some impressive exponents. César Franck had made an unforgettable impression on those who heard his improvisations on the organ at St. Clothilde during the Magnificat.

Dupré’s teacher, Widor, was equally admired. But his pupil’s contribution gave the king of instruments a still greater primacy. Alone of instruments, the organ enables a single player to build a whole cathedral of sound on the spot, using a variety of tone colours to rival the orchestra. As he unceasingly developed his talent, Marcel Dupré attained a breadth of expression hitherto unknown.

His tours of America began at that time, and soon set the seal on his reputation as the premier French organist; he amazed his transatlantic audience by improvising a complete symphony in four movements for the first time in the history of organ music.

He knew fame. This manifested itself in many ways, sometimes the most unexpected and simple ways, which were all the more moving, like the time when a young Australian came to work in my family and asked, on her arrival, “Where can one hear the organist Marcel Dupré?”

The composer didn’t relinquish his work. Rarely can the improviser and the composer have been so perfectly matched as in the person of Marcel Dupré, for his spontaneous impulses, like his reflective and poignant meditations, were as perfect as the written composition.

To list his works, which ranged from the instrumental solo to the lyrical fresco, would take up the whole of this speech. In any case there is available for reference the very thorough bibliographical study by his learned pupil, Canon Robert Delestre. But, to continue along our path in the company of the Master, we can halt at the Preludes and Fugues, which, composed as early as 1912, represent an astonishing enrichment of organ technique.

Speaking of these works, Marcel Dupré, the innovator, fully master of his bold strokes of composition, said “All I did was to follow Bach’s example . . . There’s no place for academicism in fugue, whatever one may think.”

In subsequent works, the “Suite Bretonne,” the “Symphonie-Passion,” the “Chemin de la Croix,” he went on to develop more fully this rich style of composition, to cite a few examples, for his extremely orderly mind yet found room for bold experiment. A short time ago, reading through scores by young composers, he showed me the interest which lay in examining new techniques by listening for their structure, their quest for new sounds.

Very early, the main lines of his life were set. With what mastery he mapped out his route! He was never to deviate from the chosen path: he embellished it continually.

The former pupil of Diemer, of Guilmant, and of Widor was to become Professor of Organ at the Conservatoire and Director of the illustrious institution.

What were his merits as a teacher? We have no need to enumerate them. On the 7th May last, at St. Sulpice, after hearing his “De Profundis,” his former pupils paid him homage and their famous names show that the continuity of his work and mission are assured.

A few weeks ago, he went back to Rouen and visited again the house of his parents, “le Vert Buisson,” and played the organ at St Ouen.

The world’s most glittering successes had never altered his affection for those he always revered, his family. He always spoke of them with moving tenderness.

He was so discreet and secret in his inmost thoughts that, in order to know him well, one had to be favoured with his affection. How his face shone when he spoke of his family. He expressed himself then with a contained warmth which was stronger than loud bursts of sound, for this master of sound was also master of his heart. When he gave his affection, how comforting was his welcome! Whether it was in his joyful home at Saint-Valery-en-Caux or the great organ room at Meudon, his arms were wide open to welcome those who in their turn followed the same path. They knew, of course, that a superior being was receiving them. 

The rarest gifts were magnified by an uncompromising conscience, and a strict application to work, so as to achieve a constant elevation of talent and thought. Those of us who have sat next to him on the organ bench at St. Sulpice know what is genius.

His finest praise was spoken by his former pupil, now famous, Olivier Messiaen, who, speaking of his master, Marcel Dupré, called him “the modern Liszt.”

Liszt, the noblest figure in the history of music, a generous spirit and a discoverer of new sounds—he combined a stupendous virtuosity with compositions which broke new ground in their development of the resources of music. Let us keep in our minds this brief and complete tribute.

When his admirers mourn him all over the world, you, Madame, who have been his attentive and so much loved partner in life, will receive the greatest comfort from his hands. You know that his name will remain what he made it—that of one of the greatest of men.

40 BOULEVARD ANATOLE-FRANCE

92—MEUDON

027-14-45

May 26, 1972

Dear friend,

Many thanks for your good letter from Hamburg. I will be happy to see you during your short visit in Paris.

Will you come to Meudon on Monday May 29, about 3 p. m. You have got a train from Montparnasse station at 2:51 p.m.

Nearly a year has elapsed since my beloved husband left us. This month of May with all its last-memories of our life is so sad!

With affectionate wishes,

J. Marcel Dupré

 

Special thanks to Linda Ryan Thomas; to Trinity Episcopal Church, Longview, Texas, Bill Bane, organist-choirmaster; and to Kilgore College, Kilgore, Texas, Dr. William Holda, president, and Jeanne Johnson, chair of music and dance, for allowing access to Alexander Boggs Ryan’s complete personal library, and for granting permission to reprint these letters and memorabilia.

Lorenz Maycher is organist-choirmaster at First Presbyterian Church, Kilgore, Texas, and founding director of the East Texas Pipe Organ Festival. He is a frequent contributor to The Diapason, which has published his interviews with Thomas Richner, William Teague, Nora Williams, Albert Russell, and Robert Town, as well as his series of articles “From the Clarence Dickinson Collection.” Maycher is also director of the Vermont Organ Academy, a website promoting articles and recordings devoted to the Aeolian-Skinner legacy.

Karl Watson was a pupil of Alexander McCurdy at the Curtis Institute and, during 1970, of Marcel Dupré in Meudon. He has served both Protestant and Catholic churches on the East Coast. 

Friend, colleague, and mentor--Wesley Vos, associate editor of The Diapason since 1967--died on May 9 at the age of 61, from complications of liver disease. An obituary appears on page 6 of this issue, recounting some of the professional and personal events of his life--his birth and death dates, education, career history, etc. While these details provide a glimpse of a very full, though far too short, life, they fail to convey the depth and breadth of the man we knew and loved.

 

Wesley was quite a remarkable man--a man of profound faith, dedication, perseverance, and accomplishments. A much wider picture of his life was provided at the memorial service, May 18, at the family's church, First Congregational of Crystal Lake. Members of the Vos family (his wife, sons, daughter-in-law, brother, sister, grandchildren) spoke eloquently and lovingly of this man of courage, compassion, and vision. They painted a beautiful picture of a devoted husband, father, grandfather and brother. The presentations were thematically arranged according to the seasons of his life. A visual representation appeared on the chancel wall in the form of four paintings that Wesley had done, entitled "The Seasons." These paintings had adorned the walls of Wesley's office at DePaul University and were moved to the church for the memorial service. They were also reproduced on the bulletin cover for the service.

Music for the service was provided by the very fine and large Vestry Choir of the church under the direction of Eva Wedel, minister of music, and organist Barbara Thorsen. For a number of years, when he wasn't "on the bench" as a professional organist, Wesley sang in his church choir. In addition, The Chicago Master Singers, under the direction of Alan Heatherington, sang several motets, and the two choirs combined for "E'en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come," by Paul Manz, and "How lovely is Thy dwelling place" from the Brahms Requiem. I was honored to accompany the Brahms and also play the postlude, Bach's "In dir ist Freude," which had been the postlude at the wedding of Wesley and Marie Ann.

The last several years had not been easy for Wes. His third transplanted liver from 1991 had extended his life, but it too began to fail. During the year 2000, Wes suffered a number of serious infections and spent much of that summer in the hospital. In October of 2000, he relunctantly went on medical leave from The Diapason, DePaul University, and his organist position at St. Paul's UCC in Palatine. Over the next year and a half he waited on the national liver transplant list and spent much time in and out of the University of Chicago Hospital, trying various anitbiotics and other treatments. Late in the fall of 2001, the hospital liver team told Wesley that they could no longer consider him a viable candidate for a transplant. Wesley then pursued alternative treatment at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and held out hope for a new liver. In mid-March of this year, that hospital told him that a transplant was just too risky. Wes returned home, where he spent his last weeks surrounded by loving family and friends.

Throughout this time, Wesley never lost hope or indulged in self-pity. Rather, he cherished each day, living it as fully as possible, and keeping alive the hope for a transplant and a return to his full schedule of activities.

Wesley Vos was largely responsible for my joining the staff of The Diapason. I had known Wes since 1971, and when I began teaching organ at DePaul in 1974, he was always willing to listen to the concerns of a young teacher and offer advice and encouragement. When the post of editor of The Diapason became open in 1983, Wes suggested that I apply for the position and championed my application to the owners of the magazine. Despite my lack of experience in journalism or publishing, Wesley was certain that a knowledge of the organ and church music field was the most important qualification, and that the mechanics of publishing the journal could be learned by doing. His patient and thorough mentoring during my early years with The Diapason, along with his extensive knowledge of the magazine and the organ field, were the only things that kept the journal going. No matter how big a mess I would make of things, or how many crises arose, Wes would always calmly assess the situation, analyze what needed to be done, and map out a solution.

Wesley Vos was passionately devoted to The Diapason, and jealously guarded its scholarly and professional standards against any commercial pressures. His knowledge of the magazine and his recall of published articles and news over the years was quite incredible. He was especially demanding in evaluating submitted articles, was quick to sift out puffery or self-aggrandizement, and had no patience for the superficial or pseudo-scholarly.

During the memorial service, Wesley was described as a life-long teacher. Indeed, he excelled in the classroom and was admired, respected and loved by the DePaul community. He was an inspiring teacher, and reveled in giving students the means to learn and achieve on their own. He brought that patience and insight as a teacher to mentoring me at The Diapason. I am forever grateful for his wisdom, generous spirit, and friendship.

We mourn the loss of a friend and colleague, honor the memory of this remarkable human being, and are indeed richer for having known him. The memorial service closed with a poem that Wesley had written earlier this year. We reprint that poem below.

--Jerome Butera

"Evening Prayer"

O Lord, as the

gift of daylight fades,

the shadows of evening

fall gently around us.

May the fire of

your love burn ever

brighter in our hearts.

May our sleep be

restful, and may we

waken refreshed with renewed

energy and a sense

of your divine purpose.

--Wesley Vos, January 2, 2002