University of Michigan 22nd International Organ and Church Music Institute

Herman D. Taylor is Professor of Music at Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Illinois. /p>

Donald W. Williams is on the faculty of Concordia College, AnnArbor, Michigan.

The University of Michigan's 41st Conference on Organ Music, October 7-10, 2001, under the direction of Marilyn Mason, featured the music of France with the theme, "The French Connection." Most of the music presented was French or French-connected.

The conference opened at Hill Auditorium with a splendid performance of Johannes Brahms' "Ein Deutsches Requiem," featuring a choir of 300 from the University of Michigan Women's and Men's Glee Clubs and the Smith College Glee Club, conducted, respectively, by Sandra Snow, Jerry Blackstone, and Jonathan Hirsh. Stephen Lusmann, baritone, and Kimberley Dolan-ski, soprano, were the soloists along with the Brahms Festival Orchestra. Each conductor took his/her turn conducting.

On Sunday night graduate students in the School of Music, representing  the studios of Robert Glasgow, James Kibbie, and Marilyn Mason, performed works by Bolcom, Vierne, Duruflé, Hakim, Messiaen, and Widor at Hill Auditorium. The organists featured were Gregory Hand, David Dockery, David Saunders, Noriko Ernst, Jean Randall, and Brennan Szafron.

James Wagner, candidate for the A. Mus. D. degree at Michigan, presented a lecture/recital: "The French Influence in Bach: Parallel, Contrary, and Oblique Motion." Mr. Wagner effectively mixed the lecture with performances on the C. B. Fisk organ in Blanche Anderson Moore Hall, and included works by Titelouze, Raison, de Grigny, and three works by J.S. Bach.

Robert Bates, associate professor of organ, Moore School of Music at the University of Houston, presented two sessions. The first, "Early French Organ Music," included works by Caurroy, Titelouze, Racquet, Louis and François Couperin, Guilain, Louis-Claude Da-quin, and two anonymous composers. Cantor David Troiano sang alternatim chants. During the second session, "Alternation Practice in Early French Organ Music," Dr. Bates took us beyond what is generally covered in a typical medieval music course! Providing various examples of chant, he worked with a group of better-than-usual sight-readers. Bates revealed himself to be a relaxed player and thoroughly knowledgeable about his subject matter.

Ralph Kneeream, organist and music director, Temple Sinai, Delray Beach, Florida, presented two lectures on Tournemire's Sept Chorals Poèmesd'Orgue pour les sept paroles du Xrist, Op. 67 and l'Orgue Mystique. Dr. Kneeream's admiration for Tournemire was clear as he showed him to be a great teacher as well as a prolific composer. We were given a notable insight into Tournemire's use of the chorale in the manner of Franck, as well as his use of simple meters and tempo changes. Organist Jean Randall performed Tournemire's Dominca X Post Pentecosten (#36) and the Paraphrase Carillon, In Assumptione B.M.V. (#35) (l'Orgue Mystique).

The conference was treated to a delightful, spontaneous, and informative lecture by Marie-Claire Alain on aspects of the life of her brother, Jehan Alain. Mme. Alain played passages of music as she discussed members of her family and provided other invaluable insights into their music. On Tuesday evening Mme. Alain  presented a recital at the First Congregational Church on the Wilhelm organ featuring works by de Grigny, Marchand, Balbastre, J. S. Bach, Albert Alain, and five compositions by Jehan Alain, concluding with Litanies.

Jean-Pierre Lecaudey, organist at St. Martin, Saint-Remy-de-Provence, France, played a challenging program of the Three Chorals of Cesar Franck and the Suite, Op. 5, by Duruflé. A very accurate player, he was at home with these works and took the Duruflé Toccata at a breathtaking tempo.

Lecaudey was heard in an informative and helpful session, "Franck's Chorales: Tournemire, the Third Hand at the Piano with his Master." His handouts were of particular value as they dealt with important matters of registration and interpretation. This writer found his knowledge of the registers and couplers on the organ at St. Clotilde, the church in Paris where Franck presided, to be extremely useful.

Dr. Jesse Eschbach, chair, keyboard studies division, University of North Texas, presented an enlightening lecture on "Tournemire's Teaching Methods." He offered a detailed handout with such salient materials as: Significant Biographical Dates in the Life of Charles A. Tournemire; Principal Works for Organ of Charles Tournemire, a compilation from The New Grove (Darasse) and Catalogue (Fauquet); along with the specifications of six instruments that figured prominently in Tournemire's life. Armed with these and other materials and data, Dr. Eschbach proceeded to speak about Tournemire's perspective on such matters as organ building, technical preparation, and improvisation.

On Wednesday, October 10, the second lecture by Eschbach, "Rousseau, Revolution and Restoration," covered the historical setting and the influence of French culture upon the arts.  Rousseau, commenting on imagination writes: "The world of reality has its limits but the world of imagination is boundless."

Michele Johns in her "Choral Reading Session" offered a varied packet of music by Charpentier, Vierne, Jordan, and included two published works by Michigan graduates Larry Visser and Kevin Hildebrand.

Three alums of the doctoral program were heard on the Wilhelm organ. Darlene Kuperas played de Grigny's Pangua Lingua and a Dandrieu Noël with careful articulations; Michael Elsbernde sang the alternatim. Huw Lewis gave us a broad palette of many colors in works by Gounod, Vierne, and Lefébure-Wély. Evelyn Lim evidenced solid understanding of the French manner with stylish articulations and inégales in the de Grigny Veni Creator, and David Troiano provided a satisfying alternatim to the five versets.

The lecture with Marie-Claire Alain and Norma Stevlingson focused on their work on the Alain Compendium. Mme. Alain's master class on Couperin's Convent Mass was inspiring and thorough.

On Wednesday evening, Christian Teeuwsen provided imaginative programming at the Fisk organ in the School of Music. Bach's Pièce d'Orgue,  imitating with its shape the Offertoires of de Grigny and Couperin, is unique in its formal structure--it has no relatives in the Bach canon. Teeuwsen's registrations were imaginative, and utilized the many possibilities of the Marilyn Mason Organ.

 This was an altogether wonderful conference with fine players and informed presenters who delighted attendees.

--Herman D. Taylor

Professor of Music

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

--Donald W. Williams

Faculty, Concordia College

Ann Arbor, Michigan

23rd International Organ and Church Music Institute

The 23rd International Organ and Church Music Institute was held at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor June 23-25. The institute began with a recital of music for violin and organ presented by U-M alums Tapani Yrjölä and Michele Johns, who also taught an improvisation class in addition to performing and organ teaching. The recital included Finnish music for violin and organ by Toivo Kuula and Franz Linnavuori, in addition to works by Bach, Buxtehude, and Vivaldi.

Marilyn Mason conducted an excellent masterclass on the Bach Neumeister Chorales, providing insight into these recently-discovered works. James Kibbie provided a thorough examination of the Bach Clavierübung, part III, in his masterclass. Robert Glasgow presented a very informative session on the interpretation of the organ works of César Franck.

One of the highlights of the festival was a recital by doctoral student William Jean Randall of Baroque music from France and Germany, which included a setting of the Titelouze Magnificat primi toni and the Marchand Te Deum, complete with plainchant sung in alternatim by Chris Meerdink. The last day of the institute included a three-hour masterclass on organ construction and design by Helmut Schick, which was then followed by a closing recital by students of Dr. Mason and Dr. Kibbie, featuring works by Bach, Buxtehude, and Lübeck.

--John C. Bostron

Organist, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Boise, Idaho

Organ Faculty, Boise State University

42nd Annual Conference on Organ Music

The University of Michigan's 42nd annual Conference on Organ Music  took place October 6-9, 2002, entitled "The European Connection," and featured the music of Germany, France, and the United States. Hill Auditorium, one of the usual venues for recitals and other events, is being renovated and was not available during this conference; however, Ann Arbor and the surrounding areas are replete with a wonderful variety of fine pipe organs.

The gala opening concert was held in the new sanctuary of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, Plymouth, Michigan, and featured the new Casavant organ of 31 stops (42 ranks) on three manuals and pedal. The church sanctuary is spacious and the organ speaks effectively. It is an instrument with a rich palette of colors,  accommodates literature from all the periods, and is in a fine acoustical environment. Featured performers for the gala concert were guest organists from the Ann Arbor Chapter, American Guild of Organists, Donald Williams and Edward Maki-Schramm; from the Detroit Chapter, Scott van Ornum and Tom Trenney; from the Toledo Chapter, Brian Rotz and Barbara Dulmage. They performed works by Bach, Clérambault, Dudley Buck, Franck, and Duruflé.

Monday morning's activities were held in the Blanche Anderson Moore Hall of the University of Michigan, which houses the Marilyn Mason Organ, built by C.B. Fisk, which most closely resembles the instrument built by Silbermann for the Georgenkirche in Rotha, Germany. Master's degree student, Kirsten Hellman, performed music of France and Germany which included works by Lübeck, Couperin, and J.S. Bach. She was ably assisted by cantor David Troiano in the Gloria section of the Couperin Messe pour les Convents. Ms. Hellman was very well received as she played comfortably and flawlessly, concluding her program with the Bach Trio Sonata No. 1 and Prelude and Fugue in D Major, BWV 532.

Robert Clark, former Michigan organ faculty member and now Professor Emeritus, Arizona State University, lectured in the morning on the Hildebrandt organ of the Wenzelskirche in Naumburg, and performed the Bach Clavier-übung, Part III, in the afternoon.

The afternoon and evening activities on Monday were held at the First Congregational Church, which houses a fine Wilhelm organ. Graduate students Abigail Woods, Michael Frisch, and Elizabeth Claar, representing the studios of Professors Robert Glasgow, James Kibbie, and Marilyn Mason, gave brief remarks about the composers and music they were about to play, including compositions by Bach and Dupré.

Marilyn Mason blithely stated, as she introduced Susanne Diederich, distinguished German musicologist, that "some Germans love French music, and here is one!" This was an explanation for those wondering why Dr. Diederich was about to present a lecture titled, "Relations Between the Organs and the Music in the Classical French Tradition." Diederich gave lucid explanations of many aspects of French organ music, and her detailed handout provided a wealth of information on instruments, registration, and stoplists. Robert Luther, organist at Zion Lutheran Church in Anoka, Minnesota, played musical examples by Jean Adam Guilain.

Professor Clark's earlier lecture was based on his travels in East Germany and addressed the transitions of the Hildebrandt organ in 1933, 1978, and the restoration of 2000. We were treated with recordings of the present instrument along with a fine, scholarly and illuminating presentation. Mr. Clark played the Clavierübung, Part III, in memory of Robert Noehren, former Michigan organ professor and university organist who died on August 4, 2002. The playing was solid and sure, and the Wilhelm organ was the perfect instrument for this glorious music.

The concluding program for the day was all Bach, performed by Irene Greulich, organist at the Wenzel Church in Naumburg, Germany, since 1971, and included six compositions from the "Leipzig Eighteen," and a prelude and fugue along with the famed Toccata and Fugue in d minor, BWV 565. Her registrations were at times unexpected and effective, particularly in the chorale prelude Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott.

Tuesday morning's activities were held at the First Presbyterian Church, Ann Arbor, with its recently installed Schoenstein organ of three manuals, 33 voices, and 42 ranks, on electric-pneumatic action. This instrument is described as enchambered with great and pedal unenclosed, and swell and choir enclosed. To the eyes and ears of this writer it is a successful instrument on which one is capable of leading church services, accompanying choral and instrumental groups, and performing organ literature of all periods.

Graduate students Luke Davis, Alan Knight, and Paula Seo, all of whom are directors of music at churches in the area, started out the day by presenting a well-performed program of organ music by Mendelssohn, George Thalben-Ball, and John Weaver. Again, the three players represented the three teaching studios of the Michigan organ faculty.

Marilyn Mason opened her lecture, "A Lifetime of New Music," commenting on and performing Prelude (pour Madame) by Gregory Hamilton and Miniature by Jean Langlais. Both compositions were played with verve, assurance, and absolute aplomb. Many of those present yearned for more of her playing; however, we were contented with cogent comments she made prior to each succeeding student performance. Doctoral students from her studio were Shin Ae Chun, Wm. Jean Randall, and David Saunders, performing commissioned works by John Ness Beck, Charles Callahan, Normand Lockwood, and Gordon Young. All of these organ students acquitted themselves splendidly. The brochure detailing the organ works commissioned by Mason through the years numbered over eighty, all of which she has performed. How many present-day organists can perform over eighty works by composers born in the 20th century?

Michael Gailit, distinguished Austrian organist at St. Augustine's Church in Vienna and a member of the faculty at the Vienna Conservatory of Music, presented a recital, "Mendelssohn and the Organ: The Background," which comprised works of Bach, Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Franz Schmidt. The entire program was cleanly played, always with tasteful, appropriate registrations and sometimes at breathtaking tempos.

Later in the afternoon, at St. Francis Catholic Church, where there is a three-manual Létourneau organ, Mr. Gailit presented an illuminating and often humorous lecture on his recital theme cited above. We were given a fairly exhaustive handout which included a number of composers and organs of the time, along with a graph which detailed the dates of Mendelssohn's organ compositions, publishers, and other useful information.

Irene Greulich, who performed on Monday night, lectured on the Bach Leipzig Chorales, BWV 651, 658, 659, 662, and 668. She discussed the plan for three settings of three chorales and spoke of the various usages of the settings. She was marvelously and amusingly assisted by Susanne Diederich, who also had lectured the day before, since Ms. Greulich was not always able to easily express herself in English. That, along with the consistent idea of "mystery" were sources of great fun and genuine interest.

One can, perhaps, tire of more and more brass groups endeavoring to play the great organ literature of the 17th and 18th centuries. However, the afternoon performance of the ensemble Today's Brass Quintet was refreshing, adding organ and tympani on this particular day. In their own words, "TBQ programs its original arrangements from a full spectrum of styles, ranging from the sparkling Baroque masterpieces of Bach and Pachelbel to the toe-tapping pleasures of Sousa, Gershwin and Ellington." On this occasion we heard some light fare, but in the main, we were feted with solid brass arrangements solidly played, including chorale preludes and an arrangement from Art of Fugue. Janelle O'Malley, organist at St. Francis, very competently joined the quintet on several compositions.

The long day ended splendidly with a performance of very challenging literature performed by Michigan organ professor James Kibbie. Beginning with the Bach Passacaglia in C minor, Professor Kibbie played compositions by Alain, Dan Locklair, Widor (Finale from Symphony VI in G minor), and Two Incantations for Trombone and Organ by Petr Eben. David Lee Jackson, trombonist, matched the organ in dynamics, expressiveness, and tone color. The Eben was a highlight of the recital. Kibbie plays with grace and ease, and one hears a maturity of expression and a total comfort with literature of all periods.

--Herman D. Taylor

Professor Emeritus

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

On Wednesday, October 9, the last day of the conference, conferees were treated to programs on two magnificent E. M. Skinner organs in Detroit. The morning program was held at the beautiful Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church, which houses a 68-rank Skinner organ. A program of music by Duruflé, Franck, Messiaen and Willan was performed by U of M doctoral students Gregory Hand, James Wagner, and Brennan Szafron, who used the registration possibilities available on the Skinner organ to the fullest.

The conference moved to the Masonic Temple for the afternoon program. After lunch at The Grill at the Temple, conferees gathered in the auditorium to hear the second Skinner organ. Dorothy Holden, internationally renowned E. M. Skinner expert and author of The Life and Work of E. M. Skinner, gave a very informative lecture on the development of the E. M. Skinner organ, illustrated by bits of music recorded on various notable Skinner organs around the country.

Next on the program was Robert Glasgow, U of M Professor of Music. Lecturing from the organ bench, Dr. Glasgow presented a masterclass on the performance of the Fantaisie in A by César Franck. For reference during the class, conferees were given a copy of the music with suggested annotations for performance by Dr. Glasgow.

The program--and the conference--concluded with the third dissertation recital of doctoral student Wm. Jean Randall. Mr. Randall played music of Dupré and selections from L'Orgue Mystique by Tournemire. Mr. Randall's performance of the Tournemire brilliantly demonstrated what an understanding of the previous scholarly talks on the Skinner organ and performance of late 19th-century French music can produce. It was a fitting conclusion to a rich and varied conference. Following the conclusion of the recital, conferees were invited to play the organ and tour the organ chambers.           

--Kathy Woodbury

Organist, First Church of Christ, Scientist, Norwood, Massachusetts

The University of Michigan

The University of Michigan School of Music presented its 40th annual Conference on Organ Music, October 15-18, 2000, an international event featuring music of Germany, France, and Russia. The conference was directed by Marilyn Mason, chairman of the Organ Department.

 Prof. James Kibbie opened the conference with the 14th of his 18 Bach recitals on the Fisk organ in the Blanche Anderson Moore Hall. The performance of the complete organ works of J.S. Bach is the centerpiece of his project mark-ing the 250th anniversary of the composer's death. Prof. Kibbie revealed himself to be a well-prepared Bach performer with a clean technique, judicious articulation, and particularly tasteful ornamentation. This program achieved his stated goal of presenting "audience-friendly" programs planned as individual units so that the listener could experience the rich variety of Bach's genius.

Dietrich Wagler is organist and church music director at the Cathedral in the old Saxonian city of Freiberg.  His program on the three-manual Wilhelm organ at the First Congregational Church, "Bach and His Circle," included music of J.S. Bach, Krebs, Schneider, W.F. Bach, Homilius, and C.P.E. Bach. An organist of international reputation, Mr. Wagler performed all of the music with ease and clearly enjoyed playing the Wilhelm. Noteworthy were his delightful performance of two Krebs chorales, effective registration for the C.P.E. Bach Fantasy and Fugue in C minor, and an especially spirited performance of the J.S. Bach Prelude and Fugue in E-Flat.

October 16

Rose Van Mersbergen, graduate student in organ performance and theory at Michigan, presented a lecture/performance entitled, "J.S. Bach's Weimar Years (1708-1717):  Encountering and Synthesizing the Italian Concerto," on the Marilyn Mason Organ  at the School of Music. Her ideas were well presented and illustrated by her performance of the music. She demonstrated the characteristics of the concerto: structural insights; responding to the three-movement structure; the ritornello; and characteristic motifs. Van Mersbergen also presented "The Orgelbüchlein: A Working Demonstration of Synthesis."

 Michigan Prof. Ellwood Derr lectured on the topic, "Observations on Method in Bach's Compositions." The basis of the lecture dealt with the process of securing themes and proceeding to develop them. He pointed out, with effective examples, the absolute indispensability of chorales in whatever genre the composer happened to be working.  Chorales are the basis for the Praeambula and Fantasias which Bach wrote for Wilhelm Friedmann Bach; these later received the titles "Inventions and Sinfonias."

In  his lecture, "The Spiritual Bach," Dennis Schmidt emphasized Bach's piety as the source of his music. Schmidt demonstrated the spirituality of Bach by setting his work in the context of the Reformation and stressing death as the fulfillment of life from Bach's treatment of the chorale texts. He cited the marginal notes from Bach's Biblical commentary and supplied readings and examples from artists contemporary with Bach, notably a painting of the crucifixion by Cranach. In a second session, Dr. Schmidt described the completed restorations of the organs at the Bachkirche, Arnstadt, and St. Thomas Church, Leipzig. He presented the history of these organs and the philosophy guiding the restorations as planned by the present organists of the churches where Bach was organist and kantor.

At the Frieze Memorial Organ, the following organ majors performed varied repertoire:  Paula Lee and Steph-anie Muller (pupils of Robert Glasgow); Christopher Lees and Michael Elsbernd (pupils of James Kibbie); and Sean Jackman and Jean Randall (pupils of Marilyn Mason).

Wolfgang Baumgratz, cathedral organist at Bremen Dom and Professor, Hochschule für Kunst, Bremen, Germany, played an all-Bach concert on the Frieze Memorial Organ. The large works of  BWV 547 and 542 were sandwiched between the Glorias of the Leipzig Chorales. The Reger transcription of Bach's Chromatische Fantasie und Fuge, BWV 903, was an Ann Arbor premiere.

October 17

Michael Elbernd gave a lecture-recital,  "Organ Works of Johann Adam Reincken," on the Wilhelm organ at the First Congregational Church. Russian pianists Sofia Lissitchenko and Alexei  Melentiev, students at the Moscow Conservatory, played a concert of varied  music. They demonstrated superb technique and compelling virtuosity. The enthusiastic audience called them back for two encores.

Michele Johns conducted a colorful program of music for handbells, organ, and choir. The compositions had been chosen as challenging material for each ensemble. Performers included Jean Randall, Sara Hazen, Kay Ray, Eileen Page, Pat McOmber, and Ed Maki-Schramm, organist. The music had been donated by Beckenhorst  Press, Columbus, Ohio. The RACC Trio brilliantly played music of Mendelssohn and Schumann. Christie Abe, violin; Katri Ervamaa, ‘cello; and pianist Rakhee Sung displayed solid training in chamber music.

The lecture, "Matters of Registration in the Bach Organ," by Baumgratz, brought a  North German perspective on Bach's registration. It is hoped that his lecture will be published in article form. Jean Randall performed Couperin's Messe pour les Couvents with an historically informed sense of style, and was assisted by Matthew Moore, who sang the alternatim chant in sympathetic style. The  evening recital, "Music of France," by Jean-Pierre Lecaudey,   included works of Widor, Franck, Duruflé, Bonnal, and Messiaen. He pulled out the stops of the Frieze Memorial Organ resulting in a performance of great panache.

October 18

Carole Halmekangas provided an illustrated viewpoint of "Worship Renewal," particularly through the hymn singing as performed at Ward Church, Livonia, Michigan, where she serves as director of music. Mark Rich offered an excellent side-by-side comparison of Te Deums by LeBègue, Buxtehude, and Bach and included thoroughly satisfying performances of the three works. The cantor, Chris  Meerdink, sang alternatim with a fine sense of style.

The recital by Gregory Hamilton, "Music of Johann Gottfried Walther"  on the Marilyn Mason Organ, showed many varied compositions of the composer, and was an excellent combination of performer, music and organ. At Hill Auditorium, Jeremy Tarrant, recently appointed organist and choirmaster at the Cathedral of St. Paul, Detroit, discussed Widor's Symphonie Gothique and gave a compelling reading of this great work. Two carillonists played recitals: Judith Ogden on October 16, "Music by Bach"; and on October 17, University carillonist, Margo Halsted, "A Program of French Music."

In sum, there were twenty-one guest presenters. Two organists, Prof. Baumgratz and M. Lecaudey, and the two Russian pianists appeared in Ann Arbor for the first time. The conference closed with a gala reception on the stage of Hill Auditorium for all performers and guests.

Contributors to this article include Alan Knight, Marilyn Mason, and Herman Taylor.

The University of Michigan

Joseph Daniel is graduate student instructor of carillon, assistant university carillonneur, and a doctoral candidate in organ at the University of Michigan. In addition he is organist-choirmaster at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Livonia, Michigan.

The 25th International Organ and Church Music Institute, June 20-22, officially began Monday morning with a welcome by Dr. Marilyn Mason, chair of the organ department at the University of Michigan. The fifteen participants enjoyed a brief laugh remembering past institutes before beginning the day. The theme of this year’s institute was the music of French organists Charles Tournemire, Marcel Dupré and Maurice Duruflé.

Timothy Tikker presented two lecture/demonstrations on Charles Tournemire. Mr. Tikker’s first presentation included a survey of Tournemire’s organ output with him playing the Suite for the Feast of the Presentation from L’Orgue Mystique. The second presentation discussed performance practice of Tournemire. Tikker brought in many CDs, including a recording of Tournemire playing his improvisations, to demonstrate his ideas.

Dr. Michele Johns, Adjunct Professor of Church Music, led two workshops on hymn playing. Discussion included ideas for renewing congregational singing, as well as how to incorporate world music into church services while maintaining the integrity of the music. As a bonus, Dr. Tapani Yrjola, distinguished Finnish violinist and guest, joined Dr. Johns in two Baroque works (Bach and Veracini) for violin and organ.

Discussion on the lives and music of Dupré and Duruflé was led by Dr. Ralph Kneeream, noted scholar on both men. His presentations included wonderful multimedia slides (assisted by Dr. James Wilkes) and numerous--and entertaining--anecdotes. Both presentations traced the lives of the composers and their compositional output.

The sessions on Anglican chant were led by Dr. Gordon Atkinson, a University of Michigan alumnus. The sessions involved full participation from all participants. Plainchant, responsorial and Anglican double chants were taught to everyone. Participants volunteered to cantor for the various Psalm settings during the time.

The evenings featured graduate students of the organ department playing on the Marilyn Mason organ (C. B. Fisk) in the Blanche Anderson Moore Hall. Abigail Woods played a program of Baroque music including chorales from each of J. S. Bach’s major collection. Miss Woods was assisted by Mrs. Ginger Thorne Herrmann, cantor. David Troiano played a program of early music focusing on the early practice of alternatim. Mr. Troiano, a doctoral student in church music, is an accomplished singer, so he delighted the audience by being his own cantor.

The Sunday afternoon recitals included Mr. Tikker and his wife, Dr. Deborah Friauff, playing music spanning the centuries on the Fisk organ. That evening, Steven Strite played his Master of Music recital. Mr. Strite was joined by a string ensemble from his church to perform one of the Handel concertos.

<p>Renate McLaughlin grew up in Germany and finished university
studies in Michigan. As a teenager, she was entrusted with keys to two
churches, and she practiced organ several hours each day. Early decisions led
to a career as a mathematician, and she has taught in the Mathematics
Department of the University of Michigan-Flint since 1968, where she was
promoted to full professor in 1975. She has also taught at the Technical
University in Berlin and at the University in Salzburg. For the past eight
years, she served as Provost of the University of Michigan-Flint. In
anticipation of her retirement this summer, Dr. McLaughlin has been studying
organ with G. Donald Kaye in Flint.</p>

In many cities and on many campuses, classical
music--especially organ music--is hard to find during the summer
months. Not so at the University of Michigan. Only some of the many recitals
are mentioned here.

On June 19, a splendid recital featuring music of Bach,
Mozart, and living American composers could be heard in the Blanche Anderson
Moore Hall of the University of Michigan School of Music. The recital began
with a performance by Marilyn Mason of J. S. Bach’s partita, O Gott,
du frommer Gott, BWV 767. The variations
effectively showcased the capabilities of the Marilyn Mason Organ by C. B.
Fisk. Next was a piece by Alice Jordan (b. 1916), written in 2004 to honor the
life of Elizabeth Wilson. The American Suite
style='font-style:normal'> is a succession of pieces based on American
melodies, written for violin and keyboard; this was the first performance of
the entire suite, performed by Marilyn Mason (piano) and Tapani Yrjola
(violin). Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate
style='font-style:normal'> (op. 157) featured soprano Brenda Wimberly,
accompanied by Marilyn Mason at the organ. The final selection for the
afternoon was a collection of spirituals written by Calvin Taylor (b. 1948),
commissioned by and dedicated to Marilyn Mason. For each of the spirituals (Steal
Away; This Little Light of Mine; Were You There; Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
style='font-style:normal'>), Ms. Wimberly sang unaccompanied and was followed
by the organ arrangement, played by Dr. Mason. The enthusiastic audience
applauded enough for two encores: a repeat of Exsultate, jubilate
style='font-style:normal'>, and a solo performance of the spiritual, Give
Me Jesus.

Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra gave an organ recital on June 26,
consisting of Dutch, French, and Italian psalms and improvisations. Three of
the five segments of the recital were based on Genevan psalms, which originated
in the 16th century. First, Genevan Psalm 98 (Sing, sing a new song to the
Lord God) was treated in the Dutch style,
beginning with a rearrangement of a 1566 harmonization by Claude Goudimel and
followed by four additional verses of improvised variations. The second cycle
of improvisations featured the Italian toccata based on psalm tone cadences,
featuring Mode I. Ms. Ruiter-Feenstra observed that Italian organists playing
on original old instruments will play toccatas very freely. Toccatas served as
an introduction to something else, and the long notes provided other
instruments the opportunity to tune! The selection consisted of several
toccatas, each followed by an improvisation. Genevan Psalm 42 (As the
deer in search of water) was treated in a
style similar to what Pachelbel would have done. The bass melody had mostly
equal note values, and the lines moved much faster. Sample titles of the
improvisations were gigue, arpeggios, and ornamented treble. The third segment
was a French classical improvisation on Te Deum Laudamus
style='font-style:normal'>. The audience was furnished with the score of the
underlying chant. Ms. Ruiter-Feenstra performed this piece in the style of
Couperin’s Mass for the Parishes, in alternatim format. The audience had the pleasure of hearing
Ruiter-Feenstra as cantor between the organ improvisations on the segments of
this chant. The recital concluded with Ruiter-Feenstra’s setting of
Genevan Psalm 65 (Praise is your right, O God, in Zion . . . Yes, all
creation sings). The first verse was the
1566 Goudimel harmonization, followed by three verses by the performer. The
audience expressed its appreciation with a standing ovation.

On June 27, the first day of the two-day 26th International
Organ and Church Music Institute, the audience filled Dr. Marilyn Mason’s
teaching studio. The day began with a session on “Introduction to
Improvisation,” conducted by Dr. Horst Buchholz from the University of
Denver. Volunteers from the audience performed the improvisation exercises.
Next, in preparation for his evening recital, Dr. James Hammann talked about
the life and music of Felix Mendelssohn and his family. In the afternoon,
Barbara Owen spoke about the music of Brahms, especially the eleven chorale
preludes, and the audience became part of a masterclass on the chorale
preludes. The afternoon concluded with a presentation by Dr. Wayne Wyrembelski
on the first three published organ works by Olivier Messiaen (Celestial
Banquet, Diptych, Vision of the Eternal Church).
In the evening, Dr. Hammann performed all six organ sonatas by Felix
Mendelssohn-Bartholdy on the recently restored organ in Hill Auditorium to a
standing ovation.

The second day of the Institute began in the Blanche
Anderson Moore Hall with the entire morning devoted to “Improvising
Chorale Partitas and Dance Suites.” In this session, Dr. Pamela
Ruiter-Feenstra from Eastern Michigan University shared excerpts from her
forthcoming book entitled, Bach and Improvisation: Learning the Language
(Göteborg, Sweden: GOArt).

The afternoon sessions took place in Hill Auditorium. First,
James Hammann played and discussed Dudley Buck’s “Studies in Pedal
Phrasing,” and then conducted a masterclass on the Mendelssohn organ
sonatas. Horst Buchholz then had members of the audience improvise and
harmonize melodies for use in church services. The afternoon ended with Dr.
James Wagner sharing his insights into similarities between Gershwin’s Rhapsody
in Blue and Franck’s Grande
Pièce Symphonique (hint: the
similarities are frequent half cadences). The complete work was beautifully
performed by Seth Nelson.

The evening featured a recital by Horst Buchholz. The first
half of the program consisted of organ transcriptions, and the second half was
music by American composers. The final piece was to be an improvisation on a
theme submitted by Marilyn Mason. To everyone’s delight, Dr. Mason
submitted the German national anthem, and Dr. Buchholz’s improvisation
more than did justice to the theme!

Dr. Gordon Atkinson is a Past President of the Royal Canadian College of Organists. His latest composition, Soliloquy No. 2, was premiered by Dr. Barrie Cabena at St. James’ Cathedral, Toronto, on September 24, 2004, with other pieces from an album written in memory of Gerald Bales, a former organist and director of music at St. Mark’s Cathedral, Minneapolis.

The University of Michigan School of Music held its 44th Conference on Organ Music October 3-6, 2004, under the direction of Dr. Marilyn Mason, Chairman of the Organ Department. This year’s conference featured the organ music of France, focusing primarily on the later 19th to mid-20th centuries, and offered the 12 major organ works of Franck and all ten organ symphonies of Widor. Hill Auditorium was the perfect venue, having recently undergone a total refurbishing throughout, with considerable work being done on the organ, on which this music can be faithfully realized with fidelity to the composers’ intentions.

Sunday

Dr. James Kibbie, organ professor at Michigan, opened the conference on Sunday afternoon performing Trois Pièces by César Franck and Symphonie VI en sol mineur, Op. 32/2, by Charles-Marie Widor. In his usual manner, Kibbie performed flawlessly without score and with ultimate grace and ease, fulfilling the demands of this repertoire. He knows the Hill Auditorium organ intimately so that Widor’s intentions were faithfully realized.

Sunday evening’s recital featured the Widor Symphonie VIII en si majeur, Op. 42, no. 4. This six-movement work was shared by organ students of Michigan Professor Robert Glasgow: Susan De Kam performing the first three movements and Elizabeth Claar the last three. Both performers acquitted themselves admirably.

Monday

Monday’s events began with Seth Nelson, a doctoral student of Dr. Mason, performing the Widor Symphonie I, en ut mineur, Op. 13. Mr. Nelson was able to realize all the intricacies of this composition with a solid technique and full utilization of the organ’s considerable resources. It was refreshing for performers to have at their disposal an instrument that could realize everything indicated by the composer without compromise.

Dr. John Near, Professor of Music and College Organist at Principia College, is perhaps the leading authority on Widor, as is reflected in his 1984 doctoral dissertation, “The Life and Work of Charles-Marie Widor,” and his many publications, including a ten-volume annotated edition of the Widor organ symphonies. His presentation was replete with all manner of interesting and fascinating details about metronomic and tempo markings, touches and rubato. This kind of detail gave valuable insights into 19th-century French organ music in general and Widor in particular.

We were feted in the early afternoon by Dr. Marilyn Mason and two of her students, Shin-Ae Chun and James Wagner, performing Trois Chorals by Franck. These well-known compositions received scrupulous attention to every detail in terms of phrasing, registration and style. There was not a hint of the sameness one might expect from Professor Mason and her young charges. Instead, each placed her/his own stamp of individuality on each chorale in a convincing way.

Later in the afternoon Dr. Carolyn Shuster Fournier performed a recital of well-known works, which included Berceuse and Final (Symphony I) by Vierne; Prélude, Fugue et Variation by Franck, and Guilmant’s Grand Choeur in re majeur, among others. Dr. Fournier performs with a decidedly tasteful flair, élan, and elegance that demand her listeners’ attention. Her intimate knowledge and understanding of the music was immediately transmitted to the audience as her playing ranged from a barely audible whisper to thunderous outbursts. Hers was a thoroughly enjoyable recital and musical experience.

Due to time constraints, Mr. James Wagner, doctoral candidate in church music/organ performance, gave an abbreviated, but very fine lecture on “A foretaste of things to come,” which focused on César Franck’s Grande Pièce Symphonique, Op. 17. He had compiled a thoroughly detailed handout that included a quite useful bibliography. We even had the opportunity to sing a number of the nine themes to which Mr. Wagner had creatively assigned appropriately descriptive and colorful names.

To close the day, Jean-Pierre Lecaudey, an organist of international repute who performs at major festivals in Europe and North America, performed with absolute aplomb the Widor Symphonie Gothique, Op. 70; Prélude and Fugue on the Name of Alain, Op. 7, by Maurice Duruflé; and the Grand Pièce Symphonique, Op. 17, by César Franck. One very impressed conferee described his playing as “effortless, elegant, with great ease, with fidelity to the music, and with wonderful style.” Fine praise, indeed.

All performers are to be highly praised and roundly applauded for consistently fine performances despite severely restricted practice time. Organ technicians stood at the ready at all times to touch-up here and there, and a marvelous spirit of cooperation, tolerance and understanding was the order of the day among all concerned. The end result was a conference absolutely second to none!

--Herman D. Taylor

Professor Emeritus of Music

Eastern Illinois University,

Charleston, Illinois

Director of Music and Organist

Church of the Immaculate Conception,

 Mattoon, Illinois

Tuesday

On Tuesday, October 5, students of Marilyn Mason played Widor’s Symphony VII. Luke Davis, Abigail Woods, Christine Chun, Kirsten Hellman and David Saunders all demonstrated  knowledge of the required style in the movements played.

In his lecture, “Franck’s Grand Pièce Symphonique,” Jean-Pierre Lecaudey, St. Rémy Cathedral, France, provided in fine detail his examination of the structure. The excellent handout showed the four movements of the work with its classic and traditional harmonic form, illustrating Franck’s genius in his use of themes in this creation of a real symphony.

John Near’s lecture, “Charles-Marie Widor: his relation to the French Symphonic organ and Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, ‘the poet-architect of sounds’,” showed the strong relationship between Widor and Cavaillé-Coll that began when Widor’s father was organist at St. François de Salle in Lyon, with its fine Cavaillé-Coll instrument. In his memoirs Widor wrote, “I was born in an organ pipe.” He proceeded to study with Lemmens and Fétis. Cavaillé-Coll sponsored the 25 year-old Widor’s candidacy as organist at St. Sulpice, which resulted in Widor’s 60-year tenure. The symphonic organ, a veritable orchestra with its divided chests, different wind pressures, mechanical action with Barker levers and vast dynamic range was a stimulus to Widor’s writing.

Carolyn Shuster Fournier, organist of the choir organ at La Trinité Church, Paris, in her lecture on Cavaillé-Coll’s secular organs, drew attention to instruments installed in royal palaces, residences, theaters, and concert halls. Cavaillé-Coll wrote letters about organs in order to promote better, high quality music. Among his largest non-church instruments were those at Albert Hall, Sheffield, England with three enclosed divisions, destroyed by fire, and the Trocadero in Paris, to which was added, at a later date, a 10-stop non-expressive solo division. Alexandre Guilmant was titulaire at the Trocadero; 15 concerts were played at the opening celebrations. (James Kibbie replicated one of these programs at the Sunday afternoon recital.) Large choral societies were formed to sing in these halls, and major works were performed, including Bach’s Magnificat, Handel’s Messiah and Israel in Egypt.

Michele Johns performed Widor’s Symphony V, the Allegro Vivace’s heroic opening statement and succeeding variations well-defined. Contrast of color and mood was achieved between the Adagio and the well-known Toccata.

The evening concert was held at the skillfully restored Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Detroit with its fine acoustics. Olivier Latry of Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, played Vierne’s Symphony III on the 1925 Casavant in the rear choir loft. In his considered and telling performance, the architecture of the symphony was clearly shown, the last three movements--Intermezzo, Adagio and Final--exquisitely drawn. Norah  Duncan IV directed the  Archdiocesan Chorus and Wayne State University Concert Choir in Vierne’s Messe Solennelle for chorus and two organs, with Olivier Latry playing the rear instrument, and Shari Flore playing the 2003 Austin at the front of the cathedral. From the rear organ’s arresting opening chords of the Kyrie eleison, the choirs’  dramatic dynamics and fine shading throughout, and the choir organist’s significant part contributed to a performance of great beauty. M. Latry playing the Austin displayed his enormous improvisational skills in his treatment of Veni, Creator Spiritus.

Wednesday

On Wednesday, October 6, back in Ann Arbor, Widor’s Symphony III was played by James Kibbie’s students. Alan Knight, David Schout, Matthew Bogart, Isaac Brunson and Thomas Kean all showed familiarity with the movements chosen.

In John Near’s authentically stylish playing of Widor’s Symphony X (Romane), the last movement is perhaps the most colorful harmonically in all of Widor’s music. In Near’s lecture he stated that Widor was a constant reviser of his writing, going back to refine and show further thought in many compositions.

At the 2003 conference Joseph Daniel played movements from Widor’s Symphony IV. This year he played the complete work in which the Fugue’s flowing lines and the Scherzo’s delicate rhythmic pulse were well maintained.

Dr. Mason introduced the university’s organ technician Jerry Adams and his associate Gordon Mendenhall and thanked them for returning the Hill Auditorium organ to playing condition after three years’ silence during the renovation of the auditorium.

Prior to a seminar in which Marilyn Mason, Robert Glasgow, James Kibbie, Michele Johns and John Near took part, Dr. Mason asked the audience to stand, remembering Searle Wright (in whose memory the conference was dedicated), Margaret White, a regular conferee, and  Bill Jones. From the discussion, many points were brought forward: Widor played in recital independent movements of the symphonies; the spiritual and serene quality of the Romane was emphasized; the composer’s favorites were Symphony V and the Gothique; and he thought Symphony VIII would be his last in order that he might concentrate on writing theater and ballet music. He arranged the first and last movements of Symphony VI for orchestra and organ, and the first movement of Symphony II went through many revisions.

At a late afternoon reception held at the home of Marilyn Mason and her husband William Steinhoff, players, lecturers and conferees enjoyed fine weather and fine food.

In the evening Franck’s Fantaisie in C, Op. 16, Pastorale, Op. 19, Prière, Op. 20 and Final, Op. 21 were played by Charles Kennedy, David Saunders, Joseph Daniel, and Susan DeKam. Jason Alden played Widor’s Symphony II with great style and assurance bringing this conference to a fine conclusion.

To hear all ten Widor symphonies  and Franck’s twelve pieces in four days is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and thanks must be given to the Organ Department at the University of Michigan, Dr. Marilyn Mason, chair, Dr. Robert Glasgow, Dr. James Kibbie, Dr. Michele Johns, the lecturers, performers and  students of the department. Famed for its acoustics, the refurbished Hill Auditorium, now in glorious blues, greens, red and gilt, added to this unique event; “ . . . like being inside a Fabergé egg,” said one enthusiast.

--Gordon Atkinson