Nunc dimittis

Nunc Dimittis

Peter McNeely Fyfe, 92, died May 7 in Nashville, Tennessee. For 35 years, he served as organist and choirmaster for Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopal) in downtown Nashville. He was an adjunct instructor of organ at the Blair School of Music, Vanderbilt University. Born August 23, 1923, in Covington, Tennessee, Fyfe became organist for St. Matthew Episcopal Church in his hometown while he was in high school. In 1943, he left for service in the U. S. Army in World War II, and while in battle in North Africa, played a pump organ for chapel services. Returning from service, he earned degrees from the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago and the Union Theological Seminary School of Sacred Music in New York City.

Peter Fyfe married Lois Gainer Fyfe on November 28, 1953. In January 1959, the Fyfes moved to Nashville, when Peter was appointed to Christ Church. In 1993, Lois established Lois Fyfe Music of Nashville. At the 2012 national convention of the American Guild of Organists, Peter and Lois Fyfe were presented the Guild’s Edward Hansen Leadership Award. Lois Gainer Fyfe passed away June 18, 2014.

Peter Fyfe is survived by one daughter, Catharine Fyfe McEacham, two grandsons, Charles and Joseph, all of St. Paul, Minnesota, and one sister, Nancy Fyfe Cardozier, of Austin, Texas. Funeral services were conducted June 6 at Christ Church Cathedral, Nashville.

Robert (“Bob”) Triplett (1936–2016), former organist and director of music of Trinity Episcopal Church in Iowa City, died on April 25. A native of Chester, South Carolina, he studied at the University of Georgia and later earned graduate degrees at Union Theological Seminary, where he studied organ with Robert Baker. He taught at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and in 1964 joined the faculty of Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, where he served as professor of music until his retirement in 2001. He was also a visiting professor at the University of Iowa. During his tenure at Cornell, he studied with Anton Heiller in Vienna. He was one of the founders of the River Valley Chapter of the AGO and was active throughout his career as a recitalist, teacher, and church musician.

Triplett was the director of music at Trinity Episcopal Church in Iowa City from 1986 to 2000. After retirement, he returned to his native South Carolina and lived in the city of Columbia where he was active as an organist and as a docent at several important historic homes in the city. He had profound interests in art, architecture, history, antiques, music, and performance. His book Stagefright: Letting It Work for You led to classes and lectures throughout the United States, influencing many individuals in various walks of life. At his death he was revising that text. Robert Triplett is survived by two sisters-in-law and several nieces. 

Brandon F. Woods, voicer of Goulding & Wood Pipe Organs who defined the musical character of the company’s instruments for over thirty years, died May 25 at age 65 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Born in Indianapolis, he spent much of his childhood and adolescence there along with three brothers and two sisters. By 1969 he worked for Edward H. Holloway Corporation tuning and maintaining area pipe organs and then training as a voicer. His budding career was interrupted when he was drafted into the U. S. Army in 1971 and served a two-year stint in the military police. Following his return to Indianapolis, Brandon voiced countless instruments through the 1970s and early 1980s for the Holloway Corporation, eventually becoming a partner in the firm. 

After Goulding & Wood Organbuilders was established, Brandon joined fellow former Holloway employees John Goulding and Thomas Wood. He voiced and finished all organs beginning with the firm’s sixth instrument and continuing through their most recently completed installation in Mobile, Alabama. Notable projects in his career include the Catholic cathedral in Atlanta, Georgia; the Episcopal cathedral in New Orleans, Louisiana; St. Meinrad Benedictine Archabbey in southern Indiana; Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana; Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois; and large organs in Greenville, South Carolina; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Dallas, Texas. He also completed refurbishments of large, historically significant Aeolian-Skinner organs at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago and East Liberty Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh.

Brandon maintained a dedication to and intense care for every project, regardless of size or locale, with an uncompromising attention to detail and meticulous approach to voicing. A lifelong student of the art, he actively sought out techniques and skills from contemporary voicers and by studying historic instruments. Brandon’s greatest gift, however, was his instinctive understanding of the physics of sound, the principles of acoustics, and the aesthetics of musical taste. He synthesized these dynamics and used his perception of human audiology to produce organs of exquisite beauty.

Brandon complemented his artistic pursuits with pipe organs with a number of outside interests. He was a lifelong musician and an accomplished guitarist in the jazz-rock genre. He preferred the sound of Fender Stratocaster guitars with an aggressive playing style that accentuated the inherent nature of the design. Brandon was a fervent fan of motor racing, particularly around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He attended the famed Indy 500 religiously from an early age, and he was actively preparing to attend the 2016 100th race at the time of his death. Brandon was also an avid tennis player for many years, reaching a high level of accomplishment in amateur competitions and casual matches.

Brandon Woods is survived by his wife, Linda Passwater Woods; stepchildren Chris Beatty, Nikki Smythe, Tiffany Cornelius, Lia Cornelius-Glenn, and Danica Park; brothers Monte, Loren, and Lyle Woods, sisters Fontane andMarcy Woods, and eleven grandchildren.

—Jason Overall

Nunc Dimittis

Robert V. (Bob) Clement, 67, of Avondale, Pennsylvania, died November 18 after a brief illness. An electrical engineer by profession, his greatest passion was music. He started piano lessons at age five. and on a visit to the U.S. Air Force Academy Chapel at age 17 he discovered the pipe organ. He immediately began lessons and continued to play at churches for weddings and other services throughout his life. He studied electrical engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso, and moved to South Carolina after graduation to work for the DuPont Company in the Fibers Division. He served churches for 25 years, ending at Hanover Presbyterian Church.

Clement retired in 2011 after 38 years with DuPont/INVISTA. He married his interests in designing, model building, and music by building his own Hauptwerk organ in the basement of his home. He became treasurer of the Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival, joined the board of the Delaware American Guild of Organists chapter, and became the director of the English Cathedral Tour, which offered the chance to play pipe organs in famous cathedrals around the United Kingdom. 

Clement’s other hobbies included architecture (he designed two homes that were built in Lugoff, South Carolina), home computers, and learning about the Titanic. One of his lifelong dreams was completing a trans-Atlantic crossing by boat, which he did in 2012 during the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. He was fascinated with London, its history and cathedrals, and golf. 

Robert Clement is survived by his wife Karen Hudson of Avondale, Pennsylvania; son Chris Clement of Newark, Delaware; daughter Renee and husband Dan Roush of Haymarket, Virginia; grandchildren Megan Diehl, Davis Roush, and Maggie Roush; mother Shirley Fouts; and siblings Brian Clement, Carol Abraham, and Rosemary Schultz.

Richard Gordon Enright, 93, died December 23, 2016, in Atlanta, Georgia. Born on November 29, 1923, in Freeport, Illinois, he had completed two years of study at the University of Dubuque when World War II broke out. Subsequently he served in Patton’s Third Army of the 26th Infantry Division from 1943 until the war ended in 1946.

Enright received his Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University in 1948, followed by a Master of Music degree a year later and a Doctor of Music in 1961. While at Northwestern, he met his future wife, Clara Mae (Sandy) Sandehn, an organist and singer. They were married in 1949. Enright served on the faculty of the School of Music at Northwestern for 35 years, becoming chairman of the department of church music and organ in 1969 and serving until his retirement in 1989, when he was named Professor Emeritus of Church Music and Organ.

Enright pursued additional study at the Royal School of Church Music in England and at the Staatliche Hochschule fur Musik in Frankfort, Germany. His text on organ instruction, Fundamentals of Organ Playing, continues in wide use. He lectured at Chicago Theological Seminary and at the Music Teachers Conference in Berkeley. He presented numerous recitals across the United States. He served as associate organist and choirmaster at Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago under the direction of his teacher Barrett Spach, followed by a 22-year tenure as organist and choirmaster at First Presbyterian Church in Evanston. He then served the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest as organist for 23 years, retiring at age 70. In 2005 Dick and Sandy relocated to Atlanta to be closer to their daughter and her family. 

Richard Gordon Enright is survived by his wife of 67 years, Sandy, daughter Catharine (Walton Reeves) and son Steven (Krista) of Fort Worth, and grandsons Harrison Reeves and Kevin and Scott Enright. A memorial service was held January 6 at Trinity Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. Donations may be made in his memory to the Adele McKee Music Fund of Trinity Presbyterian Church, 3003 Howell Mill Road, NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30327.

Thomas Harmon, organist and educator, died November 14 at age 77 in Medford, Oregon, after a long illness. Born in Springfield, Illinois, on February 28, 1939, he began playing the piano at age 6 and organ at age 11. He played regularly at the First Methodist Church, on radio, and in local restaurants and lounges. He also is remembered for renovating the theatre organ from the Orpheum Theatre and moving it to Springfield High School.

Harmon earned bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in music with honors at Washington University, St. Louis, and a master’s degree in music with honors at Stanford University. He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study organ in Austria with Anton Heiller. It was there that he met and married fellow Fulbright student Sue Snow in June 1964. His special research interest was the organ works of J. S. Bach.

Harmon’s academic career was devoted to the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), where he began in 1968 as assistant professor and university organist. He went on to become full professor and served as chairman of the Department of Music for seven years. Harmon performed frequently as organist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Chamber Orchestras, American Youth Symphony, UCLA Philharmonic Orchestra, UCLA Wind Ensemble, and the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

Thomas Harmon performed recitals across the United States, with broadcasts on American Public Radio, the BBC, as well as in Mexico, Japan, and numerous European countries. As university organist, he oversaw a major renovation of the UCLA concert hall organ after damage from the 1994 Northridge earthquake. During his tenure at UCLA he also served for 20 years as organist of First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica.

Harmon retired in 2002 to Medford, Oregon, where he continued to perform in concerts and churches. He was preceded in death by his domestic partner, John Crutcher.

Thomas Harmon is survived by his brothers, Charles Harmon of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Bob Harmon of Jacksonville, Florida, and his former wife, Sue Harmon of Ashland, Oregon. A memorial service was held on November 21. Donations may be made to the American Guild of Organists/Southern Oregon Chapter, c/o Margaret Evans, 1250 Green Meadows Way, Ashland, Oregon 97520.

Sister Marie Juan Maney, OP, died December 2, 2016, at Sinsinawa, Wisconsin. Sister Marie Juan was born April 25, 1927, in Big Bend, Wisconsin. She made her first religious profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican 1947 and her final profession in 1950. She taught music for 37 years, served as liturgist and music director for six years, and directed numerous choirs and coordinated musical events for 24 years, serving communities in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska, and Minnesota. As a liturgist and music director, she served St. Cajetan Parish, Chicago, 1984–1988, as well as St. Peter Parish, Forest Lake, Minnesota, 1988–1990. She was organist and choir director for St. Augustine Parish, Platteville, Wisconsin, 1990–2010, as well as at her motherhouse in Sinsinawa from 1990 until 2014. There, she also orchestrated the Elizabethan Dinner, the Sinsinawa Summer Organ Concert Series, and the annual Messiah concert at “Sinsinawa Mound.”

Sister Marie Juan Maney is survived by two sisters, Eileen Nettesheim and Margaret Loughney, and her Dominican Sisters with whom she shared life for 69 years. The funeral Mass for Sister Marie Juan Maney was held in Queen of the Rosary Chapel at Sinsinawa, December 5. Memorials may be made to the Sinsinawa Dominicans, 585 County Road Z, Sinsinawa, Wisconsin, 53824-9701 or online at www.sinsinawa.org.

Philip D. Minnick, 68, died December 26 in Columbus, Ohio. He was born August 25, 1948, in Springfield, Ohio, and attended Capital University of Columbus, from 1966 to 1969, majoring in voice and organ studies. His interest in the pipe organ began in 1960 with the installation of an organ by
M. P. Möller in Central Methodist Church (now Faith United Methodist Church), Springfield. While in college he worked for A. W. Brandt Pipe Organ Company of Columbus. During this time, he met his future business and life partner, Robert W. Bunn, Jr. In 1969, the Bunn=Minnick Pipe Organ Company was formed in Columbus, a firm which has built organs for installations in Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Philip Minnick was a founding member of the Ohio Village Singers, a member of the Columbus Maennerchor, the Broad Street United Methodist Church of Columbus, and the American Institute of Organbuilders.

Philip Minnick is survived by his business and life partner, Robert W. Bunn, Jr., of Columbus, sister Lisa of Ft. Myers, Florida, and adopted sister, Karen Freudigman of Columbus.

Alan Curtis died unexpectedly on July 15 in Florence, Italy. He was 80 years old. 

His 1956–58 Fulbright Award brought him to Amsterdam, where he studied harpsichord with Gustav Leonhardt. While working toward a master’s degree in musicology, Curtis unlocked the mysteries of the Louis Couperin unmeasured preludes. He also commissioned a split-key enharmonic harpsichord from Dowd and the first contemporary authentic chittarone from Warnock. He was known for his reconstructions of early operas, including a Rameau opera with period instruments and authentic choreography and a reconstruction of Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea. Curtis was a particular champion of Gluck’s Armide, leading three very different productions, including one with his own period-instrument orchestra.

The recent project Handel’s Bestiary presents illustrations by Michael Sowa that accompany twelve arias by Handel about twelve different animals, recorded for the occasion by Curtis’s orchestra Il Complesso Barocco and four soloists. At the time of his death he was working to recreate the Italian recitatives for Cherubini’s Medea and preparing the Australian debut of a Handel pasticcio, Voyage to the Moon.

Alan Curtis is survived by his partner of the last 25 years, lutenist Pier Luigi Ciapparelli; his ex-wife Jennifer Curtis, daughters Julia Curtis and Daria Wrubel, and grandchildren Cornelia Curtis and Zachary Wrubel.

Helen Hubbert Kemp, noted children’s choir director, died August 23 at the age of 97. Born in 1918, she worked for almost 80 years as a singer, teacher, choir director, clinician, and composer. Kemp attended Westminster Choir College, Princeton, New Jersey, where she met her husband John S. C. Kemp. Helen and her late husband John served as founding members and leaders of Choristers Guild, the international organization for children’s choirs. The Kemps served two tenures on the faculty of Westminster Choir College and held church positions in several states, including one at First Presbyterian Church, Oklahoma City, where they spent 20 years developing a noted church music program. Upon her retirement from Westminster Choir College, Kemp was named Professor Emerita of Voice and Church Music and received honorary doctorates from Westminster Choir College and Shenandoah University. In 2003, she was awarded The Elaine Brown Award for Choral Excellence from the Pennsylvania ACDA, and a lifetime membership award from the Presbyterian Association of Musicians.

Helen Kemp was the subject of a documentary video, A Helen Kemp Portrait (Choristers Guild). Her books and prepared instructional materials have become standard resources, and church choir directors around the world use her text, Of Primary Importance, and its Volume II sequel. Her choral compositions for children are widely performed. She was also the subject of a doctoral dissertation by Christine Farrier entitled “Body, Mind, Spirit, Voice: Helen Kemp and the Development of the Children’s Choir Movement” (University of North Carolina, Greensboro, 1992).

Helen Hubbert Kemp is survived by her children, Julia Kemp Rothfuss (Guy), John Matthew Kemp (Mary), Michael E. Kemp (Janet), Peggy Kemp Henry, and Kathy Kemp Ridl (Jim), along with grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and nieces, nephews, and cousins.

John Scott, organist and director of music at St. Thomas Church in New York City, died suddenly on August 12. He was 59. Having returned to New York on August 11 after a European tour, he was not feeling well the next morning and suffered a sudden cardiac episode from which he never regained consciousness. His wife, Lily, was by his side when he died. John and Lily were expecting their first child, a son who was born September 4.

A graduate of St. John’s College, Cambridge, John Scott was appointed organist and director of music of St. Thomas Church and Choir School in 2004, having previously served at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London for 26 years. In addition to his wife, Lily, he is survived by three children, Emma, Alex and a newborn son, and two sisters, Judith and Helen.

See John Bishop’s column on page 22 of this issue for further remembrances of John Scott.

Nunc Dimittis

Raymond Daveluy, Canadian organist, composer and teacher, died September 1. He was 89. As a youth he studied with his father, organist and bandmaster Lucien Daveluy. Daveluy studied music theory with Gabriel Cusson and organ with Conrad Letendre in Montréal and with Hugh Giles in New York City. Daveluy presided over the 5-manual 1960 Beckerath organ at the Oratoire Saint-Joseph on Mont-Royal in Montréal from 1960 until 2002. He served as president of the Académie de musique du Québec and director of the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Trois-Rivières.

Peter Jay Hopkins, 57, died September 26. Born April 14, 1959, in Frankfort, Michigan, he was a singer, conductor, organist, harpsichordist, and a noted music and biblical scholar. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees with subsequent doctoral work at Michigan State University and studied with Helmuth Rilling in Stuttgart, Germany. He served the Oregon Bach Festival for thirty years as chorus master, harpsichordist, organist, vocal coach, and singer, winning a Grammy Award in 1997. He served as associate professor of music at Kalamazoo College and artistic director and conductor of the Kalamazoo Bach Festival. With his wife, Paula Pugh Romanaux, he moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to serve as minister of music for Westminster Presbyterian Church, director of the Grand Rapids Choir of Men and Boys, chorus master of the Grand Rapids Symphony, and founder of the Michigan Bach Collegium. Peter and Paula moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to be co-directors of music for St. Peter’s Episcopal Church for 12 years. In 2014, Hopkins became director of music for St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia; he directed the Virginia Girls Choir and founded the Virginia Boys Choir. Peter Jay Hopkins is survived by his wife, Paula Pugh Romanaux, daughter Hannah Grace Hopkins, brothers James, Randy, Jeff, Paul, and Verne, sisters, Linda and Lynn, and their spouses and partners. 

Robert Burns King, 78, died September 27 in Burlington, North Carolina. Born in 1938, he grew up in Conway, South Carolina, where he began to play for Episcopal and Methodist churches. He earned a bachelor’s degree in music and French at Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina, and a master of sacred music degree from Union Theological Seminary, New York City, where he studied organ with Vernon de Tar. He studied as a Fulbright Scholar in 1961–62 with Maurice Duruflé and Jean Langlais and was the first American to win the Prix de Virtuosité from the Schola Cantorum in Paris. Later, he studied in Germany with Michael Schneider.

His early career was spent as organist for churches in Greenville, South Carolina, Rockaway Beach, New York, and in Paris. After a year of teaching at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, he served for 45 years as organist-choirmaster for an extensive music program at Burlington’s First Presbyterian Church, retiring in 2007. During this time he taught at Elon College (now University), Elon, North Carolina, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNC-G). He was a consultant for various new organ projects, including Schantz and Andover organs at the First Presbyterian Church and for an Andover organ at UNC-G. He performed recitals across the United States as well as in Germany, France, Italy, Great Britain, and Portugal.

Robert Burns King is survived by a brother-in-law, Daniel Burn Shelley, Jr., a niece and nephew, Susan Shelley Sisk and husband Mike, and Daniel Burn Shelley, III, and wife April, and extended family. 

Arthur D. Rhea Jr., former organist and choirmaster for 23 years at the Church of the Redeemer in Baltimore and organ faculty member at the Peabody Conservatory, died August 14 of cancer at his home. He was 97. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Rhea studied music for two years at what is now Carnegie Mellon University, and also studied organ for two years with Carl Weinrich at the Delacroze School of Music in New York City. During World War II, Rhea served in Europe as a field artillery officer with Gen. George S. Patton, Jr.’s 3rd Army. He was discharged in 1946 with the rank of captain. In 1949, he earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Yale University and in 1950 received a master’s in music from Yale. He studied further at the Berkshire Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, and the Salzburg Music Festival, where he studied conducting under Herbert von Karajan.

In 1950, Rhea was named organist and choirmaster at historic Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg, Virginia. In 1951 he was appointed music consultant and resident harpsichordist for Colonial Williamsburg, Inc., which provided him in 1953 a research grant to study 18th-century music at the British Museum in London. He was also instructor in organ at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg and performed regularly at the Governor’s Palace, including command performances for such figures as England’s Queen Mother and the Crown Prince of Belgium.

Rhea came to Baltimore in 1961 when he was appointed organist and choirmaster at Redeemer. In 1963 he joined the Peabody Conservatory organ faculty, retiring in 1984. Rhea’s compositions included Toccata on an American Folk Tune, Te Deum Laudamus, and Psalm T wenty-Four. He also served on the Service Music Committee, which compiled and edited The Hymnal 1982 of the Episcopal Church. He was a past president of the Association of Anglican Musicians.

Arthur D. Rhea, Jr., is survived by his wife, Dorothea Rhea, sons Clifton L. Rhea and R. Douglas Rhea, and eight grandchildren. He was predeceased by a son, Arthur D. Rhea, III, in 2004.

Donald Wayne Dumler, age 77, died March 20 in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Born in 1938, he joined the staff of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City in 1970 as associate director of music. In 1990 he was appointed principal organist of the cathedral, and in 2012 played his forty-third Christmas Midnight Mass, a service that has been broadcast worldwide on television, radio, and the Internet. Dumler played for over 900 services a year in the cathedral, including the Masses celebrated during Pope John Paul II’s visits to the cathedral in 1979 and 1995.

Born in Oklahoma, Donald Dumler had early training with Curtis Chambers in Oklahoma City. He studied with Mildred Andrews at the University of Oklahoma and with Vernon de Tar at the Juilliard School. In addition to numerous recitals throughout the United States, Dumler made two recordings and performed with the Juilliard Orchestra and the American Symphony Orchestra in both Carnegie Hall and Philharmonic Hall (now Avery Fisher Hall) at Lincoln Center. In 2009, Dumler played to a more than sold-out crowd in Oklahoma, with a closed-circuit broadcast to accommodate the crowds.

Upon retirement on May 1, 2014, Donald Dumler was named Principal Organist Emeritus of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, in recognition of 43 years of service. His tenure was the longest of any musician in the cathedral’s history.

Donald Wayne Dumler is survived by his sister, Shirley Geis, brother-in-law Donald Geis, nephews Ken, Mark, and Scott Geis, and niece Laura Ackermann. A Donald Dumler memorial scholarship is being established. Mass was celebrated in Donald’s memory on May 9 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City; staff organists played some of his favorite organ repertoire, and former and present cathedral choristers sang.

David Clark Isele died June 25; he was 70. Born April 25, 1946, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he was a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music (studying voice with Howard Hatton and organ with David Boe), Southern Methodist University (studying choral conducting with Lloyd Pfautsch and organ with Robert T. Anderson), and the Eastman School of Music (studying composition with Samuel Adler). 

From 1973–79, he served on the faculty of the University of Notre Dame, where he founded the Notre Dame Chorale and was conductor of the Notre Dame Glee Club. From 1980–2011 he served the University of Tampa as professor of music, composer in residence, and director of choral and vocal activities, founding the Collegiate Chorale, Women’s Glee Club, and OPUS, a musical theater ensemble. Isele composed more than 100 works, for orchestra, solo instruments, chorus (large works and anthems), voice, and chamber groups. He is known especially for the “Lamb of God” of his Holy Cross Mass, and his Psalms for the Church Year. Isele was also active as a conductor, organist, and church musician. His organ works Prologue and Conjugation and Cognitions have had European premieres; the latter was recorded for Swiss National Radio.

J. Reilly Lewis, conductor of the Washington Bach Consort and music director of the Cathedral Choral Society, died June 9. He was 71. Lewis served since 1972 as organist and choirmaster at Clarendon United Methodist Church, Arlington, Virginia. In 1977 he founded the Washington Bach Consort. Since 1985 Lewis had served as music director of the 140-voice Cathedral Choral Society; under his leadership, more than 20 new works were commissioned, and the group made nine recordings. 

Born in 1944 in California, Lewis moved with his family to Arlington at a young age. His career in music began before the age of 10; he served as a choirboy at the Washington National Cathedral. He earned a bachelor of music degree from Oberlin College and two advanced degrees, including a doctorate, from the Juilliard School of Music. 

J. Reilly Lewis is survived by his wife, Beth Lewis, of Arlington; a daughter from a previous marriage, Lauren Lewis, of New York; and a grandson.

Stewart W. Skates of East Hartford, Connecticut, passed away May 9 at age 75. Born in Northern Ireland, Stewart began in the organ business as an apprentice for Belfast City Organ Pipe Works. In 1960, at age 19, he sent letters looking for employment in America, to Aeolian-Skinner, Schlicker, and Austin. He received offers from all three, and told me that he conditionally accepted the offer from Aeolian-Skinner, but the response from Austin’s Vice President Percival Stark was so welcoming that he decided he would go to Hartford. Austin graciously provided ocean passage and shipped a tool box and his personal effects. He was also to receive housing on arrival until he was able to secure an apartment on his own. The housing provided by Austin was the downtown YMCA.

Arriving at Austin on April 2, 1960, he found that the company was only manufacturing reeds and occasional mixtures, or small other pipework, and various mitering and repairs. His mission was to build the pipe shop into a going concern. His first instrument was Opus 2332, the 120-rank organ for St. Joseph Cathedral in Hartford. Since that time, he built pipework for over 450 organs. His final stop, recently completed for Austin Opus 2798 at the Church of St. John Vianney in Houston, Texas, was a 4′ Spiel Flute, a special Austin-scaled flute of similar character to a Koppelflote. On his bench remains the metal arranged out and scribed for a Nazard for the same instrument.

Stewart was a wonderful person with a great sense of humor and fierce devotion to his craft. Every nuance in pipe design was carefully documented on various scale sticks and notes. He would usually arrive around 4:30 a.m., and occasionally over coffee he and I would chat about “the old country,” cats, boats, “the old company,” and the “state of the union.” Some days, work would not begin for quite a while, depending on the depth of conversation required! He can be seen in a cameo on the History Channel’s episode of Modern Marvels—LEAD, which featured the making and voicing of organ pipes here at Austin.

Stewart is survived by Myrtle, his wife of 55 years, daughter Kimberly (Paul) Serksnas, son Scott (Lisa), four grandchildren, sister June (Willie) Humphries, and brother-in-law Desmond (the late Maude) McMurray. 

—Michael B. Fazio, President & Tonal Director, Austin Organs, Inc.