Enrique Arias dead at 63

Enrique Alberto Arias, 63, died on December 1, 2004, at Weiss Memorial Hospital, Chicago. Survived by close friends and colleagues, there are no immediate family survivors. A musicologist, Dr. Arias was associate professor at DePaul University's School of New Learning, and president of Ars Musica Chicago.

The son of Enrique (the Consul General of Panama in Chicago) and Jeanne Arias, Enrique Arias was born April 26, 1941 in Chicago. He received a bachelor of music in piano performance from the DePaul University School of Music, a master of arts in musicology from the University of Chicago, and in 1971, a Ph.D. in music history and literature from Northwestern University. Dr. Arias was a faculty member, and later president, of the Chicago Conservatory of Music. He then served as chairman of Humanities and Graduate Studies at the American Conservatory of Music, and in 1993 began his tenure at DePaul. Arias was also a member of the American Musicological Society, and throughout his career he was a keynote speaker at numerous conferences on Latin American music.

As a researcher and writer, Dr. Arias traveled yearly to churches, archives and libraries around the world. His many publications include The Masses of Sebastian de Vivanco (circa 1550-1622): A Study of Polyphonic Settings of the Ordinary in Late Renaissance Spain (University Microfilms, 1971), Alexander Tcherepnin: A Bio-Bibliography (Greenwood Press, 1989), and Comedy in Music: A Historical Bibliographical Resource Guide (Greenwood Press, 2001). He was one of four editors of Essays in Honor of John F. Ohl: A Compendium of American Musicology (Northwestern University Press, 2001), and one of his most significant publications was the edition of Three Masses by Sebastian de Vivanco (A-R Editions, circa 1978). Arias also had numerous articles published in music journals, including Music Review, Tempo, Perspectives of New Music, Anuario Musical, Lituanus (The Lithuanian Quarterly), and the Latin American Music Review. His final two articles were "Maps and Music: How the Bounding Confidence of the Elizabethan Age Was Celebrated in a Madrigal by Weelkes" (published in the winter 2003-04 edition of Early Music America), and "Jules Massenet, French Cantatas for a Martyr, and Vincentian Composers" (published in the September 2004 issue of The Diapason).

As a pianist, Arias was most active in the 1970s and 1980s, performing regionally at many venues including Preston Bradley Hall, and internationally with the late soprano Dahlia Kucenas at concert halls throughout Asia, Eastern and Western Europe, and South America. He also served as president of Ars Musica Chicago, an early music ensemble, a position he held since 1988.

A memorial service took place December 12, 2004 at St. Vincent de Paul Church, Chicago, and a concert was given in his memory on January 9, 2005, also at St. Vincent de Paul Church. Contributions may be made in his memory to Ars Musica Chicago, P.O. Box  A-3279, Chicago, IL 60690.

Lois Rhea Land, 88, long-time teacher, composer, author, and mentor to many music educators throughout Texas, died December 9, 2004, of complications from a fall a year and a half ago that left her paralyzed. Born in Milton, Kansas, she was a child prodigy in piano and received music degrees from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. From 1945 to 1964 she taught music in the Corpus Christi, Texas public schools, and served as a judge and clinician throughout the southwest. A founding member of the Texas Choral Directors Association in 1950, she also collaborated with many conductors and singers as accompanist for the Texas All-State Choir in the 1950s and 1960s.

In 1964 she joined the music faculty at Southern Methodist University, where she taught music education and supervised the graduate music education division until 1980. From 1980-88 she served as adjunct professor of music education at Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth. A church organist from an early age, she served Dallas congregations as organist and choir director, including Northaven and Munger Place United Methodist Churches, and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Rockwall.

Her numerous choral compositions were published by Plymouth, Southern Music, Bourne, Edwin Morris, Mark Foster, and Lawson-Gould, and was the co-author of numerous college and choral music textbooks. Most recent publications include several volumes of sight-reading materials and techniques published by Alliance Music Company in Houston, and A Cappella Songs Without Words (AMC).

She is survived by one daughter, Christina Harmon, of Dallas, Texas, and three grandchildren. A memorial service was held at Perkins Chapel, Southern Methodist University, December 27, 2004.

Charles Wilson McManis died December 3, 2004, in South Burlington, Vermont, after suffering a fall at his home the evening before. He was born March 17, 1913, in Kansas City, Kansas, and was preceded in death by his first wife, Charlotte Bridge McManis, an elder brother and a younger sister. He is survived by his second wife, Judith Fisher McManis of South Burlington, two sons and a daughter.

Mr. McManis grew up in a musical family. At age three, sitting in church with his mother (his father was choir director), he was fascinated by the sounds of the organ, and remembered humming its very high pitches. At age twelve he experimented with making wood and metal organ pipes from fruit crates and coffee cans. As a teenager he constructed an organ with four ranks of pipes that he installed in the family's finished attic. He completed studies at the University of Kansas in 1936 with a BA degree, specializing in theoretical courses useful to an organbuilder. Following this, in 1937, was a bachelor of music degree in composition and organ performance. While at the university, he apprenticed during vacations with an organ factory representative, repairing, voicing and tuning organs. On graduation he set up shop in Kansas City, Kansas, building or rebuilding half a dozen organs before Pearl Harbor and WWII halted U.S. organbuilding.

In April, 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. After basic training at Camp Roberts, California, he was retained to teach organists of the nine regimental chapels, and was assigned to 11th Regimental Chapel. The following year he was shipped overseas with the 221st General Hospital to Chalon-sur-Marne, France, ninety miles east of Paris. At war's end, he returned to Kansas City, where he married Charlotte Bridge on June 9, 1946.

At McManis Organs, Charles and his staff would build, renovate or restore more than one hundred thirty-five organs for churches, homes and universities throughout the USA over the next five decades. Because of his musical training, he was one of the first organbuilders who could actually play much of the literature written for the organ. His passion was to design and voice instruments suited to play this great variety of music. Even his smallest organs encouraged exploration of the rich and colorful repertoire available.

His ability at pipe voicing was legendary among his peers. Over the years, he wrote extensively, mentored younger organbuilders and conducted several clinics to teach others about his voicing "secrets." He was a founding member of the American Institute of Organbuilders.

Retiring (theoretically) in June, 1986, McManis moved to the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Charlotte, who died of cancer four months after their arrival. He stayed on in California, occasionally tuning and repairing organs, and hiking in Yosemite and the Sierras. In July 1989, a Connecticut tornado that heavily damaged the McManis organ at St. John's Episcopal Church, Waterbury, Connecticut, took Charles McManis out of retirement, calling him east to replace 35 of 60 ranks in his Opus 35, first installed in 1957. Due to the extensive damage to the building, as well as the organ, several parishioners were appointed to coordinate a variety of repair programs, including Judith Fisher who was to oversee the organ restoration. After working together for eighteen months, she and Charles were married November 2, 1991. He continued working with organs in Connecticut, acting as consultant and overseeing the installation or restoration of several instruments in the area. He served as curator of the organ at St. John's for just over 10 years.

In 2001, Charles and Judith moved to Vermont. He was able to complete work on his autobiography just days before his death. A "Celebration of Charles' Life" took place January 8 at The Cathedral Church of St. Paul (Episcopal) in Burlington. Donations may be made to the Music Ministry of St. Paul's.

Symposium and workshop reports

Enrique Alberto Arias

As this issue was going to press, word was received of the
death of Dr. Enrique Alberto Arias on December 1. An obituary will appear in
the February issue.

Catholicism, Controversy, and Culture in 19th-Century

On Saturday, May 1, National Louis University in conjunction
with DePaul University and Ars Musica Chicago presented a single-day
symposium/concert entitled “Catholicism, Controversy, and Culture in
19th-Century France.” This event explored the issues and controversies
linking French religion and politics during the later Romantic period.

Georges Ucko, a representative of the French Cultural
Services, welcomed the audience. Father Edward Udovic, executive vice-president of DePaul University, then presented a paper in which he explored the role held by the powerful Vincentian community during the tumultuous 19th century.
Historically confessors to the king since the time of Louis XIII, the
Vincentian community aligned itself with the most powerful factions in the
French government. Dr. Simone Zurawski presented a paper that explored the
relationship of the Vincentian community to the plastic arts. Dr. Elinor Olin
of National-Louis University presented a paper on the oratorio’s place in
French musical life during the Romantic period. Oratorios were often presented
in theaters rather than churches and usually reflected favorite French
historical and political themes. At the conclusion of the symposium, Dr.
Enrique Alberto Arias gave a brief overview of Fernand de Beaufranchet
(1845-1927), an interesting gentleman-composer who was the focus of the
symposium.

A concert then followed in which excerpts from
Beaufranchet’s oratorios St. Louis (1899) and Vincent de Paul (1874) were
performed by Andrew Schultze, Enrique Alberto Arias, and other artists
associated with Ars Musica Chicago. These excerpts showed Beaufranchet to be a
composer well-trained in the sacred music style of the time and capable of
elegant and melodious music. The concert was followed by a wine and cheese
reception sponsored by the office of the Cultural Attaché of Consulate
General of France in Chicago.

The study of such a composer as Beaufranchet (although he is
now obscure) offers insights into the religious vocal compositions and organ
works of such masters as Gounod, Massenet, and Widor, all of whom thrived in
the same musical circles and espoused similar musical ideals. After the
Franco-Prussian War of 1870, French composers were aware of the nationalistic
implications of their teachings (as in the case of Vincent d’Indy) and
the role their music should play in the restoration of pride and confidence.

Vicomte Fernande de Beaufranchet (1845-1927) studied
sight singing and piano with César Franck. However, his principal
composition studies were with Victor-Frédéric Verrimst, a
well-known musical figure in Paris in the later 19th century and a professor at
the Paris Conservatory. Beaufranchet had connections with Jules Massenet and
Léo Delibes, whose dedication of his celebrated ballet Coppélia
(1870) was to Beaufranchet. The Beaufranchet family had a distinguished history
and was important during the Napoleonic era. Fernand de Beaufranchet traced his
family back to Louis IX of France (1214-70), who was the subject of his
oratorio St. Louis (1899). Beaufranchet wrote in the style of the late Romantic
period in France and was particularly influenced by Charles Gounod.

Beaufranchet’s major compositions include:

Messe Solennelle (1872)

Les Sept Paroles du Christ (1872)

Vincent De Paul (1874)

St. Louis (1899)

Les Noces d’Attila (1905)

With the exception of the last work, the manuscripts for
these compositions are found in Special Collections of Richardson Library,
DePaul University. A copy of Les Sept Paroles du Christ can also be found at
the Newberry Library in Chicago. In addition to the compositions listed above,
Beaufranchet composed many religious works, songs, as well as piano
compositions. For further information, contact <[email protected]>.

Gregorian chant workshop

Ars Musica Chicago in conjunction with the Vincentian
Endowment Fund, DePaul University, presented its annual Gregorian chant workshop
at St. Vincent de Paul Church, Chicago, July 22-24. The theme of this
year’s workshop was “Chants of the Spanish Tradition.” On
Thursday, July 22, Dr. Jeffrey Wasson of DePaul University’s School of
Music presented an overview of various non-Gregorian chant traditions. Dr.
Wasson’s presentation made clear that such chant bodies as Beneventan,
Gallican, and Old Roman are as important as the central Gregorian corpus,
although these other chants were more local and related to specific rites. Dr.
Enrique Alberto Arias then presented an overview of the chants of the Spanish
tradition in which he noted that Mozarabic chant (Mozarabic referring to
Christians living in Spain during the Moorish occupation) was really an oral
tradition; thus we are left with little knowledge as to how these chants
actually sounded. Later chants also are specific to Spain, such as the chants
for the Office of St. James (the patron of Spain) found in the Sanctoral de
Visperas, a Spanish convent manuscript of 1653 held by De Paul University’s
Richardson Library.

These opening lectures were followed by the workshop portion
under the guidance of Dr. Robert Finster. Participants sang chants from Spain, including the Spanish Tantum Ergo. A section of the workshop was devoted to Gregorian sequences as well as to Franciscan chants from a 1773 source at the Newberry Library. Emphasis was placed on the autonomy and importance of the
Franciscan chants, many of which were created after the Middle Ages. A
concluding portion of this performance workshop explored how Spanish
polyphonists of the 16th century included chants in their sacred works.

The highlight of this event was the concert presented by Ars
Musica Chicago on Sunday, July 25, at St. Vincent de Paul Church. This concert
overviewed Spanish sacred repertory from the 12th through the 18th centuries.
Selections from the Llibre Vermell (14th century) and the Codex Calixtinus
(12th century) were included as were several Cantigas de Santa María
(13th century). Excerpts from a monodic Mass to St. Francis from the Newberry
1773 manuscript just mentioned revealed a charming composition apparently
intended for congregational use. An exciting climax of this concert was the
Ensalada Obra de Octavo Tono Alto for organ by Sebastían Aguilera de
Heredia (1561-1627). The many contrasting sections highlighted various
registrations, including the trumpet stop (a Spanish trait). Dr. Robert Finster
performed the work with verve and style.

Ruth F. Kehl died October 27, 2009, in Delmar, New York. She was 94. A lifelong member of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Albany, she served as organist and choir director there from 1942 to 1995, and as executive director of Albany’s junior choir Youth Festival from 1962 to 1967. She was also active in other groups at St. John’s and was a member of the Eastern New York AGO chapter. Ruth Kehl is survived by her cousin Marilyn Marcil and several friends and caregivers.

John J. Peters died December 9, 2009, in Evanston, Illinois. He was 64. Born in Evanston, October 29, 1945, he obtained his first pipe organ in his teens, and rebuilt it in his parents’ basement. That led to a career spent restoring and maintaining church and theatre organs. Among his projects was the restoration of the Wurlitzer organs in the Chicago Theater and the Oriental Theater, both in Chicago. He also maintained the theatre organ at the Catholic seminary in Mundelein, Illinois. Peters served as president of CATOE (Chicago Area Theatre Organs Enthusiasts), and worked for 20 years at Bradford Organ Company.

Clemens Sandresky, 93 years old, died June 25, 2009 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. A proficient pianist from an early age, Sandresky enrolled at Dartmouth College as a pre-med student, but changed to a music major, which Dartmouth created for him. He was assigned Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto as a graduation project, and the performance was conducted by Nadia Boulanger. Sandresky also studied music at Harvard University and the Longy School, but was drafted into the Army in 1941. After the war, he established a studio in Asheville, North Carolina, and was director of music at All Souls Episcopal Church; he also taught and performed at the Brevard Music Camp in summer. Sandresky completed his master of arts degree at Harvard in 1952 and became dean of the School of Music at Salem College, where he gave yearly piano recitals in which he explored the piano repertoire from Mozart to Hindemith. Clemens Sandresky is survived by his wife Margaret, daughter Eleanor, son Charles and his wife Loretta and their sons Jacob and Charles.

Mary Shoup, age 83, died August 9, 2009 in Manfield, Texas. A graduate of North Texas State University, she lived for many years in Memphis and served as dean of the Memphis AGO chapter. She served as choir director at Colonial Park United Methodist Church, and as organist-choir director at Rebecca United Methodist Church and at Trinity United Methodist Church in Mansfield. Mary Shoup is survived by her son David Bryan Hairston, daughter Linda Hairston Horne, granddaughter Mary Margaret Horne, and sister Janet Ward.

Jeffrey Wasson died January 4, in Evanston, Illinois, from heart failure. He was 61. Born August 24, 1948, in Evanston, he spent his youth in Morganfield, Kentucky. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Northwestern University School of Music before completing his doctorate there. A musicologist, organist, and music professor, Wasson taught music for 27 years, first at Northwestern, and later at Barat College and DePaul University. He served as music director at St. Francis Episcopal and St. Mary of the Angels in Chicago, and St. Timothy’s Lutheran in Skokie.
Wasson won three National Endowment for the Humanities grants. He worked for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Ravinia Festival, and served on the boards of several music organizations, including Ars Musica Chicago and the North Shore AGO chapter. An editor and writer for A Compendium of American Musicology: Essays in Honor of John F. Ohl, he published seven articles in the reference work Reader’s Guide to Music: History, Theory, Criticism and 25 articles in The Hymnal 1982 Companion.
Wasson gave scholarly lectures and presentations at musicology conferences and institutions; his research topics included Gregorian chant, pre-tonal polyphony, and the borrowing processes in the work of Bach and Handel. He was a voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which oversees the Grammy Awards, and was a member of the College Music Society, the International Musicological Society, and Phi Kappa Lambda.

by Enrique Alberto

The name Arthur C. Becker was familiar to the readers of THE DIAPASON in the period of the 1930s to the 60s because of his many articles and frequent notices of his activities. In addition to his accomplishments as an organist and college administrator, Dr. Becker was an able composer who composed much organ and liturgical music for St. Vincent de Paul Church in Chicago, where he was organist and music director from 1918 to 1973. That he was so long associated with this church gave him ample opportunity to create music not only to demonstrate his own virtuosity as an organist but also to support the services of the church.

Background

Arthur C. Becker (1895-1976) was the founding dean of DePaul University's School of Music and served as organist and choirmaster at St. Vincent de Paul Church from 1918 to 1973. Born in Louisville, Kentucky on September 20, 1895, Becker soon evidenced talent for playing the organ. After holding a number of positions in the Louisville area, Becker moved to Chicago in 1918, where he received a Bachelor of Music and later a Master of Music degree from the Sherwood Conservatory. Among his teachers were Wilhelm Middleschulte and Gaston Dethier in organ and Josef Lhevinne in piano. In 1918 Becker organized DePaul University's School of Music and began his position at St. Vincent de Paul Church. In 1922 Becker went to Paris to study organ with Charles-Marie Widor and Marcel Dupré, and composition with Albert Roussel. In 1942 he received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from The Chicago Musical College. Because of his distinguished service, Becker became an affiliate of the Vincentian order in 1964 and was awarded the Via Sapientiae, DePaul University's highest honor, in 1966. He died in 1976, one of the most respected members of the Chicago musical community and the leading Catholic church musician of the city.

In general, Becker's music is conservative, with the strong influence of the French school of the late Romantic period much in evidence. His organ study in France and his composition studies with Albert Roussel fostered a love for the French repertory. In addition, Becker's own manner of organ performance was decidedly in the French tradition.

Sonus Epulantis

The purpose of the present article is to consider the Sonus Epulantis for organ, one of his finest compositions. What I assume to be an earlier work, Prelude to a Sacred Drama (no date), is the basis for Sonus Epulantis. The differences between the two are few: Prelude to a Sacred Drama begins with slightly fuller harmonies, and there are some differences in dynamic indications. Other than these slight details, the two compositions are the same, though the manuscript style for Sonus Epulantis is smaller and neater.

At this time little is known about the date and the reason for composing this work. My impression, as we shall see, is that it is a late work. The title is both curious and enigmatic. The literal translation is "the sounds of one rejoicing." The key to the title's meaning is found within the work itself. There is a musical quotation from the opening of the Gregorian sequence for Easter, Victimae Paschali. The opening lines of the sequence read:

Victimae paschali laudes immolent Christiani. Agnus redemit oves: Christus innocens Patri reconciliavit peccatores.

May Christians bring praise as the sacrificial offering to the Paschal Victim. The Lamb redeems the sheep. Innocent Christ reconciles sinners to the Father.

I interpret the title to relate to this sequence, for the "sounds of one rejoicing" are in truth the sounds of rejoicing at the Paschal feast. Easter, after all, celebrates the resurrection of Christ and the birth of spring. This is, therefore, the most joyful season of the liturgical year; thus Becker's Sonus is actually an Easter work, one that relates the Latin text of the sequence to the title. As far as I know, the title is Becker's own--it neither seems to be quotation or the title of some hymn.

There are two melodic ideas that dominate Sonus: the Gregorian quotation (Example 1), and another short melody that likewise seems to be derived from the Gregorian repertory (Example 2). Thus far I have not been able to identify the Gregorian chant, but I suspect this haunting melody is Becker's own. Does not this melody relate to the work's title? But for a composition that is supposed to be joyful, Sonus is strangely subdued. Again I interpret, but my impression is that Sonus reflects a deeply felt joy, one that is suffused with tranquility and introspection.

Structural features

Let us turn to the work itself. In general, Sonus is marked by linear counterpoint that creates friction between the lines and quartal harmonies. (Example 3)  Peculiar harmonic inflections are also common. (Example 4) The general structure results from the cantus firmus treatment of the two melodic ideas mentioned above. Becker's own melodic idea is presented as an ostinato and becomes the most striking feature of the work. (Example 2)

The work opens with a sustained D in the bass. Quartal harmonies with dissonance are here featured, creating a prelude from mm. 1 to 30. An Allegro maestoso begins at m. 31. Here the ostinato is introduced, with fragmentation and variation. Increasingly chromatic harmonies and active rhythms provide intensity. The texture clears and there is a return to D as the tonal center. At m. 76 the opening of the Victimae paschali is quoted and then treated as a cantus firmus against active figuration. At m. 93 the ostinato is presented against the opening of the Victimae Paschali. A change to 6/4 meter and D major appears at m. 108, introducing a free variant of the sequence and veiled references to the ostinato. At m. 121, D minor returns with active rhythm and a combination of the two melodic fragments. At m. 139, the Adagio tempo returns with the final appearance of the ostinato pattern used as the cadence.

Stylistic features

There are a number of features of Sonus Epulantis that imply it is a later work of Becker's. The harmonies are frequently dissonant. The enigmatic title and the haunting melody used as the ostinato are also unusual. Was this work composed for some special Easter occasion? I rather suspect that it was, for it could well have been featured as an interlude during one of those grand Easter services that Becker was so famous for. Although Sonus Epulantis is carefully composed, it reflects Becker's mastery as an improviser. Each section leads into the next, creating contrast and climaxes but always referring to the two thematic ideas.

The score includes registration suggestions and manual designations and is intended for a large romantic organ of three manuals and pedal. The registrations include both general and specific instructions. For example, the work opens with the registration: Sw: Soft Strings, Gt: Foundations, Ch: Dulciana, Ped: 16¢ and 8¢, and the dynamic is piano. Within the first 15 measures the music crescendos to fortissimo, presuming the use of the crescendo pedal or carefully worked out general and divisional piston changes. Five measures later, the score indicates piano. Later instructions include such indications as "Gt and Sw Full" and "Gt Diapasons to Full Sw," along with crescendo to full organ. The middle section indicates Sw: Diapason and Ch: Clarinet; and later Sw: Solo Stop (Trompette) and Ch: Soft Flutes; later still Sw: Flutes and Strings 8¢, 4¢. Another crescendo in measures 117 to 128 builds to full organ, achieved with the crescendo pedal or numerous piston changes. After a climax on V2 of iv, the piece ends quietly on the Swell Voix Celeste and the Great soft Flute. Performance requirements include a thorough control of legato touch, octaves in the manuals and pedal, brilliant 16-note figuration, and numerous manual and registration changes. Two enclosed divisions are intended.

 

Summary

 

Unfortunately, Becker's music has fallen into oblivion. A concert of his music on the 125th anniversary of St. Vincent de Paul church on November 5, 2000 revealed a composer with a solid technique and profound commitment to religious expression. Of all the compositions on this program, Sonus Epulantis was the most expressive and most beautiful. It reflects the emotions of a man who had lived a long life in church music and wished to express the spiritual satisfaction that life had given him. Its transcendence suggests it was one of the last compositions Becker wrote and that it was a kind of opus ultimum--a final statement of his life and purpose.

Becker bibliography

"Who's Who Among American Organists," The Diapason, October, 1925, p. 10.

"Arthur Becker appointed director of the chorus of the Illinois Club for Catholic Women," The Diapason, July, 1930, p. 46.

"Catholic Church Music: Three New Masses of Interest," The Diapason, August, 1932, p. 23.

Arthur C. Becker, 1/4 page display ad, Concert Management McNab & Gressing, The Diapason, September, 1933, p. 7.

"Arthur C. Becker broadcasts recitals in university course," The Diapason, April, 1936, p. 20.

"Arthur C. Becker, A.A.G.O., dean of the school of music of DePaul University, Chicago, and organist and choirmaster of St. Vincent's Church, completed his thirty-third broadcast of organ music from station WGN . . .," The Diapason, July, 1938, p. 17.

"Becker and School to Mark Anniversary: serves a quarter century," The Diapason, April, 1943, p. 7.

"Dr. Arthur C. Becker on April 5 observed his 36th anniversary as organist and choirmaster of the Catholic Church of St. Vincent de Paul," The Diapason, May, 1954, p. 6.

"Dr. Arthur C. Becker, dean of DePaul University's school of music, is shown at the console of the three-manual Moller organ donated anonymously to the school," The Diapason, April, 1957, p. 1.

"Arthur C. Becker celebrates 40th anniversary," The Diapason, April, 1958, p. 6.

"Dr. Arthur C. Becker will retire as dean of the school of music at DePaul University, Chicago, after 48 years as its head," The Diapason, March, 1966, p. 26.

"Arthur C. Becker celebrates 50 years at St. Vincent de Paul Church," The Diapason, May, 1968, p. 2.

"Arthur C. Becker will observe his 52nd anniversary as organist and choirmaster of St. Vincent de Paul Church," The Diapason, April, 1970, p. 8.

"Nunc Dimittis," The Diapason, April, 1976, p. 11.

Arthur C. Becker Work List

Organ

Brünnhilde's Awakening and Finale from Siegfried-Richard Wagner, arranged for organ by Arthur C. Becker, February 12, 1933.

Four Antiphons of the Blessed Virgin Mary Choral-Paraphrased for Organ (1948?).  Alma Redemptoris Mater, Ave Regina Caelorum, Regina Coeli, Salve Regina. Published by McLaughlin & Reilly Co., Boston, M&R Co. #1590-20, copyright MCMXLVIII.

Miniature Suite for Organ (August 4, 1962), dedication:  "To René Dosogne." I Con Moto, II Moderato, III Moderato, IV Con Moto. Unpublished manuscript.

Music for Low Mass (no date), Suite for Organ. Introit-Effusum est, Offertory-In virtute tua, Elevation-Benedictus-Mass XI, Communion-Religio munda, Post-lude-Alleluia. Unpublished manuscript.

Prelude to a Sacred Drama (no date). Unpublished manuscript. Note: This piece reworked into "Sonus Epulantis" listed below.

Retrospection (February 11, 1969). Unpublished manuscript.

Scherzando (August 22, 1966). Unpublished manuscript.

Second Sonata for Organ (no date), dedication:  "To my friend and colleague Herman Pedtke." I Larghetto, II Lively, III Andante, IV Moderato. Unpublished manuscript.

Sonus Epulantis for Organ (no date). Unpublished manuscript.

Three Sketches for Organ (June 25, 1969). I Andante, II Andante, III Allegro  Maestoso. Unpublished manuscript.

There was also a First Sonata for Organ written in the 1920s. The manuscript for this has been lost. Two of the movements had been arranged for brass sextet. Paean for brass sextet [New York] Remick Music Corp., ©1938. Library of Congress Call # M657.B4 P3. Romance for brass sextet [New York] Remick Music Corp., ©1938. Library of Congress Call # M657.B4 R6.

Organ and Piano

Concert Overture (April 16, 1941). Unpublished manuscript. Probably written for performance with his wife Barbara S. Becker.

Choral

Published Works

Alleluia-Choral Part for the Toccata from Organ Symphony No. 5 by C.M. Widor.  Published by McLaughlin & Reilly Co., Boston, copyright MCMLV.

Ave Maria (early 1930s?), a cappella, Latin. Published by McLaughlin & Reilly Co., Boston, copyright MCMXXXV, "In the Caecilia (June, 1935)."

Creator of the Stars of Night, Sacred Chorus for Mixed Voices, S.S.A.A.T.T.B.B. a cappella, Published by Hall & McCreary Co., Chicago, copyright 1940.

Mass in Honor of St. Vincent de Paul, "Dedicated to my sister Lucile," SSAATTBB and organ, Latin, Boston, McLaughlin & Reilly Co., ©1937. There are also string parts (in manuscript) for this Mass-V1, V2, Vla, VC, DB.

Mass in Honor of the Holy Name, SATB Voices and Organ, Latin, dedication:  "To Msgr. Charles N. Meter, S.T.D., Mus.D., and the Cardinal's Cathedral Choisters, Chicago, Ill." Published by McLaughlin & Reilly Co., Boston, copyright MCMLIX.

Mass "Lord God, Heavenly King," English Mass for Congregation and Choir of Four Mixed Voices with Organ. Published by Gregorian Institute of America, Toledo, Ohio, copyright 1966.

Mass of the Sacred Heart, SATB Voices and Organ with Congregation ad lib. Published by Gregorian Institute of America, Toledo, Ohio, copyright 1966.

One Is Holy, SATB a cappella. Published by McLaughlin & Reilly Co., Boston, copyright MCMLXIX.

Arrangements

Bless the Lord, O My Soul, Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov (1859-1935), arranged for S.A.T.B. by Arthur C. Becker. A cappella. Published by GIA Publications, Chicago, copyright 1970.

Come Holy Spirit, Orlando Gibbons, arranged for SATB Voices with Organ. Published by GIA Publications, Chicago, copyright 1970.

The Lord Bless You, J.S. Bach, arranged by Arthur C. Becker. Text: "From the concluding prayer of a Commissioning Service. Freely Translated by A.C.B."  S.A.T.B. a cappella. Published by GIA Publications, Chicago, copyright 1970.

Unpublished Works

Adore Te Devote (no date), for soprano, alto, tenor, bass and organ, Latin.

Ave Maria (no date), SATB a cappella, Latin. (This is different from the published Ave Maria listed above.)

Blessed Be God The Father (October 11, 1969), for mixed voices, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and organ, English.

Cantate Domino-Come, let us sing to the Lord (no date), SATB and organ, English.

Domine Deus (April, 1958), "To St. Vincent Choir," SATB with organ, Latin.

Have Mercy On Me (May 2, 1967), SATB with organ, English.

I Will Delight in Your Commands (February 4, 1970), SATB and organ, English.

Mass in Honor of St. Barbara (no date), for mixed choir, congregation and organ, "In Memory of my Beloved Wife, Barbara."

Mass (Untitled) (May 20, 1970), "To St. Vincent de Paul Church Choir," SATB with organ, English.

Missa Brevis (no date), SATB, organ (ad libitum), Latin.

O Lord, I Am Not Worthy (May 8, 1966), SATB a cappella, English.

Our Father (December 28, 1965), SATB a cappella, English.

Panis Angelicus (no date), SATB, organ, Latin.

Rejoice unto the Lord (July 17, 1966),  "Respectfully Dedicated to Rev. Charles E. Cannon, C.M., Pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church, Chicago Illinois," SATB with organ, English.

Yours Is Princely Power (January 4, 1969), Scriptural Response Christmas Midnight Mass, SATB with organ, English.

Arrangements

Agnus Dei, Kalinnikoff, arranged with Latin words by Arthur C. Becker, soprano solo, alto solo, S.S.A.A.

Hymn-Accept Almighty Father, four part chorus of mixed voices.

Hymn-At That First Eucharist, arranged for solo, mixed choir and congregation.

Hymn-Crown Him with Many Crowns.

Hymn-For All The Saints, R. Vaughan Williams.

Hymn-Forty Days and Forty Nights, arranged for 4 voices and organ.

Missa Plebs Dei, David Kraehenbuehl, arranged for 4 voices.

Missa Regina Pacis, Albert J. Dooner, English arrangement of  Latin mass.

Send Forth Thy Light, Balakirev (?), alto solo, SATB solos and mixed choir with organ.

Miscellaneous

DePaul University "Fight Song," Published by DePaul University Press, 64 East Lake Street, circa early 1930s.

Organist, choir director, composer, and teacher Roberta Bitgood died on April 15 at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital, New London, Connecticut, after a brief illness. She was 99. Dr. Bitgood, formerly of Quaker Hill, had been a resident of the Odd Fellows Home of Connecticut (Fairview) in Groton. She was also known locally as Roberta Wiersma, her married name.
During a long career in sacred music, Bitgood served as minister of music and organist in churches and synagogues throughout the United States. She worked first in New Jersey (Bloomfield), later in California (Riverside), and later still in Connecticut (Mystic and Waterford), as well as in upper New York state (Buffalo) and Michigan (Detroit, Bay City, and Battle Creek). She published more than 70 choral and organ compositions, including several pieces for organ and other instruments, and two choral cantatas based on biblical narratives. Her enthusiasm for making music accessible to all, and the broad scope of her musical activities, made her one of the most well-known 20th-century American music educators. She was known to organists worldwide as a committed yet down-to-earth professional leader, and to volunteer choir singers in many states as an inspiring and witty teacher.
Roberta Bitgood was born in New London on January 15, 1908, and began study of the violin at age 5. As a student at the Williams Memorial Institute (1920–24), she was already well known as a gifted performer on the violin and organ in local churches and school orchestras. Graduating with honors from Connecticut College for Women, she received postgraduate and conservatory training in New York, where she was awarded the William C. Carl Medal upon graduation from the Guilmant Organ School (1930), became a Fellow of the American Guild of Organists (also 1930), and earned a master’s degree in music education from Teacher’s College at Columbia University (1932), a master’s degree in sacred music from Union Theological Seminary (1935), and later the doctoral degree in sacred music (1945), also from Union.
Dr. Bitgood was honored for her achievements and service to her profession and maintained an active relationship with her alma mater through fundraising efforts and performances at annual college reunions. In 1974 she was awarded the Connecticut College Medal, and in 1975 was elected president of the American Guild of Organists, continuing until 1981. In 1976, upon retirement from full-time employment in Michigan, Dr. Bitgood returned to her family home in Connecticut, serving for another 18 years in local churches and synagogues.
In 1993, the New London AGO chapter established an annual scholarship competition for new organists in Dr. Bitgood’s honor, as part of a celebration of her contributions to sacred music and her 85th birthday. After retiring from professional life in 1999, Dr. Bitgood remained at home under the care of her family until 2003, when she moved to Groton. A memorial service took place April 21 at St. James Church, New London. Contributions may be made to the New London AGO-Bitgood Scholarship (P.O. Box 423, Quaker Hill, CT 06375), or to the Visiting Nurses Association of Southeastern Connecticut (Waterford).

Giuseppe G. Englert died of cancer on March 29 in Paris. He was 80. Born to Swiss parents in Fiesole, Italy, in 1927, he studied theory and composition with Willy Burkhard at the Zurich Conservatory (1945–48). From 1958 to 1963 he took part in the international summer courses at Darmstadt, attending seminars given by Leibowitz and Cage, among others. From 1970 to 1982 he taught at the University of Paris VIII–Vincennes, where he became a member of the computer department’s Art et Informatique group in 1973. From 1964 to 1969 he was a co-director of the Centre de Musique, an organization founded by Keith Humble that promoted performances of new music at the American Center for Students and Artists in Paris. He joined the Groupe Art et Informatique de Vincennes (GAIV) in the computer department of the same university in 1973. As a composer and performer he toured Europe, Israel, and the United States. Since 1986 he was associated with the Groupe d’Etude et Réalisation Musicales (GERM) founded by Pierre Mariétan in Paris.
In the 1950s Englert studied organ with André Marchal and substituted for him at the church of St. Eustache in Paris. He accompanied André Marchal on a number of his American tours and gave lectures on organbuilding at several American universities. In 1956 he attended the Organ Institute at Methuen Memorial Hall, where he was the translator for André Marchal. He assisted Peter Bartok in the Unicorn recordings of Marchal in 1957 at MIT in Cambridge. In 1961 in Oberlin, Ohio, he lectured on French organbuilding and at the 1963 Midwinter Conference on Church Music at Northwestern University, Evanston. He was married to Jacqueline Marchal in 1954. American organists familiar with Langlais’ Organ Book may remember that it was dedicated to Jacqueline Marchal as a wedding gift and the last piece, “Pasticcio,” contains the names of both Jacqueline and Giuseppe.
Englert’s works include orchestral pieces, chamber music, compositions for organ, cello, and works for ‘new music theatre’ and electronic music on tape for live performance using analog and digital means of production. In 1975 and 1976 he worked in the digital electronic music studio at SUNY/Albany, in 1977 at the New York Experimental Intermedia Foundation, and in 1978 in San Diego for the Ford Foundation at the Center for Music Experiment (CME).
Englert’s works for organ include: Palestra 64 (1959–64) and GZ50 Musica Barbara pro Organo (1979), the latter recorded by Gerd Zacher. In reference to his compositions for organ he stated:
The organ has always played a major role in my musical thinking. But it may be precisely because I know the instrument so well that I’ve written so little for it. The problem with the organ is that no two instruments are identical. Consequently the interpreter needs far more freedom because he or she has to play a piece differently depending on the instrument and the hall or church in which it stands. When I began working with a computer, I was thrilled by the possibility of programming the necessary freedom into an organ composition, in other words, of using a computer program to determine and define indeterminacy. That led to GZ50, the organ piece I wrote for Gerd Zacher’s fiftieth birthday. It gives Zacher enormous freedom of interpretation. Time values are notated proportionally, but the duration of each page is not fixed. That leaves tempo completely to the performer, and the same holds true for tone color.
Until his last days he was surrounded by his former students and his nurses who recalled that they took him to a piano where he improvised a fugue. A large number of friends, colleagues, and former students attended the graveside funeral held April 2 at Père-Lachaise Cemetery. During the interment, Marchal’s recordings of portions of Bach’s Orgelbüchlein were played, interspersed with readings and tributes. Englert is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Englert-Marchal, a nephew and a niece. Contributions may be made to the Académie André Marchal, c/o Ralph Tilden, “Longview,” P.O. Box 2254, Banner Elk, NC 28604.
—Ann Labounsky

Kenneth W. Matthews died January 19 in San Francisco at the age of 54. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, his first music lessons were with his father, who played organ in churches and in restaurants. Matthews earned a BA in music from Stetson University in 1976 and an MA in sacred music from Yale Divinity School in 1978. He then moved to San Francisco to study with Richard Purvis at Grace Cathedral. He also studied in Paris with Marie-Louise Langlais and played recitals in France.
Matthews was director of music at Old First Presbyterian Church in San Francisco from 1998 until his death. He had previously served All Saints Episcopal Church and the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in San Francisco, the First Unitarian Church of Berkeley, and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Belvedere. He also supervised the support staff at Boalt Hall at the University of California, Berkeley, 1990–96. He played recitals at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor and at national conventions of the Organ Historical Society. A memorial service took place at Old First Presbyterian Church on February 24.
Monsignor Richard J. Schuler, a major figure in sacred music in the 20th century and founder of the Church Music Association of America, died April 20 at the age of 87. Monsignor Schuler served as pastor at St. Agnes Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, for 32 years, from 1969–2001, and was the founding director of the Twin Cities Catholic Chorale in 1956.
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, December 30, 1920, he attended DeLaSalle High School and the College of St. Thomas before entering the St. Paul Seminary. He was ordained a priest on August 18, 1945, and was assigned to Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary to teach Latin and music. He held music degrees from the Eastman School of Music (M.A.) and the University of Minnesota (Ph.D.), and in 1954 spent a year of study of Renaissance music manuscripts at the Vatican Library on a Fulbright scholarship from the United States government.
An excellent organist and overall musician, he was also a pioneer in the use of large-scale polyphony and symphonic sung Masses after the Second Vatican Council. He is the author of many articles and lengthy studies on music and the liturgy. A funeral mass took place on April 24 at St. Agnes Church in St. Paul. Members of the Twin Cities Catholic Chorale sang the Mozart Requiem with orchestral accompaniment.

Gordon T. Whitley died April 20 at Obici Hospital in Suffolk, Virginia, from congestive heart failure. He was 66. Born November 16, 1940, to Moses and Mary Whitley in Suffolk, he attended Peabody Conservatory. His business included ownership of a beauty salon located in his home. Churches he had served as organist and choirmaster included St. Bride’s Episcopal, Norfolk, Virginia, Faith Lutheran Church in Suffolk, and Murfreesboro (North Carolina) Baptist Church. At the time of his death he was a countertenor in the choir at Trinity Episcopal Church in Portsmouth, Virginia.
Whitley was a member of St. Grace and St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Baltimore. A former dean of AGO chapters in Maryland and Virginia, he was a member of Northeastern North Carolina AGO chapter, serving as dean from 1997–1999. He was a member of the Association of Anglican Musicians and the Friends of European Cathedrals. Survivors include a niece and a sister-in-law. A memorial service was held on April 22 at R. W. Baker Funeral Home Chapel in Suffolk.
—Rodney Trueblood

Alec Wyton died on March 18 at Danbury Hospital in Danbury, Connecticut, at the age of 85. He had been a resident of Ridgefield, Connecticut, for the last 20 years. His career included two decades as organist and choirmaster at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. He was president of the American Guild of Organists 1964–69 and twice served as dean of the New York City chapter.
Born in London on August 3, 1921, he received his early musical training as a boy chorister and held his first job as organist at age 11. He earned the BA from the Royal Academy of Music and the MA from Oxford University and was awarded fellowships in five professional societies. In 1946 he was appointed organist-choirmaster at St. Matthew’s Church, Northampton, and also served as conductor of the Northampton Bach Choir and Orchestra. In 1950 he was appointed organist-choirmaster at Christ Church Cathedral in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1954 he was appointed to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, where he also served as headmaster of the cathedral choir school 1954–62.
Wyton left the cathedral in 1974 to become organist-choirmaster at St. James’ Church, Madison Avenue, in New York City. At that time he also became coordinator of the Standing Commission on Church Music that produced The Hymnal 1982 for the Episcopal Church. In 1987 he left St. James’ Church to become minister of music at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Ridgefield, Connecticut, a position he held until his retirement in 1997.
Wyton’s published compositions number more than 100. In addition to his work on the Standing Commission on Church Music, he edited numerous publications, including Anglican Chant Psalter (Church Publishing, Inc.), and he was a member of the editorial team that produced Ecumenical Praise (Hope Publishing).
Wyton founded the church music department at the Manhattan School of Music in 1984, serving as chairman until 1990. He also taught at Union Theological Seminary in New York City and was chairman of the music department at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey. He was awarded honorary doctorates from Susquehanna University and Virginia Theological Seminary. Services were held at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Ridgefield, Connecticut.