Kansas State University presents conference celebrating Austin Op. 2352 (1961) Nov. 4

W. Michael Brittenback is currently minister of music at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Plymouth, Michigan. He serves as Chair of Region V of the Association of Anglican Musicians, and as a member of the Executive Board of the Ann Arbor AGO Chapter. Gordon Atkinson is a past president of the RCCO (1976–1978) and currently serves as organist and choirmaster of All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Virginia Beach, Virginia.

The 43rd International Conference on Organ Music, Marilyn Mason, director, sponsored by the University of Michigan, was held October 5–8, 2003, in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Michigan. The offerings this year represented Germany, Holland, France, Russia and the United States, and the organ music ranged from the beginnings of the North German-Dutch School through the twentieth century. The two cities of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, separated by only a street, boast three thriving university organ programs, and the conference showcased all three schools.

The festivities began with a traditional Lutheran hymn festival on Sunday evening at Concordia University Chapel with the choirs of Concordia University and St. Lorenz Lutheran Church, Frankenmuth, Michigan, conducted by Paul Altvogt, with Michele Johns and Scott Hyslop playing the large Schlicker organ.

On Monday morning the conference began at the University of Michigan School of Music with a lecture by William Gudger on the editing and performance of Handel’s organ concertos. On Tuesday he gave a recital of music by British composers (including Handel) at Eastern Michigan University. Dr. Gudger is currently on the faculty of the College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina, and is co-editor of the critical edition of the Opus 4 Organ Concertos of Handel.

The lecture was followed by a splendid recital of music of Sweelinck, Scheidt and Scheidemann given by Gail Archer, director of the music program at Barnard College, Columbia University, New York City, on the Marilyn Mason Organ built by Fisk. On Tuesday, Dr. Archer gave an animated lecture on performance practices of Sweelinck and his contemporaries as well as insights into the organs of the period.

Monday afternoon’s events were held at First Congregational Church of Ann Arbor, featuring the large three-manual Wilhelm organ. Marilyn Mason and Robert Luther gave an exciting recital of organ music for four hands and feet. For the last selection Dr. Mason was joined by pianist Seth Nelson playing the Classic Concerto for Organ and Piano by Leo Sowerby, one of the highlights of the day.

This was followed by a fine lecture on Russian organ music and organs in Russia by Iain Quinn, a Welsh organist and scholar. His lecture made everyone look forward to his recital on Tuesday on the fine Aeolian-Skinner organ at Pease Auditorium on the campus of Eastern Michigan. A recital by Matthew Bogart, Erin MacGorman, Seth Nelson, and Abigail Woods—students of the University of Michigan organ department—closed the afternoon’s events.

The day culminated with a splendid recital by Petr Plany, professor of organ at the University of Olomouc, Czech Republic, on the Létourneau organ at St. Francis Catholic Church in Ann Arbor. The evening began with one of the best performances of the Gothic Symphony in recent memory, and ended with music by the Czech composer Euben Reuchsel. On Wednesday Professor Plany gave an insightful lecture on the organ music and organs of the Czech Republic.

On Tuesday all events were held at Eastern Michigan and began with an exciting recital on the recently restored Aeolian-Skinner organ given by Donald Williams, professor of organ and university organist at Concordia University; Scott Elsholz, visiting instructor of organ at Eastern Michigan University; and James Wagner, adjunct faculty at Marygrove College. The program featured organ music of the 20th century. This was immediately followed with a recital given by Shin Ae Chun, Greg Hand, and David Saunders, graduate students of the organ department of the University of Michigan.

The afternoon events moved into the organ studio at Eastern Michigan where a fine three-manual Kney resides. After Dr. Archer’s lecture and Dr. Gudger’s recital, a discussion was led by Michele Johns, adjunct professor of church music at the University of Michigan, on “Recruitment and Positive People Skills for Church Musicians.” Dr. Johns was assisted by two students: Luke Davis and Kirsten Hellman.

The evening recital was given by Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra, professor of organ and university organist at Eastern Michigan, on the Aeolian-Skinner in Pease Auditorium. The program featured music by Demessieux, Boulanger, Olsson, Lindberg, and Bovet.

The final day was held at First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor, showcasing their new Schoenstein organ. The first event was a recital by students from the organ department of the University of Michigan and included Luke Davis, Michael Frisch, Kirsten Hellman, Andrew Herbruck, and Susan DeKam. This was followed by a masterclass in improvisation given by Justin Bischof, on the theory faculty of Manhattan School of Music and organist/choir director of Westchester Reform Temple. His teaching skill made the art of improvisation seem accessible to any musician. Next followed an improvised recital on hymn tunes suggested by the audience. Dr. Bischof performed convincing improvisations in the style of Max Reger, John Adams, and Messiaen, and then played a thirty-minute improvisation in his own style of a complete four-movement symphony for organ.

Following Petr Plany’s lecture on organ music of the Czech Republic, Joseph Daniel performed the final recital of the conference featuring music by Widor, Franck, and Duruflé.

The conference closed with a wonderful patio reception at the home of Marilyn Mason. The extraordinarily high caliber of all of the presenters and the variety of the material presented truly gave something for everyone who attended to learn and enjoy.

—W. Michael Brittenback

The University of Michigan’s 43rd Conference on Organ Music, “The European Connection,” was held October 5–8, 2003, and highlighted music from England, France, Germany, Holland, Russia and the United States. Three full days of organ music and lectures were preceded by the opening program at Holy Trinity Chapel, Concordia University, Ann Arbor, entitled “Oh, That I Had a Thousand Voices—Hymns, Psalms and Spiritual Songs for the Church Year.” The unique triangular shaped building with its stunning stained glass, reminiscent of that at Chartres (the artist Charles Loire’s studio is in Chartres) was an appropriate venue, particularly as the sun set. With important events in the church year outlined by the narrator, Rev. Stephen P. Starke, music was presented with opportunity for congregational participation. The choirs of Concordia University and St. Lorenz Lutheran Church, Frankenmuth, Michigan, with organ, brass quintet and handbells, provided strong leadership, and sang anthems by Alfred Fedak, Scott Hyslop, Martin How and K. Lee Scott. As a result of careful planning, there was great variety in the arrangements of hymns, with some verses sung by choir alone, solo verses, congregation alone, and instrumental solos, the latter affording the congregation time to reflect on the words. Conducted by Brian Altevogt, Andrew Schultz prepared the brass players, and Scott Hyslop was the organist. The 1963 Schlicker provided powerful accompaniment for the 300 people present.

Monday morning’s session, held in the Blanche Anderson Moore Hall at the University of Michigan, commenced with William Gudger’s lecture, “Editing and Performing Handel’s Organ Concertos.” He pointed out that the early concertos were intended for performance with the early oratorios. No. 4 with its “Alleluya” chorus was performed with Athalia, the chorus part founded on the material of the final fugue. This concerto, which is not a reworking of earlier compositions, can be called the first keyboard concerto by any composer. Concerning registration, the single-manual instruments contained two diapasons, one metal, one wood, with metal principals at 4’, 22/3’, 2’ and 13/5’; 4’ flutes were sometimes available. “Swiss cheese registrations” (8’ and 2’, 8’ and 22/3’) have no validity historically. In 1738 John Walsh published a transcription of the Six Concertos for the Harpsichord or Organ, making them available as solos for a single player. Of note, this edition was available by successors to Walsh and others until the late 1890s, when it was supplanted by romantic style editions with flamboyant cadenzas. An excellent handout was provided.

Gail Archer played music by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck and two of his many students, Samuel Scheidt and Heinrich Scheidemann, with great style and authentic registration. The Fisk Opus 87, which most closely resembles the Silbermann instrument in Rotha, Germany, was wholly appropriate for this recital.

At First Congregational Church, Marilyn Mason and Robert Luther played a program of duets, the commissioned Celebration of Two Hymn Tunes by Alice Jordan; Martyrs, op. 7 of Kenneth Leighton (“not for the faint-hearted, players or listeners”); and Concert Variations on Auld Lang Syne by Eugene Thayer. Dr. Mason, joined by Seth Nelson, played Leo Sowerby’s Classic Concerto with grace and style, the strings arranged for piano by the composer in 1948, in order “that there be more performances.” (I recall hearing Dr. Mason play this with strings conducted by Dr. Sowerby at Westminster Abbey for the International Congress of Organists in 1957.) The Karl Wilhelm instrument is always a joy to hear.

Two recitals and lectures featured music from countries of which many musicians know little, the first by Iain Quinn in his lecture, “The Tsar of Instruments.” He gave an overview of the history of the organ in Russia from Byzantine times to J. S. Bach and beyond. Organs from Holland and England were owned by the nobility, as organs had no place in the Orthodox liturgical world and were denounced by church authorities. During the time of Peter the Great, the mid-18th century, an interest in the culture of Europe developed, and more organs were imported, including those of Arp Schnitger. European artists made tours. Johann Wilhelm Hassler (1747–1822) influenced the musical life of Moscow and introduced the music of J. S. Bach to Russia. The 19th century saw the importation of organs by Walcker, Sauer, Steinmeyer and Ladegast from Germany; from England those by Brindley and Foster; and the Cavaillé-Coll from France for the Moscow Conservatory. Liszt, Widor, Tournemire and Bossi made tours, Widor playing five of his symphonies in one concert. Newly established organ departments of the conservatories of St. Petersburg and Moscow had “non-ecclesiastical” organ studies. A helpful handout of publications listing compositions by Glasunov (“arguably the most important Russian organ composer”), Gretchaninov, Glière, Glinka, Rachmaninov (an Andante for harmonium from Trio elegiaque, written in memory of Tchaikovsky) and Shostakovich shows the extent of organ compositions in the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries.

A daily addition to the conference featured recitals by students in the organ department from the studios of Marilyn Mason, Robert Glasgow and James Kibbie. Matthew Bogart, Abigail Woods, Stephanie Muller, Seth Nelson and Erin MacGorman concluded the afternoon sessions.

That night at St. Francis Catholic Church (Létourneau organ), Petr Plany of the University of Olomouc, Czech Republic, played a program which opened with Widor’s Gothic Symphony. The last movement with its numerous tempi changes was stunningly performed, the player, organ and the building’s sympathetic acoustics a fine match. Chorale preludes and a Prelude and Fugue in f by B. A. Wiedermann (1883–1951) and Promenades en Provence by Eulen Reuchsel (1900–1988) completed the evening.

Tuesday’s events were held at Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti. At Pease Auditorium with its 1960 Aeolian-Skinner recently restored by Schoenstein, Donald Williams opened the first program with Vincent Persichetti’s chorale prelude Give peace in our time, O Lord, the melody introduced by Sally Carpenter, alto. James Wagner played Messiaen’s Consecration and Apparition de l’Eglise eternelle. Calvin Hampton’s Five Dances were played by Scott Elsholz. In the second recital by students of the School of Music, David Saunders, Gregory Hand and Shin-Ae-Chun were heard. In Iain Quinn’s recital he played much of the music he had discussed the previous day. Of particular interest were the Prelude and Fugue in D, op. 93, and Prelude and Fugue in d, op. 98, of Glasunov.

In the organ studio of the Alexander Building with its 1982 Gabriel Kney instrument, Gail Archer shared her enthusiasm for Sweelinck and his disciples in her lecture, “The Foundation of the North German School,” stressing the tuning of instruments and the fingering used. An invaluable handout included the stoplists of the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam, where Sweelinck as civic organist played daily recitals, and St. Moritz’s Church, Halle, where Scheidt was organist; his instructions for playing chorale-based pieces were also included. “Rules for the Organist in the City of Leiden” (1607) directed that recitals start and end on “ . . . the Principal and in between [he] will use and play all the stops . . . ” Slides were shown of churches in Germany where this music can be performed authentically.

Dr. Gudger’s recital featured English music from the 18th to the 20th centuries, with works by William Walond, Handel (Concerto No. 4), Samuel Wesley, Samuel Sebastian Wesley, Charles Villiers Stanford, and Herbert Howells. Again a handout provided much pertinent information.

For the last part of the afternoon, Michele Johns introduced “Recruitment and Positive People Skills for Church Musicians,” presented by Luke Davis and Kirsten Hellman. In the short time available the audience was divided into small groups in which situations both positive and negative were discussed, some of which were reported at the end of the session. From their research, the presenters defined problems and positive ways in which they could be met.

The evening program at Pease Auditorium, played by Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra, professor and university organist at EMU, featured French music by Jeanne Demessieux and Nadia Boulanger, and Swedish music by Otto Olsson and Oskar Lindberg. The 1935 Prelude and Fugue in d# (!) of Olsson was exciting in its intensity, and Guy Bovet’s well-known Salamanca concluded a delightful evening.

Wednesday, October 8, at First Presbyterian Church, Ann Arbor (with its 2002 Schoenstein organ), commenced with the third program by organ students of the School of Music: Luke Davis, Ben La Prairie, Kirsten Hellman, Michael Frisch, Susan de Kam and Andrew Herbruck. For the second time in the conference a composition for organ and piano was featured, Dupré’s Ballade for Piano and Organ dedicated to his daughter, Marguerite, played by de Kam and Herbruck. In his lecture on improvisation, Justin Bischof said that technique in this art form must be developed, by practicing regularly and striving for excellence. He suggested using as a basis I-IV-V-I, keeping the forward movement in strict time. As one progresses one could move to I-I6-IV-IV6-V-V7-I. In playing a hymn, solo the treble line, then put the melody in the pedal, followed by the melody with a different pedal line from that written (using part of the printed chord), and finally adding other chords. Two people volunteered (or were conscripted) to illustrate his suggestions. Dr. Bischof requested hymn tunes from the audience on which he improvised short pieces. His improvisation in the style of Reger demonstrated his familiarity with the composer’s style. The final piece, in which were quotations from several sources, was a brilliant tour de force.

Petr Plany’s noteworthy lecture included many recorded examples. Composers who wrote prolifically for the organ included J. F. N. Seger (1716–1782), B. A. Wiedermann (1883–1951), and major contributions from present-day Jiri Ropek and Petr Eben. Dvorák and Janácek, probably the best known Czech composers, wrote little for the instrument, the former various preludes and fugues, of which the one in D was heard, and the latter some short adagios, apart from the monumental Postlude of his Glagolitic Mass. An extensive handout provided much information concerning composers from the 17th century to the present day, as well as stoplists, manual compasses and the names of organ builders.

In the final recital, Joseph Daniel performed movements from Widor’s Symphony No. 4, Franck’s Choral in a, and the Choral Variations on Veni Creator Spiritus of Duruflé, the alternatim sung by David Hoffman. The conference concluded with a reception at the home of Marilyn Mason and her husband, Dr. William Steinhoff.

As always, The University of Michigan presented a fine conference with time allowed for relaxation. There was much compelling playing by the students with thanks due their teachers, Marilyn Mason, Robert Glasgow and James Kibbie. Conferees from 12 states appreciated the organizational skills of Dr. Mason and Dr. Johns. It was a time for listening, learning, discussion, meeting old friends and making new ones. After being closed for almost two years for restoration and improvement it will be a delight to be at Hill Auditorium for the 44th Conference in October 2004.

—Gordon Atkinson

Each registrant was presented with a 232-page book entitled "Reflections." Included in the book are over 30 essays under the subject headings "History of the Organ Department," "Scholarly Articles," "Historic Organ Tours," and "Remembrances," along with a faculty discography, lists of organ department courses and awards, organ graduates, DMA documents, compositions commissioned by Marilyn Mason, and
organs at the university. An added bonus is a CD recording by Dr. Mason, made
at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC.

The festivities began on Sunday afternoon with the Autumn
Festival of Choirs at Hill Auditorium, sponsored by the American Center of
Church Music. Over 15 local churches and 200 singers participated. The festival
included the premiere of the hymn, "Come, Celebrate God's Gifts Made
Known," written by Larry Visser in honor of Marilyn Mason's 50th
anniversary, and published by Wayne Leupold Editions.

On Sunday evening a special concert of African-American
organ music was played by present and former Michigan students who are of African-American heritage. All pieces were written in this century and provided much diversity of style.

Monday morning featured five brief sessions at the School of
Music. Jane Schatkin Hettrick of Rider University led a discussion and premiere
performance of a recently-discovered concerto by Pietro Sales (just published
by Vivace Press). Former faculty member Robert Clark (now at Arizona State
University) presented an encouraging lecture on the future of organ education
as we enter the 21st century. Jerry Blackstone of the U-M choral department
presented a practical workshop on the production of good choral tone. Robert
Glasgow led a discussion of Widor's Symphony VII, which he played later that evening. James Kibbie, with the help of
Larry Visser, demonstrated the new Walgreen Organ which was built by Fernand
Létourneau for Dr. Kibbie's studio.

Monday afternoon events took place on the Wilhelm organ at
First Congregational Church. James Hammann of New Orleans, LA, presented a
lecture-recital of some of the recently-discovered works of Mendelssohn, which
have been edited by William Little and published in a five-volume set by
Novello. Delbert Disselhorst, of the University of Iowa, performed a memorized
recital of six works of J.S. Bach. The conference then moved to Hill Auditorium
for the traditional student recital. Music of Bach, Dandrieu, Vierne,
Dupré, Bairstow, and Widor was heard.

The Marilyn Mason celebration dinner was held in the foyer
of Hill Auditorium on Monday evening. The festivities began with a presentation
hosted by popular WQRS radio personality David Wagner, who is a 1980 DMA
graduate. At this session, as well as one on the following day, many accolades
and awards were presented to Dr. Mason to honor her many years of teaching at
Michigan.

Monday evening concluded with a recital entitled "Ann
Arbor Night Celebration." Works by Willan, Dupré, Geoffrey Bush,
and Widor were played by current and former faculty members Robert Clark,
Michele Johns, James Kibbie, and Robert Glasgow. The concert featured the world
premiere of a work commissioned by the Ann Arbor AGO in recognition of Marilyn
Mason. Entitled "Retablo III: Victimae Paschali," the work was
written by Pamela Decker and played by Ann Arbor organist Janice Beck.

The fifth annual Jean & Broadus Staley Hymn-Playing
Competition was the first event Tuesday morning, held at the First Baptist
Church. Kenneth Logan, a 1992 DMA graduate, was named winner. Duo
harpsichordists Thomas Marshall and Allen Shaffer, "Les Deux
Clavecins," of Williamsburg and Norfolk, VA, played a delightful program
of music by Vivaldi, Herman Schroeder, Couperin, and W.F. Bach.

On Tuesday afternoon four DMA graduates representing four
different decades played a concert at Hill Auditorium entitled "Michigan
Revisited." Donald Williams (1969), Dennis Schmidt (1978), Joseph Galema
(1982), and Ronald Prowse (1992) played music of Bach, Franck, Vierne, and
Persichetti.

The most unusual of the recitals was played at Hill
Auditorium on Tuesday evening by Alexander Frey, a U-M graduate who now lives
in Berlin, Germany. It was a recital of both organ and piano music, but the
choices seemed to be a bizarre combination of actual organ pieces,
transcriptions, and an organ/piano duet he was able to play using the new
performance-recording system on the Hill organ. The program ended with the
virtuosic "Toccata" from Jongen's Symphonie Concertante
style='font-style:normal'>.

All in all, this was a wonderful conference in tribute to a
remarkable woman who has established enduring legacies of organ teaching,
commissioning organ works, and leading historic organ tours. Brava! to Marilyn
Mason on your 50 years of teaching at the University of Michigan.

--Dennis Schmidt, DMA

Bach Festival of Philadelphia

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

Marijim Thoene received a D.M.A. in Organ Performance/Church Music from the University of Michigan in 1984. She is an active recitalist and director of music at St. John Lutheran Church in Dundee, Michigan. Her two CDs, Mystics and Spirits and Wind Song are available through Raven Recordings. She is a frequent presenter at medieval conferences on the topic of the image of the pipe organ in medieval manuscripts. Lisa Byers received master’s degrees in music education and organ performance from the University of Michigan, and a J.D. from the University of Toledo, Ohio. She is retired from teaching music in the Jefferson Public Schools in Monroe, Michigan, as well as from her position as organist/choir director at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Tecumseh, Michigan. She currently subs as organist in the Monroe area.

This year’s gathering marked the fiftieth anniversary of the University of Michigan Conference on Organ Music, directed by its creator, Marilyn Mason. Organists from France, Germany, Poland, and the U.S. performed on the Aeolian-Skinner on the stage of Hill Auditorium. The shimmering golden pipes of this organ made this year’s theme especially appropriate: “Pure Gold: Music of Poland, France and Germany.” The conference was dedicated to the memories of Erven Thoma, a Michigan DMA graduate in church music, and William Steinhoff, Professor Emeritus of English at U-M and husband of Marilyn Mason.

Sunday, October 3
Frédéric Blanc, 43-year-old native of Angoulême, opened the conference with a program of all-French music. He introduced his program by saying that Fauré, Ravel, and Debussy are never far away in nineteenth and twentieth-century French organ music. Their influence was undeniable in the works Blanc performed, a mix of well-known and loved repertoire—Franck, Choral in A Minor and Cantabile; Vierne, Carillon de Westminster and Méditation Improvisée (reconstructed by Duruflé), repertoire that is occasionally heard—Prelude in E-flat Minor (from Suite, op. 5) by Duruflé and Allegro (from Symphony VI) by Widor, and repertoire that is rarely heard—Introduction et Aria by Jean-Jacques Gruenwald, Toccata (from Le Tombeau de Titelouze, on Placare Christe Servulis) by Dupré, and Prelude (from the suite Pélleas et Mélisande) by Debussy, transcribed by Duruflé.
Blanc’s technique is formidable and his choice of registration was both poetic and daring; however, his playing became more impassioned and inspired in his improvisation—a Triptych Symphony based on three submitted themes: Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, Hail to the Chief, and Somewhere Over the Rainbow. His imagination and creativity were dazzling as he altered rhythms and keys of the submitted themes, seamlessly moved from dark and somber to warm and brilliant colors, from pensive to ebullient moods, and ending with a bombastic pedal toccata. He delighted in making the instrument hum, growl, and break forth in glorious trumpeting.

Monday, October 4
On Monday afternoon Frederic Blanc gave a lecture entitled “A Mind’s Eye.” He spoke informally of how his life as a musician has been shaped and influenced by unique circumstances, his teachers, and his views on improvisation. While he was a student at the Bordeaux Conservatory, Xavier Durasse heard him play and persuaded him to come to Toulouse, where he was then asked to be organist at St. Sernin. There he had all his nights to play the organ, and there he met Jean-Louis Florentz, André Fleury, and Madame Duruflé. When she heard him improvise, she said, “I will take you to Paris and I will make you work very hard.” He told how he was not prepared to play Dupré’s Variations on a Noël, one of the required pieces for the Chartres competition, and she told him he had to be able to play it from memory in fifteen days or she would never see him again. She was delighted when he came back in fifteen days and played it from memory. Blanc said that the most important thing he learned from her was that “each piece has its own way to be played, you must express yourself, your sensitivity must flow through the music.”
Blanc’s candid answers to questions about his own improvisation left me feeling that here is a man whose life is charmed, who is fully conscious of the rare gift he has been given, and is fully committed to nurturing it. When asked who taught him how to improvise, he answered: “I wasn’t. I listened to Madame Duruflé, Pierre Cochereau, Jean Langlais, and to recordings of Tournemire. Nobody can give you the gift. If you are not given the gift you will never be able to improvise a symphony . . . I heard Cochereau at Notre Dame and it was like magic, like being pierced by a sword, raised to heaven. He was at one with the organ.”
When asked about the state of organ building in France today, Blanc lamented that there are no organs in concert halls, and the organist cannot be seen in the lofts in churches. He commented that Cavaillé-Coll was a builder who turned toward the future and restored his own organs for new music, especially those organs in Notre Dame and Sacré Coeur.
Blanc’s final dictum concerning how to play French organ music: “After historicism, it must be the music and what you have inside.”
Charles Echols, Professor Emeritus of St. Cloud State University, lectured on “Observations on American Organ Music 1900–1950,” covering a large variety of topics: the movement of American composers to create “American” music; changes in musical style and organ building between 1930–1950; approaches to researching organ music by American composers; and an introduction to the organ music of René Louis Becker, whose scores have been given to the University of Michigan by his family, who were present at the lecture.
On Monday evening Martin Bambauer, 40-year-old organist and choirmaster at the Konstantin Basilika in Trier, played Dupré’s Poème héroïque, op. 33; Tournemire’s Triple Choral, op. 41; Liszt’s Eglogue (from Années de Pèlerinage), transcribed for organ by Bambauer; Karg-Elert’s Partita Retrospettiva, op. 151; Iain Farrington’s Fiesta!, plus his own improvisation. He played with great precision and refinement. His performance of Tournemire’s Triple Choral, op. 41 was an Ann Arbor premiere. Farrington’s four-movement work, Fiesta!, was a bit of fresh air, conjuring up all sorts of secular venues, from a stripper’s stage to a cocktail lounge.

Tuesday, October 5
On Tuesday, Martin Bambauer began his lecture, “Tournemire’s Triple Choral,” by saying that it was Tournemire’s first major organ work, and he had learned it in a week (!) and played it for the fourth time in public yesterday, and that it was not a very popular piece. Truly, I would have thought he had been playing the piece for years. This early work of Tournemire is introspective and cerebral, and at the same time hints at the other-worldliness that would characterize his later work. Bambauer mentioned that in 1896 the Liber Usualis became Tournemire’s constant companion, and when he became Franck’s successor at the Basilica of St. Clotilde in 1898 he only improvised on chant in the services. He thought sacred music was the only music worthy of the name, and when Langlais questioned him, asking what about the music of Debussy, Ravel, and Stravinsky, he said it didn’t matter! Bambauer recommended listening to Tournemire’s eight symphonies, among them Search for the Holy Grail and Apocalypse of St. John. Tournemire was drawn to the mysterious and supernatural, apparent not only in his music, but in his biography of Franck in 1931, and the naming of his two cottages “Tristan” and “Isolde”—his Opus 53 bears those names.
Bambauer pointed out that Tournemire was recognized as a great improviser, and Vierne described him as being “impulsive, enthusiastic, erratic, and a born improviser.” Tournemire’s Five Improvisations, recorded in 1930 at St. Clotilde and transcribed by his student, Duruflé, are his most popular works. His L’Orgue Mystique, fifty-one liturgical sets of five pieces each, was composed between 1927–1932 and is the Catholic counterpart to Bach’s Orgelbüchlein. Bambauer explained that the first edition of L’Orgue Mystique was dedicated to César Franck and states in the preface that the performer is free to choose the registration; however, in the second edition Duruflé includes registration and manual changes.
Bambauer’s insightful analysis of Tournemire’s Triple Choral not only focused on his compositional techniques—use of imitation, paraphrase, and inversion—but how and when Tournemire used the same harmonic vocabulary as Franck. Bambauer illustrated the meticulous craftsmanship in this early work of Tournemire based on his newly created chorals entitled “The Father,” “The Son,” and “The Holy Spirit,” and discussed how the prose with which Tournemire prefaced each choral was mirrored in the music. Tournemire’s prose offers a poignant testimony of his profound faith and allows the listener to participate in Tournemire’s personal vision.
Bambauer commented that the highlight of the piece occurs at the end as the three chorals softly merge together. Bambauer treated us to another performance of Tournemire’s Triple Choral and “the knowing made all the difference.”
Tuesday evening James Kibbie, Professor of Organ at U-M, presented a stunning memorized recital. He has a special affinity for the music of Marcel Dupré, Jehan Alain, Dan Locklair, and Jirí Ropek. He played Dupré’s Prelude and Fugue in B Major, op. 7, no. 1, with conviction and assurance. The pleasure of hearing Alain’s rarely played Two Preludes was heightened by being able to read the texts that accompany them. Kibbie’s sensitive interpretation made the images of the text take on a life of their own.
Dan Locklair’s Voyage was another kind of tone poem, providing a journey to fantasy lands filled with sounds of the ebb and flow of tides, jazz, bird song, chimes, and billowing waves evoked by hand glissandi. Kibbie managed to weave together these disparate elements into a fabulous and entertaining voyage.
It was a pleasure to hear Kibbie speak of his meeting Jirí Ropek when he won the Prague Organ Competition in 1979 and of his continuing friendship with this celebrated organist/composer who suffered greatly during the Communist oppression. Kibbie related conversations he had had with Ropek that offered insight into his music. Of the three Ropek pieces on the program, Kibbie said that the Toccata and Fugue (dedicated to Kibbie) was the most complex and dissonant, and mirrored in the work is Ropek’s philosophy: “Life is not only one melody, but many and dissonances, but in general I’m quite melodious. No frightening the audience.” To hear this account made Ropek’s Toccata and Fugue, filled with haunting and aggressive motives, a kind of musical autobiography. Kibbie also explained the compositional process of Ropek’s Fantasy on Mozart’s Theme. In 1775 Mozart improvised a work in a monastery, and only the first 57 measures were written down. Ropek was asked to play it and he added a cadenza. He worked on it over the years and finally he attached his own music to Mozart’s original piece. It was one of the last things he wrote before he died and is dedicated to the students of James Kibbie at the University of Michigan. It was published in 2009.
Kibbie mentioned that he had just played Ropek’s Variations on “Victimae Paschali Laudes” in Prague the week before and made a recording for the radio at the Basilica of St. James where Ropek was organist for 35 years. This beautiful work has become a signature piece for Kibbie.

Wednesday, October 6
Five recitals were performed on Wednesday, an intense day of listening.
The first recital of the day was played by Andrew Lang on the Létourneau organ in the School of Public Health. Lang is a student of James Kibbie and commutes from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. His program was well suited for the room and instrument: “The Primitives” and “Those Americans” (from Five Dances for Organ) by Calvin Hampton; Dies sind die heiligen zehen Gebot, BWV 678, Fughetta super Dies sind die heiligen zehen Gebot, BWV 679, and Prelude and Fugue in B Minor, BWV 544, by Bach. Lang played with verve and energy; the contrapuntal lines were electric with clarity and precision.
The day’s second recital was played at Hill Auditorium by Józef Kotowicz, who received his doctoral degree in 2001 from the Music Academy in Warsaw. He is active, playing recitals in music festivals throughout Europe, producing a radio program devoted to organs of northeast Poland, recording on the organ in the Cathedral Basilica (Bialystok), and teaching and serving as organist at St. Adalbertus Church. Two of the most interesting pieces of his ambitious program were works by Mieczyslaw Surzynski (1886–1924), Improvisation on the Polish Sacred Song “Swiety Boze,” and Stefan Lindblad (b. 1958), Espanordica. Kotowicz explained to me that “Swiety Boze” is a very popular hymn in Poland and is sung often during funeral services. A translation of the first line reads: “Holy God, Holy [and] Mighty, Holy [and] Immortal, have mercy on us.” The hymn has inspired many composers.
After hearing the performance of Surzynski’s Improvisation, it is easily understood why he is the most revered Polish composer of organ music. The work began with a statement of the hymn, and six dramatic variations followed, with variations one and five being the most riveting. In variation one, thundering chords are played in the manuals while the cantus firmus is heard in the pedals. In variation five, a fiery toccata is in the manuals while the cantus firmus thunders in the pedals.
Kotowicz’s performance of Lindblad’s Espanordica was electrifying. Each of the three movements—Rhapsodia, Nocturno, and Litanies—is built on Spanish dance motifs. Kotowicz told me that Stefan Lindblad lives in Göteborg, Sweden. Lindblad has composed two large works for organ, Hommages and Espanordica, which Kotowicz has performed in Ann Arbor. Both of these pieces have never been printed and he is the only Polish organist who has the scores. He also commented, “It’s interesting that Lindblad is almost completely unknown in Sweden, so I feel like his promoter. I know him personally because I often play in Sweden.”
In honor of Chopin’s 200th birth year, Arthur Greene, Professor of Piano at U-M, performed an all-Chopin recital. It was truly a gift to hear such great artistry.
His program provided a rich and tantalizing view of Chopin’s brilliant oeuvre. Greene drew sounds out of the piano like a magician—singing, soaring, langorous melodies, and thunderous, tumultuous chords. Greene is a master in knowing how to use his body in eliciting such sounds, and in controlling the exact timing of each key and creating suspense through poignant pauses. The audience was captivated by the huge gamut of emotions, from laughter to dark despair, that were portrayed in Greene’s memorized recital. In his hands each piece became a sort of microcosm of its own, glowing with its own unique beauty. His program included three short Mazurkas (op. 67, no. 3; op. 24, no. 3; op. 24, no. 4), the well-known Nocturne in E-flat Major, op. 9, no. 2, Écossaise, op. 72, and four Ballades (op. 23, op. 38, op. 47, and op. 52).
The 4 o’clock recital featured graduate students of James Kibbie and Marilyn Mason. Each performer played with such artistry, conviction, and joy. Their discipline and dedication to their art was obvious. Those performing from Kibbie’s studio included Joseph Balistreri (In Organ, Chordis et Choro by Naji Hakim); Susan De Kam (Partita sopra “Nun freut euch” by Lionel Rogg), and Richard Newman (Final from Symphony No. 5, op. 47, by Louis Vierne). Mason’s students included Timothy Tikker (Pièce Héroïque by César Franck) and Louis Canter (Adagio, Fugue from The 94th Psalm by Julius Reubke).
The final concert of the conference was played by Charles Echols. His entire program was devoted to the music of René Louis Becker (1882–1956). In his notes, Professor Echols described Becker’s career as a musician in the Midwest, and commented that among the many churches Becker served as organist were Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Detroit and St. Alphonsus Church in Dearborn, Michigan. Echols also indicated those pieces that have been published and those that are in manuscript form. Echols’s playing was flawless, and he is to be thanked for advancing this composer’s work, which recalls the music of Mendelssohn.
Professor Marilyn Mason has been responsible for the organ conference at the University of Michigan, a “happening” in Ann Arbor for 50 years. When I asked her what inspired her to begin this incredible conference she told me: “I began the conference for our students; my then manager, Lillian Murtagh, urged me to sponsor Anton Heiller, who had never played in Ann Arbor. Further, I realized since the students could not have a European experience there, we could provide it for them here: especially to hear organists who had not played in Ann Arbor. Some firsts in Ann Arbor were the Duruflés, Mlle Alain, Anton Heiller, and many more. This contact also provided a window of opportunity for the students, many of whom went on to study with the Europeans after having met them here.” This gathering together of world-class performers and teachers continues to nurture and inspire. We are indebted to Marilyn Mason for literally bringing the world to us.

•

These articles represent the ten sessions that I reviewed (each session is designated by roman numerals I–X).
I. Sunday, October 3, 4 pm, A Grand Night for Singing, Hill Auditorium
This inaugural event was a multi-choir extravaganza led by conductor and artistic director Professor Jerry Blackstone. He was assisted by other U of M faculty conductors, vocalists and instrumentalists. Six U of M student auditioned groups participated, with approximately 650 students. Composers ranged from Monteverdi to Sondheim, fourteen in all, and many various ensembles, representing a variety of musical genres. Each of the sixteen presentations, including choirs, solos, opera, theater, and musicals, was greatly appreciated by the audience, which rendered a standing ovation.

II. Monday, October 4, 10:30 am, dissertation recital by Jason Branham, at Moore Hall, the School of Music, on the Marilyn Mason Organ built by Fisk
Branham’s recital featured Buxtehude’s Praeludium in E Major, BuxWV 141, Bach’s Liebster Jesu, wir sind heir, BWV 731, and Trio Sonata No. 5 in C Major, BWV 529, Clerambault’s Suite du deuxième ton, and Mendelssohn’s Sonata No. 4 in B-flat Major, op. 65. Branham performed with an understanding of musical forms, in a sensitive and confident manner. The variety of works presented allowed him to demonstrate well many registration possibilities of this unique instrument. This performance was acknowledged with great applause.

III. Monday, October 4, 4 pm, dissertation recital by Christopher Reynolds at Hill Auditorium
Cantabile by Franck, Passion, op. 145, No. 4 by Reger, Prelude on Picardy by Near, Meditation on Sacramentum Unitatis by Sowerby, Elegy in B-flat by Thalben-Ball, Praeludium in g, BuxWV 149 by Buxtehude, from Zehn Charakteristische Tonstücke, op. 86, Prologus tragicus by Karg-Elert, and Concert Variations on The Star-Spangled Banner, op. 23 by Buck. Reynolds appropriately approached and performed well the pieces that required a reflective and meditative interpretation. His registrations, musical sensitivity, and facility made his selections interesting for the listeners who aptly responded with approval.

IV. Tuesday, October 5, 9:30 am, Organs of France
IX. Wednesday, October 6, 9:30 am, Organs of Bach Country
X. Wednesday, October 6, 10:30 am, Organs of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
Janice and Bela Feher presented three narrated photographic summaries of the European pipe organs visited and played on University of Michigan Historic Organ Tours, 2005–2009.
Organs of France were viewed via a PowerPoint presentation of pipe organs from various regions of France. The Fehers showed examples of French Baroque, Classic, Romantic, and Symphonic organs, and they highlighted sites and instruments associated with important organists and composers. Instruments included organs built by Dom Bedos, François-Henry, Louis-Alexandre, and Robert Clicquot; Jean-Pierre Cavaillé (grandfather), Dominique (father) and Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (son); and Moucherel. The photographs of the organs were enhanced by illustrations of their settings; highlights of the organs included historical cases, consoles, and principal internal components.
Organs of Bach Country traced the life of Bach, with photographs of the places where he grew up, the churches where he worked, and the organs he designed and played, along with additional photographic documentation of the organs of Andreas and Gottfried Silbermann, and Arp Schnitger.
Organs of the Austro-Hungarian Empire included pipe organs of Hungary (Budapest, Esztergom, Tihany, Zirc), Austria (Vienna, Melk, St. Florian, and Salzburg), and the Czech Republic (Prague). Historic and modern organs were presented from a variety of churches, cathedrals, abbeys, and concert halls. The photographs showed churches and organs associated with Mozart, Bruckner, Haydn, and Liszt. The photographs and information about these organs and their sites will be available in the near future from the University of Michigan Organ Department website.
The photographs described above and information are contained in several books available through <blurb.com>. The Fehers, along with Marilyn Mason, have produced a photo book about historical organs of Germany and Demark related to Bach and Buxtehude, entitled Sacred Spaces of Germany and Denmark. Their second book on the organs of Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic is entitled Sacred Spaces of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. They are beginning to work on another book about the organs of France and Northern Spain. All books may be previewed and ordered from <blurb.com>.

V. Tuesday, October 5, 10:30 am, lecture by Christopher Urbiel, “The History of the Frieze Memorial Organ at Hill Auditorium, The University of Michigan”
Urbiel’s interesting history of this grand organ housed in Hill Auditorium began with the early instrument at Festival Hall at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Farrand & Votey organ, 1876 and 1893. Albert Stanley purchased the instrument for $15,000 during U of M President Angel’s tenure. It was placed in University Hall and named for Professor Frieze, founder of the University Musical Society and Choral Union, in 1894. In 1912 it was moved from University Hall. The organ has been changed, modified, and “rebuilt” through the years: Hutchings (1913), Moore, Palmer Christian, E.M. Skinner (1928), G. Donald Harrison, Noehren/Aeolian-Skinner (1955), Koontz (1980), renovated in 1900s, and rededicated to Frieze in 1994. Urbiel was very detailed and thorough in his presentation on the Hill Organ, a large unique instrument, and the audience showed great appreciation for his informative and delightful lecture and pictures.

VI. Tuesday, October 5, 11:30 am, lecture by Michael Barone, “Louis Vierne (1870–1937): The ‘Other’ Music (songs, piano pieces, chamber and orchestral works).”
Michael Barone presented the audience with a detailed listing (seven pages), containing comments, performers’ names, disc identification, and other information of Vierne’s “other” music as described in his lecture title. He discussed Vierne’s life and provided insight into the interpretation of his music based on the tragedies and pain Vierne suffered in the losses of his brother and son, coupled with the difficulties Vierne endured in his career, health, and home life. Barone provided more than 20 recorded excerpts, with verbal descriptions and information in an entertaining and interesting manner. Near the end of the seven-page compilation, Barone listed a disc summary of Vierne’s non-organ repertoire. The audience appreciated Barone’s thorough work, sense of humor, and sensitive presentation.

VII. Tuesday, October 5, 1:30 pm, lecture/demonstration by Michele Johns, “Organ ‘Plus’”
Dr. Johns began her lecture/demonstration by sharing some down-to-earth tips when deciding to use the organ with other instruments in services and concerts. She discussed conducting from the organ, getting funding, how to pay performers, ways to obtain band and orchestra members, vocalists, planning rehearsals, and rehearsing. Her program featured three pieces written for organ, two trumpets and two trombones, which she conducted from the organ. In celebration of this 50th annual University of Michigan Conference on Organ Music and in honor of the Organ Department, an arrangement of “Angels We Have Heard on High” for congregation, brass quartet, tympani and organ was premiered. This was a welcomed and enjoyed opportunity for the conferees to participate in this rousing and exciting setting written by Scott M. Hyslop. Dr. Johns received thanks for her expertise.

VIII. Tuesday, October 5, 2:30 pm, lecture by Steven Ball, “Music of René Becker”
Dr. Ball gave a brief history of René Becker, son of Edouard, who was an organist at Chartres Cathedral. Born in 1882, Becker and his four siblings trained at Strasbourg’s Conservatory of Music. In 1904, Becker moved from France to St. Louis and taught piano, organ, and composition at the Becker Conservatory of Music, which he formed with his brothers. He later taught at St. Louis University and Kendride Seminary. In 1912, Becker and his wife moved to Belleville, Illinois, where he became organist at St. Peter and Paul Cathedral. It was at this time that son Julius was born, the only living child of René. Julius, a retired banker, presently lives in Birmingham, Michigan.
René Becker became the first organist of the newly built Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Detroit in 1930; an AGO member, he helped to establish the Catholic Organists Guild, and with his son founded the Palestrina Institute. Becker retired in 1952 at the age of 70 from St. Alphonsus Church in Detroit. He left over 160 compositions for organ when he died in 1956. Dr. Ball shared some pictures of René Becker and introduced Becker’s son Julius and his family to the conferees. It was a delight to see Julius Becker (keeper of some of Becker’s compositions) in person. Steven Ball received a four-year grant to record René Becker’s compositions.