Lorraine Smith Brugh
Lorraine Smith Brugh, 72, died January 25 in Peoria, Arizona. Born March 20, 1952, in Elmhurst, Illinois, she graduated from West Aurora High School in 1970, where she met her future husband, Gary Brugh; they were married June 16, 1973.
Lorraine Brugh retired in 2020 after 22 years at Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana, where she held the Frederick J. Kruse Endowed Chair in Church Music and served as university organist, director of chapel music, and adjunct professor of theology. She taught studio organ, church music classes, and music theory; planned and led campus worship; and conducted the Kantorei (chapel choir). From 2017 until 2019 she directed the university’s study abroad center in Cambridge, England.
Brugh graduated with Bachelor of Music (1973) and Master of Music (1974) degrees in organ performance from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, studying with Karel Paukert and assisting Grigg Fountain in Millar Chapel. Receiving a Fulbright-Hays award, she studied with Gerd Zacher and Gisbert Schneider in Essen, Germany, in 1974 and 1975 and with Jean Langlais and Michel Chapuis in Paris, France, in 1978. Her further study in theology led to a Master of Theological Studies degree in 1994 from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, and a PhD degree in religious studies (systematic theology) in 2018 from Northwestern and Garrett. Her dissertation topic was “Responsive contextualization: a liturgical theology for multicultural congregational worship.”
Prior to her years at Valparaiso University, Brugh directed music ministry at several Chicago-area congregations, including Resurrection Lutheran Church, Franklin Park; Faith Lutheran Church, Glen Ellyn; and Wilmette Lutheran Church, Wilmette, and was engaged in teaching or music leadership at Elmhurst College, College of DuPage, and Northwestern University. In retirement, she served as artist in residence at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church, Scottsdale, Arizona.
Along with her faculty responsibilities, Brugh directed Valparaiso University’s Institute of Liturgical Studies (2004–2020). She received the Institute’s 2022 Christus Rex award for her contributions to liturgical scholarship and renewal. The second recognition given annually by the Institute, the Brugh Emerging Leader award, is named in her honor. A rostered deacon (minister of word and service) in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Brugh contributed to the ongoing renewal of its worship life. For the ELCA’s current principal worship book, Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW, 2006), she served on the music consultation that crafted principles for worship, on the liturgical music editorial team, and on the project’s overall steering team. Her contributions to the church’s liturgical resources include settings for Psalter for Worship (1996–1998); a chapter on Asian music for Leading the Church’s Song (1998); co-authoring with Gordon Lathrop The Sunday Assembly (2008), a guide to ELW resources; worship planning helps for the Sundays and Seasons resource series (1995–2025); and consultative roles with two ELCA worship supplements, With One Voice (1995) and All Creation Sings (2020).
Brugh was a charter member and past president of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians (ALCM), and she received ALCM’s Faithful Servant award in 2023. She served on the faculty of Lutheran Summer Music and Academy; was active in the American Guild of Organists, including chairing an AGO Pipe Organ Encounter at Valparaiso University in 2015; and was a member of the Liturgical Theology Seminar of the North American Academy of Liturgy. In the 2019 Fully Conscious, Fully Active: Essays in Honor of Gabe Huck (Liturgy Training Publications), Brugh contributed the chapter, “Where Do We Go from Here?”
In recent years, Brugh was a frequent contributing author to The Diapason. Among her articles were interviews with Stephen Cleobury (June 2018, pages 20–23), John Rutter (December 2018, pages 19–23), Olivier Latry (June 2019, pages 16–18), Colin Walsh (August 2019, pages 20–21), and most recently (with Richard Webster) Karel Paukert (April 2024, pages 12–17).
Lorraine S. Brugh is survived by her husband Gary, their son Joshua (Shannon) Brugh of Seattle, Washington, and two grandchildren. A memorial service took place February 22 at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church, Scottsdale, with interment in the church’s memorial garden. A memorial service is planned to take place at the Chapel of the Resurrection, Valparaiso University, on April 5 at 11:00 a.m. The Institute of Liturgical Studies at Valparaiso University will also hold a memorial service during compline, April 28, 8:15 p.m., in the Chapel of the Resurrection. Memorial gifts may be directed to the Institute of Liturgical Studies at Valparaiso University (valpo.edu/institute-of-liturgical-studies) or to
the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians (alcm.org).
Marc Antone Godding
Marc Antone Godding, 87, born June 19, 1937, died January 23. He served from 1970 until 2005 as university organist of Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and retired in summer 2024 after 48 years as organist of Nichols Hills United Methodist Church, Nichols Hills, Oklahoma. He was named Professor Emeritus after his retirement from the university. He studied at Friends University, Wichita, Kansas, and Union Theological Seminary, New York, New York, before earning his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in organ performance and literature from Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York. As a Fulbright scholar, he studied with Helmut Walcha at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany.
Godding was a past dean of American Guild of Organists chapters in Waterbury, Connecticut, and in Oklahoma City. He served nine years as the AGO’s Oklahoma state chairman and as secretary and treasurer of its Oklahoma City Chapter. He led organ repertoire sessions at the local, regional, and national level. A memorial service took place March 8 at All Souls Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City.
Bernard Lagacé
Bernard Lagacé, born November 21, 1930, in St.-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada, died February 10 in Montréal, Québec. An organist, harpsichordist, and teacher, he began his musical studies with Conrad Letendre at the Séminaire de St.-Hyacinthe where he was organist at the age of 14. In 1948 Lagacé substituted for Raymond Daveluy, then in Europe, at St.-Jean-Baptiste Church, succeeding to the title organist there in 1950. He studied with Yvonne Hubert (piano) and Gabriel Cusson (harmony and counterpoint). Lagacé was awarded a grant in 1954 by the Québec government and studied in Paris 1954 and 1955 with André Marchal (organ). In 1956 he studied in Vienna under Anton Heiller (organ) and harpsichord with Isolde Ahlgrimm, Eta Harich-Schneider, and Ruggiero Gerlin. Returning to Montréal in 1957, he taught between 1957 and 1978 at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal and was appointed to the faculty of Concordia University, Montréal, in 1978. He taught during summers at the CAMMAC Music Centre, Choate Music Seminars in Wallingford, Connecticut, JMC Orford Art Centre, Académie d’été de St.-Hubert, Belgium, and Académie d’orgue de St.-Dié, France.
Lagacé was a founding member of the group Ars Organi and was active in the Orgelbewegung movement in North America. He served on the juries of international organ competitions in England, Belgium, France, Ireland, and Canada. Lagacé traveled internationally as an organ recitalist, performing throughout Canada (including broadcasts on CBC), the United States, and Europe, including appearances at festivals. He became organist at the Sanctuaire Marie-Reine-des-Coeurs, Montreal, in 1966.
Lagacé was a specialist in Baroque music, especially that of Johann Sebastian Bach. He performed the complete organ works of Bach twice on the Beckerath organ at Immaculée-Conception Church, Montreal, in 1975–1977 and again in 1987–1989. In the same church, he performed Buxtehude’s complete organ works in six recitals with his wife Mireille (Bégin) Lagacé, an organist and harpsichordist, in 1978 and 1979.
In 1978 Bernard Lagacé was awarded the Prix Denise-Pelletier by the Québec government and in 1989 the Prix de musique Calixa-Lavallée. He was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 1985. He authored journal articles, particularly on the works of Bach, and recorded extensively.
In addition to his wife, Bernard Lagacé is survived by his daughters Geneviève Soly (harpsichordist, founder of the Baroque music ensemble Les Idées heureuses, specialist in the music of Christoph Graupner) and Isolde Lagacé (former director of the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal and the Salle Bourgie), his sons Éric Lagacé (jazz and classical double bassist, arranger) and Olivier Lagacé (guitarist), as well as eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
