Dr. Charlie Steele, (right), music director at Brevard-Davidson Presbyterian Church, in Brevard, North Carolina, played a concert at Central Presbyterian Church, Bristol, Virginia, on May 29 to kick off that church’s celebration of their 140th anniversary. He was assisted in one piece by his wife Patti Black, pianist (left in the picture). Joy Briggs, organist at Central, and Randall Dyer, organbuilder are also pictured. The organ is Dyer’s III/41 built in 2009.
Photo credit: Joan Keith
Part one of two
Edward Maki-Schramm is director of music at Central United Methodist Church in Detroit, Michigan. He received the MMus and DMA from the University of Michigan and BMus from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music. While a student he was the first place winner two years consecutively, 1994 and 1995, at the Jean and Broadus Staley Organ Competition in Organ Improvisation, sponsored by the American Center for Church Music. In 2005, Dr. Maki-Schramm was the organist for the Grammy Award-winning recording of William Bolcom’s Songs of Innocence and Experience. In September 2004, Maki-Schramm made his European debut playing a recital at the Schlosskirche in Altenburg, Germany (the church of Johann Ludwig Krebs). In 2003 he was the organist for the Detroit Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and was the organist for Ann Arbor’s Annual New Music Festival featuring the music of composer-in-residence Richard Webster. He performed the commissioned work for the AGO Region V Convention in 1999, and in 1995 was a featured soloist of the OHS national convention. His recordings have been featured on Pipedreams. He is now beginning his sixth year as Dean of the Ann Arbor AGO Chapter. For information:
Joy Schroeder, FAGO, teaches at the Flint Institute of Music and the Monroe County Community College. She worked in church positions for 36 years, and is now a substitute organist and choir director. In 1999, she was the convention coordinator for the Region V convention held in Ann Arbor, spent six years as the District Convener for Michigan, and is now the Education Coordinator for Region V and serves on the AGO National Committee on Seminary and Denominational Relations. She has a DMA from The University of Michigan in organ performance and a MM from Wayne State University in choral conducting.
In beginning a daunting task such as reviewing a national convention, I thought it best to canvas convention-goers for their reactions. Not surprisingly, everyone asked had an opinion not only about the convention but also how the review should appear—easier than filling out the questionnaire tucked into the mammoth, 400-page convention book or losing it in the largest convention bag of recent memory. I received all kinds of advice on not only content but also style: “Don’t let it be boring,” and “nothing too long.”
In deference to them, I offer this concise opinion of convention events: Peter Gomes, Janette Fishell, Stefan Engels, Rollo Dilworth, the Bach Week Festival Orchestra, St. Clement Choir and Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin—fabulous. 7:00 a.m. bus rides, long evening concerts that cut time away from the exhibits, competition with fireworks, and the final concert—not so fabulous.
If you’ve made it this far, perhaps you’ll read a bit further for more details and highlights.
Chicago—it was my kind of town. The love affair began the moment I arrived in the Loop. Organists from all over the world met in Chicago, July 2–6, to convene for the 48th time. And Chicago was an excellent choice of city. Visitors to Chicago experience a virtual explosion of cultural activity, civic pride and multicultural expression. The first thing that struck me was the greenery. There were parks everywhere—not just tennis courts and country clubs like Los Angeles—but real parks with ample areas of grass and 29 miles of Lake Michigan lakeshore in the heart of the Midwest. Organists sampled everything from stunning architecture and world-famous museums, churches and concert halls, to lakefront parks and vibrant ethnic neighborhoods.
The almost 3 million residents of Chicago and the city’s organists and enthusiasts were hosts to over 2,000 organists in some of the best weather for which one could have asked. Chicagoans were approachable and helpful. Temperatures were pleasant, which made making use of the buses a bit easier as attendees had the expected lines waiting their turn to board. So thank you, Windy City, for one spectacular week.
It is impossible to attend every event at a convention in a city such as this. The varied opportunities and scheduling options leave each attendee with a slightly different experience. All convention attendees had an early shock on Monday morning when they had to start boarding the buses at 7:00 a.m. I think no one but organists would be asked to board a bus for their first weekday session the day before a national holiday when most people are in a vacation frame of mind. The buses were prompt, and passengers quickly boarded for their transportation to Valparaiso, Indiana. At the annual meeting, attendees applauded G. Ronald Vanderwest, convention coordinator, and the convention committee’s decision to get the early day over early in the week. Little did we realize that we would be asked again on Thursday to board buses at 7:00 a.m. Some people simply gave up at that point and rejoined the convention midday.
The annual meeting at Rockefeller Chapel began the Monday afternoon sessions. We were greeted on the lawn by the sounds of the carillon and the impressive grounds of the chapel. After the official welcome by President Frederick Swann, organist Dan Miller played Mendelssohn’s Sonata No. 3 in A. The tuning of the instrument was so excellent that upon hearing it, I made a note to personally thank the organ technicians for their good work. After reading the back page of the program and hearing President Swann’s announcement that the historic Skinner organ was inoperable and we were listening to a Rodgers Model 957, I crossed out my note. We were duped by those enviable acoustics.
At the meeting, things went as smoothly as possible. These are the types of events where our president really shines. Fred Swann graciously and humorously guided us through what could have been an interminably long meeting. The need and pressure to keep the meeting on time is immense. President Swann asked Dan Miller to cut his playing of the Fanfare by John Cook. This is just the behavior we try to teach our clergy colleagues to avoid. In turn, Miller must have felt that pressure. It was disappointing to hear Miller’s carefully prepared pieces rushed and cut. The acoustic just did not allow a rushed performance of Bach’s Toccata, BWV 538.
Awards were given and noteworthy to mention among all the awards is membership. Memberships were up, especially in Singapore by 47.5%. A higher percentage of young people in attendance was noted several times at this convention. The future of our craft seems to be ensured for another generation.
All afternoon sessions were marked by their variety and diversity, and Monday afternoon was no exception. The “Celebration of Black Saints in Hymns” given by Wallace M. Cheatham was an incredible excursion into the lives of Absalom Jones, Richard Allen, Martin Luther King, Jr., St. Monica, Augustine of Hippo, Simon of Cyrene, Cyprian of Carthage, and Philip the Evangelist. Dr. Cheatham’s enthusiasm for this treasury of hymnody was contagious. He possessed a thorough knowledge of and passion for his selected material and painted the picture and circumstances in which these saints were born. As Cheatham pointed out, they were not derived from theological differences but from the atrocities of our history. He was very generous in giving all attendees of the session a copy of all the hymns with permission to copy one of his works to distribute as widely as possible. After the afternoon sessions, convention-goers dispersed for dinner and either evening fireworks on the Navy Pier, the NCOI Finals, or other events of their choosing.
In contrast to Monday’s beginning, attendees had to walk to all of the Tuesday events. This was welcomed by most as a way of getting to know the Windy City and its people. With cool, sunny skies and the help of a city map, we all made our way to the various worship opportunities made available. The service at St. James Episcopal Cathedral was packed, and began with the prelude: The Joy of the Redeemed by Clarence Dickinson, well suited for the instrument. The voicing was typically Victorian, a bit tubby, but the use of color stops and full organ brought the full import of the piece to the fore. Guest organist Jonathan Oblander’s playing of Sowerby’s Prelude on “Deus tuorum militum” made judicious use of the chamade. And it was gratifying to hear Sowerby’s music at the prelude and his Toccata at the postlude because of Sowerby’s connection to Chicago. (For a complete discussion of this connection one simply had to attend Robert Parris’s afternoon session, “Leo Sowerby: A Chicago Legend.”) The service of Morning Prayer that followed the prelude was executed exceedingly well by the clergy and musicians of the cathedral, Bruce J. Barber, II, director. The Reverend Joy E. Rogers, homilist, spoke with passion leavened with humor. Her support and respect of church musicians and her feeling of a shared call was welcomed by all. The most memorable line of her homily was that she never told her music director “no.”
The recitals that followed the worship services were the type where a recitalist’s tires hit the road, so to speak. With the services beginning the day and the recitals starting shortly thereafter, a recitalist has little or no time to warm up to reduce any performance anxiety. And yet the two recitals that morning were among the most well played of the convention.
Janette Fishell at Holy Name Cathedral was up to the task, and played a flawless recital. Fishell plays music about which she is passionate, and her choice of program, “Music That Moves,” allowed her to be just that. While one could argue her choices of interpretation of the two Bach trios on Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr—especially the added zymbelstern on the final cantus firmus entrance in the pedal, which I actually liked—one could only admire her sense of skill and bravura. It was wished, however, that the organ was up to the organist’s task. Out in the sanctuary near the altar, the sound did not carry, which was surprising. It seemed to be the fault of the building and not the organ. After all, the organ comprises 117 ranks! The building carried all the upperwork but not much foundation.
The other stellar recital of the morning was that given by Stefan Engels at the Fourth Presbyterian Church. Here was the perfect marriage of organist and instrument. Engels’ thorough knowledge of the organ from his time as an assistant organist there allowed him a full expression of the extremely difficult and complex repertoire. In Karg-Elert’s Partita Retrospettiva III, op. 151, Engels made good and thoughtful use of the instrument, including the required harp and celesta, while managing extremely wide contrasting dynamic ranges that included an extended use of the antiphonal organ in the rear gallery. It was simply the right piece on the right organ played by the right person. The commissioned piece by Naji Hakim that followed was a pure delight. The Capriccio for Organ and Violin is a fine work. The crowd loved this piece and expressed their appreciation to Engels, violinist Yuan-Qing Yu, and finally the composer who was in attendance. The piece has a clear form, a carefree theme in an abridged sonata form that developed and kept a good balance between solo violin and accompaniment, and also allows the organ a few shining moments. The beginning, based loosely on a dominant seventh chord, set the expectation of things to come. The work leans toward romanticism with wit in the middle percussive section.
The program concluded with Max Reger’s little-known Fantasie über den Choral “Straf’ mich nicht in deinem Zorn,” op. 40/2. The work is typically dense, but in Engels’ capable hands it unfolded in a wave of tumultuous sound. It was again Engels’ experience with the instrument that allowed him to take full and convincing advantage of the piece’s contrasting sections of solo stops and organo pleno. It was nothing short of thrilling.
The Tuesday afternoon sessions offered again a great variety. Rollo Dilworth undertook “Gospel Music and Spirituals for Your Choir.” His focus was on introducing the works of newer, lesser-known artists as well as the tried and true. Clearly apparent was this man’s talent as a leader and director. His charisma and skill brought out his desired results from the attendees as they sang the pieces so generously provided by the publishers. If your choir needs a kick in the pants, Dr. Dilworth is your man. He knows his repertoire, and he knows what to do with it.
One of the two concerts on Tuesday evening featured the Bach Week Festival Orchestra, Richard Webster conducting, and the Cathedral Singers, Richard Proulx conducting. Both groups made some spectacular music but the program was simply too long. In the very hot Holy Family Roman Catholic Church with its many statues and light bulbs tracing the antebellum architecture, many people suffered what one attendee called “fanny fatigue.” The first half of the concert, which consisted of two major Bach works and the Concerto in C Major of Mozart, would have sufficed as the entire concert. It lasted one hour and 20 minutes—and then a 20-minute intermission—and then another 45-minute program by the Cathedral Singers. Because the concert ran longer than expected, even by the performers and convention programmers, people complained that their shopping time was cut short. I was told the first half of the concert was cut for the repeat performance on Wednesday evening. To add to the discomfort of the concert, some very loud fireworks were set off near the church. One had the feeling that we were near Beirut.
Despite all of these obstacles, the musicians met the high mark for which their reputations are known. The Bach Week Festival Orchestra played with all the stylistic interpretation appropriate for the music: Orchestral Suite No. 3 and Brandenburg Concerto No. 5. David Schrader’s performance of the Mozart Concerto was played flawlessly, entirely from memory. His command of the harpsichord (not a piano!) was stellar. The Cathedral Singers, despite the distractions of the fireworks and heat, sang accurately and seemed at ease. The women sang in straight tone but the choir still had a full and warm sound.
Wednesday morning was spent in Evanston, where Thomas Murray played at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. The Skinner organ, Op. 327, a.k.a. “Lucille,” was in capable hands. She seemed best suited for the final work of the recital, Elgar’s Severn Suite transcribed by Murray. The crescendi and decrescendi were seamless, suave and his playing dry but poised. And he managed all of this with only five generals.
The St. Clement Choir (of Chicago) sang at First United Methodist Church, Evanston. I enjoyed this choir the most, if only for their diversified, impressive and still useful repertoire. It was a refreshing change from the Cathedral Singers’ all-Latin program the night before. Randall Swanson, conductor, was energetic, clearly understood, connected and at all times sensitive to the music and text. The choir has 32 singers, eight of whom were sopranos who sang in a warm straight tone; the repertoire alternated between a cappella and accompanied works. Marie Rubis Bauer provided superb accompaniment—she followed every nuance given by Swanson. This was no small task as she had to see around that massive console. The choir displayed their artistic mettle in Colin Mawby’s Ave verum corpus. The contrasting, lush and expressive portions of the work were handled most ably by the choir, with muscle for the fortissimo sections and sensitivity and grace in the pianissimo sections.
The final event of particular note was the workshop given by
Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin on Thursday afternoon, “Improvisation in the French Manner,” a packed event in St. James Cathedral. Cauchefer-Choplin outlined the French education system; since 1968 one could choose interpretation, improvisation or both. She then went on in her wonderful accent to outline the graduated steps of learning and teaching improvisation. The crowd ate every word. Other than her gift for improvisation, which she demonstrated, she was zealous to share her knowledge and passion for the art.
The final concert held at Moody Memorial Church was, in a word, disappointing. I understood where the convention committee wanted to go with this event. As the celebratory culmination of a national convention, it missed the mark. The organ did not speak well in the room, and the acoustical tile on the ceiling didn’t help. To make matters worse, Mickey Thomas Terry’s memorized solo performance on the worst organ of the convention was not to the level one would have expected. It simply was not on par with the prior performances of the convention. With missed notes and inappropriate rushed sections, added to the boredom of the audience in a dimly lit sanctuary after a long week at the convention, we simply didn’t care at that point. Dupré’s Variations sur un Noël, op. 20, called the most life out of the Reuter organ, even though most of the movements were played under tempo.
The concert was salvaged by the Chicago Community Chorus. The second half of the concert began with an impressive procession by the chorus, an unauditioned chorus reflective of the diversity that is Chicago. The procession resulted in a crescendo as each choir member was added to the chancel. The choir’s sound is dark and robust, not unlike a good cabernet, with sopranos who have gusto and stamina for days. Their charismatic conductor, Keith Hampton, was entertaining to watch. His choice to include two movements of Mozart’s Mass in C Minor was a curious one. Although the chorus handled the work well, the pacing of the Gloria was a bit pedantic and unlike anything else in the program. Moreover, it seemed to prove their spirit as a community chorus as well as a possible symphony chorus. Where the chorus really shone was in the published works of their conductor and Moses Hogan. At only three years old, this chorus will be interesting to watch grow and prosper.
Dr. Hampton played the world premiere of the AGO Celebration Suite for Organ. This memorized performance proved him to be an able player and was refreshing to hear, especially after the first half of the concert. This commissioned piece by Sharon Willis was well proportioned, useful and improvisational in style. Of all the commissioned works for this convention, I highly recommend this work and the piece by Naji Hakim. Note to future convention committees: choose your performers carefully; they really do sell the piece.
The final reception was chaotic and unnecessarily so. The ballroom was packed with extremely long lines waiting for liquor and food; all the while Paul Bisaccia played the piano and was largely ignored by the crowd. He tried to play above the noise of the assembly to no avail. With long lines and a grumpy crowd, the convention ended in a whimper instead of a grand Amen. —Edward Maki-Schramm
The ChicAGO 2006 National Convention of the American Guild of Organists was hosted July 2–6 by the Chicago, Fox Valley and North Shore AGO chapters, with all three chapters planning and presenting events. Events were not only held in Chicago, but also in Valparaiso, Evanston, Lincoln Park, Naperville, and Wheaton. Some of these venues are a fair distance from downtown Chicago and the convention hotels.
The gala opening concert took place at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall. The Metropolis Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Julian Wachner, joined with organists Philippe Bélander, David Schrader, Maxine Thevenot, and Thierry Escaich for a program of newer compositions for organ solo and organ with orchestra: Triptych for Organ and Large Orchestra by Julian Wachner, Ha’llel-an organ solo by Shulamit Ran (a convention commission), Concerto for Organ and Strings by Richard Proulx (AGO 2006 Distinguished Composer), Sleepy Hollow—a tone poem for organ and orchestra by Aaron David Miller (also a convention commission), and Concerto pour Orgue et Orchestre by Thierry Escaich. In this memorable event—long memorable event—all music was performed with great skill by soloists and orchestra alike, and the crowning jewel was the 1998 Casavant organ, inspiring even those of us who had tickets in the very last row of the top balcony. Long after the concert was finished, musicians spoke of two works as standing apart and fresh from the rest, due to changes in medium—the Proulx work used only the strings of the orchestra—and due to a change in composition style—the Wachner work, which was written to be performed in St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal, with a 10-second reverberation.
Monday, July 3, conventioneers traveled to Valparaiso University for the opening worship service and a concert by James O’Donnell, then to Rockefeller Memorial Chapel for the AGO annual meeting. In the worship service, music of Bach (including the motet Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden, BWV 230), Mendelssohn, Richard Proulx (a convention commission), and Richard Webster (another commission) was sung interspersed with hymns, readings and a sermon by Rev. Peter Gomes. Martin Jean, the Valparaiso University Bach Choir, Guild Chaplain Rev. Gregory Norton, the Dean of the Chapel Rev. Joseph Cunningham, and guild dignitaries were part of this service that used historical and new ideas.
After this, James O’Donnell gave a recital of music by Michael Berkeley, J. S. Bach, Augusta Read Thomas (convention commissions Angel Tears and Earth Prayers), Alain, Ad Wammes, and Patrick Gowers. The Schlicker organ was refurbished in 1996 by the Dobson Pipe Organ Builders and gained stops in several divisions to make an incredible instrument.
The bus then returned to Chicago for the national meeting. Buses were late returning to the hotel, and so the workshops were late starting and sparsely attended. Workshops offered an eclectic mix of presentations of music, methods of interacting with other musicians, computer programming advice, and two recitals, one by Alexander Fiseisky and one by Chelsea Chen. Emphasis in the workshops seemed to be on music of various denominations and cultures: Gregorian chant, evangelical church music, Hispanic resources, handbells, and the celebration of black saints in hymns. This reviewer attended the dramatic skit “Interviewing for a Job” with role players Donna Wernz, James Thomashower, Edwina Beard, Barbara Gulick, Roy Roberts, and James Owen (who was the job applicant). Because the workshop started late not all parts of the skit could be acted, but general, confrontational, overly broad, and illegal questions received sample answers for those who might find themselves in similar situations.
Monday night featured a dinner and fireworks spectacular at Navy Pier, and the NCOI Finals. Unfortunately, it was impossible to attend both.
Tuesday was Chicago day, beginning with worship services at St. James Episcopal Cathedral, Fourth Presbyterian Church, and Holy Name Cathedral. Hearing the liturgical music of Albert Alain in the liturgy of the Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Portugal at Holy Name Cathedral made the service one of great beauty. The service featured organists Matthew Walsh, Ricardo Ramirez, and Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin, and the Cathedral Gallery, Chamber and Women’s Schola of Holy Name choirs, with the Most Reverend Joseph N. Perry, Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago, participating.
Afternoon workshops were offered on music of Sowerby, the Netherlands, Wilhelm Middelschulte, Calvin Hampton, Colonial Mexico, organ methods, gospel and spirituals, the musician-pastor team, AGO chapter endeavors, the life of Russell Saunders, teaching organ, repertoire, and a composer’s forum. This reviewer attended the workshop on improvising hymns in jazz style, by longtime convention exhibitor Joe Utterback, who distributed examples of his improvisations on hymn tunes and performed at the piano.
Tuesday evening, half of the conventioneers went to the Bach Week Festival Orchestra concert—in the middle of what sounded like a war, but were fireworks just outside the church door—the other half to Trinity Church Wall Street’s concert.
On Wednesday morning, buses traveled to Evanston and got lost on return, so that we went many miles north, instead of south, and some were late for future events. Afternoon workshops covered organ restoration, music of Buxtehude, women composers, Canadian composers, handbells, Reger, psalms, African-American organ music, children’s choirs, anthems, counterpoint, assertiveness training, the new ELCA hymnal, teaching styles, reading sessions, and improvisation, plus there were two Rising Star recitals and the NYACOP winner’s recital.
On Wednesday evening, the choir of Trinity Church, Wall Street, gave a performance at St. Mary of the Angels Roman Catholic Church. After an introduction to the Marshall and Ogletree, Opus 1, Epiphany Series III/85 organ, which was situated in the front of the sanctuary, Owen Burdick, conductor and organist at Wall Street, played Bach’s Pièce d’Orgue, BWV 572, on a Werckmeister III tuning that had been set to sound “sweet” in G major. This was a startling experience for this reviewer, for it was truly “sweeter” and very different from the standard equal temperament tunings, or even Werckmeister in a C major home key; and it certainly could be argued to be an accurate historical event, for harpsichordists changed tunings frequently in the Baroque period. Only such a complex instrument of the 21st century as the Marshall & Ogletree instrument can now be programmed to apply these alternate tunings, and present such an alternate listening experience. The piece actually seemed more “major,” more “bright,” and was radically different from other hearings.
An audience rehearsal followed of hymns from A Song of David by William Albright, and after intermission, choir, conductor, organist Robert Ridgell, narrators, and audience performed this haunting, seemingly unending, highly repetitious, extremely melodious, and emotionally moving, even draining, 75-minute work.
On Thursday, the buses left for Naperville, Wheaton, Lincoln Park or Fox Valley. My bus got lost in the city. Thierry Escaich’s concert at St. Pauls UCC (no, it doesn’t have an apostrophe, for it is a direct and proud translation from German) offered music of Tournemire, Messiaen, Escaich and Duruflé in the mezzo-forte to fortissimo range, with the improvisation on “Yankee Doodle” at the end serving to show the soft flutes and strings of the Aeolian-Skinner organ.
Going from a loud performance to the next, that of a nine-voice a cappella group in the reverberant St. Clement Church, made the ears twitter, for the tuning, vowels, selections, and blend of this group was excellent; this was a concert to remember, truly, forever. The group, Chicago a cappella, chose a varied repertoire, and actually started the concert twice, due to a mix-up in starting times, and buses arriving at different times from other venues. But they could have started 50 times—it was a magic moment.
Again, on Thursday, workshops were presented. Offerings included music of France, Karg-Elert, Hakim, Liszt, Hungary, Gerald Near, the Marilyn Mason library, Virgil Fox, AGO exam preparation, improvisation, fundraising, teaching, medical aspects of performance, computers, reading sessions, Indian pipe organs, worship questions, and regional conventions.
The closing concert was in a totally different style, with an African-American volunteer choir that has only been in existence for three years, and was a very enjoyable experience to finish the week.
Chicago is a stunning city. The convention was stunning with its near-perfection in music. Other than the endless bus rides, I would love to return and do it all again. Congratulations to the committees and all the hard workers for a fine convention!
—Joy Schroeder
The hymn festival was held at St. Raphael RC Church in Naperville. The organ is a Berghaus (III/60), completed in 2005, which incorporates portions of a previous Kimball. The venue was superb for a hymn festival, incorporating natural light from many windows and a clerestory. The theme of the festival, “Light from a Fire Within,” was enhanced by the marvelous, sparkling room. The quarry tile floor and lack of fabric and carpeting (minimal paraments and two small flags) created a resonant space for hymn singing. Aaron David Miller played the service with great expertise and was assisted by brass (Concordia University faculty), handbells (The Agape Ringers) and the Heritage Chorale. A good variety of tunes was provided, including “Splendor of God’s Brightest Glory” by Dr. Miller, “Ermuntre Dich,” “Delig Er Den Himmel Blaa,” “The Glory of Christ,” by K. Lee Scott, an Iona song, “Take, Oh, Take Me as I Am” and a rousing closing hymn, “When the Morning Stars Together” sung to the tune, Weisse Flaggen.
Commissioned pieces included an organ work, People Look East, by Emily Maxson Porter, and Lyric Piece for handbells by Carl Wiltse and Donald Allured. Choral anthems included Angelus and Take My Life by Dr. Miller. The readings continued the theme of “Light” throughout the festival.
Excellent hymn accompaniments, including alternate harmonizations and interludes, were provided, along with a cappella SATB stanza treatment and with nice, full accompaniments for female voices on selected hymn stanzas, instead of the usual and obligatory thin treble textures. This festival was so well done that its overall impact surely was “better than the sum of its parts.” A verse from Susan Palo Cherwien’s Music from Crossings best summarizes the event:
There is a noble sound of pipes and voice
That marries the mind and the heart
That transfigures the spirit.
The concert was a partnership between The Motet Choir of the House of Hope Presbyterian Church and the Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus. The venue was Grace United Methodist Church, Naperville. The choirs were conducted by Thomas Lancaster and Emily Ellsworth. Nancy Lancaster served as the organist. The organ is a Reuter III/41 with a few digital 16' and 32' sounds. Solos were provided by Sandra Schoenecker, mezzo-soprano. The adult and children’s choirs each numbered around 35 singers. The children’s group included approximately five boys. Works presented included an organ piece by Stephen Paulus, As If the Whole Creation Cried, which is movement three from Triptych, and the choral works There Is No Rose by Stroope and Psalm-Cantata(2000) by Frank Ferko.
The Stroope selection was memorized by the children’s choir and contained a beautiful accompaniment for piano and oboe. This challenging piece was sung with clear diction and good expression.
The composer’s program notes for the Psalm-Cantata indicated that the work’s “performing forces” include a mixed chorus representing the past and present and a children’s chorus representing the future. Sections of the work alternated between the two choirs and combined singing. The organ accompaniment was very well played, and it provided nice color and relevance to the work, as a whole. The Psalm and hymn texts built in intensity from “Lord Who May Dwell” to “Praise God, Hallelujah!” The aural accompaniments to these texts were enhanced by visual elements consisting of bright red and black vests over white shirts worn by the children and by the organ grille/screen which was a flame motif beautifully executed in a reddish hardwood.
—W. James Owen
(Reprinted from The American Organist with permission.)
Continue to part 2
Frank Rippl is a graduate of Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Miriam Clapp Duncan and Wolfgang Rübsam. He is co-founder of The Appleton Boychoir, coordinator of the Lunchtime Organ Recital Series in the Appleton, Wisconsin area, and has been organist/choirmaster at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Appleton since 1971.
When an organist thinks of Indiana, many things come to mind: the long history of fine organ teaching at Indiana University; the famous Fort Wayne Competition; the large Schlicker/Dobson organ in the Chapel at Valparaiso University; the three modern tracker organs in Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral in Indianapolis; plus two new organs at Goshen College (Taylor & Boody) and at Notre Dame University (Fritts); and the list goes on.
So it was with that abundance of riches in mind that the Organ Historical Society gathered at the Sheraton Hotel in Indianapolis for its 52nd annual convention to seek out the historical roots of such a strong heritage and affection for the pipe organ. It was a “Hoosier Holiday” on the banks of the Wabash with a wealth of music, organs, beautiful venues, corn and soybean fields, and gracious hospitality!
This year’s pre-convention event was a festive concert at Broadway United Methodist Church in Indianapolis with the Broadway Festival Chorus and Orchestra led by Jack L. Fox, minister of music at the church, and organist Christopher Schroeder, who presided over the 2001 Reynolds Associates Inc. organ. The evening began with Mr. Schroeder’s fine arrangement of the hymn O God Beyond All Praising, sung to the tune thaxted by Gustav Holst (from: The Planets—“Jupiter”). The church is a very attractive English Gothic building completed in 1927 with a high ceiling and resonant acoustics. The combined forces performed Rheinberger’s Mass in C Major, op. 169, and Widor’s Symphonie pour orgue et orchestre, op. 42. The choir and orchestra were adequate to the task and Fox led with sure command. The music is lovely, and it was a real treat to hear it live. Mr. Schroeder played the many fast passages of the Widor with great confidence.
Thursday, July 12
The actual start of the convention was Thursday July 12 with an ambitious program by Marko Petricic, who teaches organ at the University of Indianapolis. The venue was the elegant Second Presbyterian Church, founded in 1838 in Indianapolis. The present building, completed in 1959 in French Gothic style complete with an intricate flèche, has very fine windows including, above the altar, a Tiffany window brought from their previous building showing the Ascension of Christ. The organ is a large 4-manual, 80-rank Aeolian-Skinner from 1968, renovated in 2002 by the Schantz Organ Company.
Petricic began with the second movement of Messiaen’s L’Ascension, “Alléluias sereins.” The effect was pure magic as we all silently enjoyed the serene beauty of the gorgeous Tiffany window rising in front of us into the bright clear sunshine during Petricic’s beautiful playing. An OHS tradition is to sing a hymn or song at each concert facing the organ. So we rose, turned round and were bathed in the pastel light of the high clerestory windows as we sang Lobe den Herren to Petricic’s masterful accompaniment.
Then Soliloquy by David Conte gave us a good tour of this fine organ, while a video projection of the performer provided a helpful visual image. Petricic is a brilliant player with a great sense of color. He next played Petr Eben’s “Moto ostinato” from Nedělní hudba, and then ended his recital with the Prélude et fugue sur le nom d’Alain, op. 7, by Maurice Duruflé. It was electrifying. I hope we can have him do a full evening recital some year!
Our next concert was on the famous 1987 Holtkamp tracker organ (3m, 44rks) at Sweeney Chapel of the Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. We were to have heard Marilyn Keiser, of Indiana University and the consultant for this instrument. She, sadly, had been in an automobile accident ten days earlier, and while not seriously injured, was unable to play. Edie Johnson, organist at the chapel, filled in with an interesting and well-played program. The visually stunning chapel, designed by Edward Barnes, was completed in 1987. It is essentially a concrete cube with five seconds of reverberation when empty, and 2.8 seconds when full. The organ rises along the wall to the right of the altar.
Johnson opened with Bach’s Fantasy and Fugue in C Minor, BWV 537. She gently unfolded the Fantasy on the beautiful Principal stops, and used the fine plenum on the Fugue. We next heard the organ’s Cornet in Buxtehude’s chorale prelude on Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott. Then came the second movement of Pamela Decker’s Río abajo Río (1999), “Diferencias,” showing us the strings and what I think was the Krumhorn. This is gorgeous music that I highly recommend.
The hymn was the rousing Torah Song, introduced on the fine Trumpet stop. Ms. Johnson closed her program with a superb performance of Mendelssohn’s Sonata in F Minor. The audience gave loud and sustained applause to this talented performer! Following a tasty boxed lunch from Wolfgang Puck, we had the opportunity to tour the Indiana Museum of Art and its extensive collection.
OHS favorite MaryAnn Crugher Balduf gave the first recital of the afternoon, playing the 1905 Felgemaker organ (2m, 16rks) at Bethel A. M. E. Church in Indianapolis. Steven Schnurr, chair of the Historic Organ Citations Committee, presented the church with an OHS citation in recognition of the historic merit of their organ. The altar table stands at the center of a long wall of this rectangular-shaped room, and the organ is in a balcony above the altar. MaryAnn began with “Allegro Agitato” from Fifteen Inventions, op. 1, by Joseph Callaerts (1838–1901), and followed with Offertoire by Theodore Dubois. She was then joined by her daughter, Sara Balduf Adams, soprano, in five beautiful early art songs by Alban Berg. We heard several combinations of the softer sounds of the organ as MaryAnn demonstrated her strong accompaniment skills. Sara has a lovely voice, and it was a treat to hear something besides just the organ at one of our recitals. Next up was Arietta by Horatio Parker. I love Felgemaker flutes: their sweet, round, ringing quality is unique. Next, in Frederick Newell Shackley’s Prelude in F, the variety of registrations gave us a good aural tour of the organ. MaryAnn ended with a charming March by John S. Camp, which she played in memory of a recently departed friend who was to have played a duet with her on this recital.
Stepping outside we had the chance to admire Indianapolis’s beautiful Venetian-style canal that flows past this church and through downtown. It must be seen to be truly appreciated—gondolas and all! We next paid a visit to the shop of organbuilders Goulding & Wood, who gave us an opportunity to view a large Aeolian-Skinner they were in the process of rebuilding for East Liberty Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh—a fascinating operation.
The afternoon’s last concert was at Old Centrum, formerly the Central Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, a grand old 1892 auditorium plan building. It ceased being a church in 2000, and is called today The Old Centrum. Sixteen nonprofit organizations are housed there or offer services there. The organ stands front and center behind the altar table. This had been the home church of Senator Richard Lugar. Thaddeus B. Reynolds, Indiana organbuilder, did restoration work on this historic 1892 instrument and discovered that it was built by 19th-century Indiana organbuilder Thomas Prentice Sanborn & Son. There being no proper identification on the organ case, Reynolds ceremoniously attached a Sanborn nameplate to the organ case before the concert began. Sanborn had studied with the Hook brothers. This organ shows that influence with its bold, powerful and rich tone.
Our recitalist, Charles Manning, began with Louis Couperin’s Chaconne in G Minor demonstrating the organ’s full plenum. By way of contrast, he followed with Brahms’s Schmücke dich on a perfectly lovely flute that sang out with uncommon sweetness. He followed with the always-welcome Berceuse of Louis Vierne, a haunting evocative work. We then took a leap into the late 20th century with a piece by Arvo Pärt, Trivium for Organ: II (1988). I always love to hear new music on an old instrument. Quality organ building is a timeless art. I’ve become a big fan of Pärt’s music and was so glad to hear this piece. The old organ held its own against the mighty blast of OHS hymn singing with the hymn Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven (Lauda Anima). Manning ended his concert with Intrada in E-flat Major by Grayston Ives, b. 1948. He played very well for us, and gave us an interesting and varied program!
The afternoon ended with the only lecture of the convention, Michael D. Friesen on 19th-century Indiana organbuilders William Horatio Clarke and Thomas P. Sanborn, held at Roberts Park United Methodist Church. This was a perfect example of Friesen’s detailed research complete with photographs of the two men’s boyhood homes, early shops, and the ways in which they connected with the organ building world in the Midwest of the late 19th century. In addition to Michael’s fine commentary, we had the added pleasure of gazing upon a glorious black walnut organ case built by W. H. Clarke topped by two carved angels blowing on horns. The instrument was rebuilt by E. M. Skinner and then by Reuter, but the Clarke case remains.
The big evening event was a concert by Carol Williams, civic organist and artistic director of the Spreckels Organ Society, Balboa Park, San Diego—the first female ever to hold that position or any other similar position in the country. It was held at North United Methodist Church, Indianapolis, on the church’s large 4m Kimball organ from 1931, enlarged and rebuilt by E. H. Holloway Corp., Reynolds Associates, and Goulding & Wood. There are many beautiful and ravishing sounds on this big organ, most of which is at the front of the church in chambers on opposing sides of the altar area, and Dr. Williams made good use of them. I’m sure most of us showed up that night expecting to be entertained, and we certainly were. She presented a varied program that included Louis Marchand, Purcell, and a very romantic interpretation of Bach’s Fantasia in c, Lefébure-Wély, Rachmaninoff (!), and Mozart Changes by Zsolt Gárdonyi, with sections that sounded like Hammond organ jazz. She also played her own arrangement of Roller Coaster. The hymn was Amazing Grace, which she played from an arrangement by George Shearing. The final selection was her arrangement of Sabre Dance by Aram Khachaturian. Williams has good rapport with the audience and I’m sure her audiences at Balboa Park are very entertained as we were. However, her playing that night had a number of rhythmic instabilities that lessened the impact of what she had hoped to present. The organ has a thrilling set of horizontal fanfare trumpets in the rear gallery, and she fell prey to the temptation of using them too often. Another case of less is more.
Friday, July 13
This very lucky Friday the 13th saw us take our longest bus ride of the convention—two hours through the beautiful countryside of Indiana to our first stop: the sweet little town of Lagro, and St. Patrick’s Church, dedicated in 1873. Today it exists as an oratory, or place of prayer, as it lost its status as a parish in 1997. Mass is celebrated once a month by a priest from a nearby town.
The organ is a beauty, believed to be an Erben from 1845. The 1m, 5-stop organ with pull-down pedal was in two other Indiana churches before it arrived at St. Patrick’s between 1884–1888. It was restored by Hal Gober of Elora, Ontario, Canada, in 2004. It was one of my favorite organs at the convention!
Our recitalist was Gregory Crowell, director of publications for the OHS, and university organist of Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, who played a sprightly program for us on this tiny organ. One could easily discern his pedigree: Heiller students Yuko Hayashi, Bernard and Mireille Lagacé, and Harald Vogel. His playing was clear, clean and very musical. He opened with Handel’s Overture to Ottone. We then heard the lovely 8′ Principal play a Voluntarie from My Ladye Neville’s Booke, by William Byrd. A charming 4′ flute was used for Krebs’s Praeludium: Jesu, meine Freude. Other small pieces followed, giving us a fine tour. We sang the hymn Hail Glorious St. Patrick to the tune Hemy.
Three little Mozart pieces followed including Adagio for Glass Harmonica, K. 356, which again featured the extraordinary flutes on this organ. Crowell closed with C. P. E. Bach’s Organ Sonata in F Major, Wq 70, 3. I loved this organ. The pride the people who worship at St. Patrick’s have in their organ and lovely church was evident at every turn. We then had the treat of a tasty hog roast at the nearby Methodist church.
Our buses then took us to Peru, Indiana (hometown of Cole Porter!) and the wedding cake-like Catholic Church of St. Charles Borromeo (1863) and its commanding 183-foot steeple, for an outstanding recital by the young and very talented Karen Schneider Kirner, assistant organist for the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame. The organ is an 1893 Louis H. Van Dinter with 2m and 19rks, and was given an OHS Historic Merit plaque before the program began.
Kirner began with the stately Processional by César Franck, and then played Praeambulum Festivum, op. 64, by Sigfrid Karg-Elert, another fine demonstration. Next up was Liszt’s arrangement of Arcadelt’s Ave Maria, which took me back to my youth. It was followed by Bach’s French Suite No. 5 in G Major, BWV 816, which worked quite well on this organ as a demonstration. Kirner is a very fine player. Her sure and nimble fingers carried us along in the final Gigue such that one wanted to dance! Her final selection on this historic instrument was the Passacaglia from Rheinberger’s Sonata 8 in E Minor, op. 132, which she played with effortless expertise!
On we went to Logansport, Indiana, to hear the 1883 Barckhoff organ at St. James Lutheran Church. The church was dedicated in 1868, but was largely destroyed by fire in 1883. It was rebuilt that same year along with the new Barckhoff organ. Various things were done to it over the years as the result of water damage. John-Paul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders restored it to its original condition as much as possible, adding an 8′ Great Trumpet, which had been prepared for but never added. Buzard copied a Barckhoff Trumpet from an organ in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The 2m, 23-stop organ stands in the rear gallery.
Following a mayoral proclamation by the mayor of Logansport, and a peal of the three tower bells, we heard a fine recital by organist John Gouwens, organist and carillonneur of the Culver Academies. He began with Allegretto grazioso by Frank Bridge, demonstrating a range of sounds from mf to pp—lovely quality to those sounds! He next played Pachelbel’s Chaconne in D Minor starting on the Dulciana and building from there. He continued with Three Chorale Improvisations by Karg-Elert—nice pieces. I especially enjoyed hearing the very beautiful 8′ Oboe & Bassoon with tremolo. The hymn was “A mighty fortress”—the last verse was sung a cappella, which was fun for us! There followed the only improvisation of the convention—on Ein’ feste Burg. We finally got to hear the new Buzard Trumpet, but only coupled to the Pedal. The improvisation started with strong sounds, and then drifted nicely into quietness at the end. I had hoped to hear more of the Trumpet, but Gouwens may have wished only to show the Barckhoff bits.
The final recital of the afternoon was in Frankfort at the First Presbyterian Church (est. 1831). Mary Gifford, director of music at St. Mary Catholic Church in Des Plaines, Illinois, performed for us on the 1959 E. H. Holloway Corporation rebuild of a 1901 Lancashire-Marshall opus 131: 3m, 36rks. It now has electric key and stop action. She played several character studies from the early 20th century beginning with “Sunrise” from A Pastoral Suite (1913) by Clifford Demarest, which built up a healthy crescendo. Then Bells in the Distance by Camil Van Hulse, which featured the chimes. (If you have chimes on your organ, this is not a bad piece.) Next came The Tragedy of a Tin Soldier by Gordon Balch Nevin, which induced many a smile with its melodramatic four movements. I love these old gems. When she finished, she stepped away from the console drying her “tears” with a white hanky. Following that was a chorale prelude on What a Friend We Have in Jesus by Van Denman Thompson, which featured the lovely Doppel Flute in an obbligato section and the Clarinet in the tenor at the end. Nice sounds all around! The hymn that followed was, of course, “What a friend.” Gifford had the tenors sing the soprano part and the sopranos sing the tenor line in their own range. It was a nice touch and just the thing to keep us on our toes at the end of a long day.
Gifford closed her very entertaining concert with two movements from Edward Shippen Barnes’s Symphony No. 2: III. Intermezzo, and V. Final. The Final used several devices Vierne used in the famous Final to his First Symphony. It was a real rouser, and she played it straight, giving it integrity.
Following dinner at our hotel, we bused to the relatively nearby St. Luke’s United Methodist Church for our grand evening recital by Thomas Murray, university organist and professor of music at Yale University. He of course is widely known as a concert organist and recording artist specializing in the Romantic repertoire and his own astonishing orchestral transcriptions. St. Luke’s is a huge new church with a narthex bigger than most of the churches we would visit at this convention. The choir room alone seats 130 people. The organ is a large 4m, 80rk Goulding & Wood from 1999.
Murray began with his own transcription of a piano work by Mendelssohn: Prelude and Fugue in E Minor (no opus no., 1841). We all marveled at Murray’s seamless transitions between keyboards and effective use of the expression pedals. The work has a fascinating fugue subject that begins with a descending major 7th. Next we heard Summer Sketches, op. 73, by Edwin H. Lemare: “Dawn,” “The Bee,” “The Cuckoo,” “Twilight,” and “Evening”—charming pieces. Murray used all the resources of this large organ to lift these pieces off the page. I especially enjoyed the bee buzzing away on the Vox Humana! The Great, Swell, Choir and Pedal divisions are spread out horizontally across the front of the church, while the Antiphonal is on the side wall to the left of the congregation. High overhead, and I do mean high (!), is the very powerful Trompette en Chamade, which is available on all manuals. The surround sound was magic with birds and bees twittering and buzzing away all over the place.
Murray then played one of Seth Bingham’s most famous pieces, Roulade. It does indeed roll over the place, and this was a masterful performance. Between numbers, he spoke to the audience in a direct, humorous, and engaging manner. He crowned the first half with Liszt’s Prelude and Fugue on B-A-C-H, with all of his spectacular skill of orchestration, pacing, musical architecture, color and nuance in full play! The organ was ablaze with drama! The hymn preceding the intermission was, I blush to admit, new to me: Ken Naylor’s marvelous setting (Coe Fen) of John Mason’s hymn How shall I sing that majesty. Murray accompanied it in grand Anglican style. After intermission we returned to our seats to hear him play an astonishing piece by Jean Berveiller (1904–1976), Mouvement, which has a virtuoso pedal part punctuated by syncopated rhythms in the hands. After working up all that steam, it then ends rather gently.
Murray closed his recital with the Suite, op. 5, by Maurice Duruflé. The very fine Goulding & Wood organ was a good match for his program and style of playing. The Prelude was replete with dark foreboding sounds, while the Sicilienne was all flowing liquid grace that poured out of this fine and colorful pipe organ. The formidable Toccata was played with pure fire and splendid energy. Thomas Murray’s approach to the organ is like that of a composer or conductor leading an orchestra. Melodic lines come in and out and are given uncommon shadings and nuance. Whenever I hear him play, I am reminded that he gets to preside over the huge, magnificent E. M. Skinner organ in Woolsey Hall at Yale. I wonder to what degree that instrument informs his playing when he is on the road. What does his inner ear hear? His playing takes us on journeys filled with wonder and astonishment!
Saturday, July 14
Another bright sunny morning took us to Acton, Indiana, not far from Indianapolis, to Acton United Methodist Church and Robert Schilling’s demonstration of a relocated 1895 Hook & Hastings organ, 2m, 11rks, Opus 1671. It came from Fletcher United Methodist Church in Indianapolis after that church closed. The Acton church is a simple modern structure along the highway. This organ has its original stenciling and looked right at home in its new surroundings. The church had banners and pulpit hangings that matched the colors of the pipes. The organ has a bold, room-filling sound that Schilling used very well. Its commanding presence at the front of the church allows it to speak clearly into the nave.
Schilling had played the rededication recital on this organ after it was moved to Acton, so he was quite familiar with it. He opened with Brahms’s Mein Jesu, der du mich, op. 122, no. 1. It was very well played and allowed us to hear many shadings of color. The hymn was by Charles Wesley: And Can It Be That I Should Gain (Sagina). His next piece was S. S. Wesley’s An Air Composed for Holsworthy Church Bells, which demonstrated the lovely Stopped Diapason with tremolo. He then played Theme, Arabesques [7 variations] and Fughetta by Van Denman Thompson, giving us a fine sampling of what can be done with eleven good ranks! The program closed with Postludium in C by Helmut Walcha, a former teacher of Mr. Schilling’s.
Our bright green buses took us to Rushville and Trinity Presbyterian Church located in a very attractive neighborhood of 19th-century brick Italianate houses. Yun Kyong Kim demonstrated another great Felgemaker organ: Opus 908, 2m, 10rks. The church is a charming old Akron-plan building with large, colorful windows. This sweet, mint-condition Felgemaker still has its original leathers. Kim began her recital with the organ’s gentle sounds playing Vierne’s “Méditation” from Trois improvisations pour grand orgue (1929), which she played very well with great sensitivity. The hymn was We Thank you, Lord of Heaven (Shining Day). It was followed by Sarabanda con Partite, BWV 990, parts 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, and 12, by J. S. Bach. I especially enjoyed her use of the 4′ Harmonic Flute. Yun Kyong Kim performs with great élan.
She followed that with a piece I’d not heard in years and was sure I’d never hear again: Indiana composer Joseph Clokey’s “Jagged Peaks in the Starlight” from Mountain Sketches. But times have changed and what was once corny, darn it, sounded rather pretty! Perhaps it was the Felgemaker’s warm Dulciana that got to me! This led us to Horatio Parker’s Festival Prelude, op. 66, no. 1. The Diapasons had their day to shine surrounding a middle section on the flute stops. But she saved a fun surprise for last. Indiana native Wendell Willkie ran his 1940 election campaign for president from Rushville, Indiana. So, led by the organ, we sang his campaign song: “We Want Willkie.” It was loads of fun and a real period piece.
After a fine fried chicken luncheon, we continued on down the road to East Germantown and Zion Lutheran Church, where longtime OHSer Karl Moyer demonstrated an 1898 M. P. Möller tracker, Opus 188, 2m, 16rks. It stands in the front of the church on the right side. He opened with a Beethoven Scherzo (no opus no.), using the Doppel Flute with echoes on the swell Stopped Diapason—nice sounds; I’m a real sucker for Doppel Flutes! Then came a chorale prelude by Parry on the tune Martyrdom, for which he managed the buildup of sounds nicely!
The hymn was Valet will ich dir geben (“All Glory Laud and Honor”). We sang the first two verses in German (When in Germantown . . . ). There followed three chorale preludes on that tune by Drischner, Guilmant, and Reger. The Aeoline stop on the Swell was especially nice—barely a whisper it seemed. The Manz Chorale Improvisation on “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern” used the 4′ Harmonic Flute in the hands with the Great 15th coupled to the Pedal, producing a very agreeable sound. His final selection was Bach’s well known Fugue in G (“a la Gigue”). In spite of a few dead notes, he was able to give us a fine, controlled and cheerful performance of this tricky work.
David Kevin Lamb performed for us at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, Indiana. We completely filled this smallish church, which has a Tiffany style window that I liked. The organ is a 1966 Holloway, Opus 12, 3m, 31rks, E-P action. Ernest White was working with Holloway, and this organ bears his imprint at the time (heavy on the top, light on the bottom).
Dr. Lamb began with Guilmant’s Marche Réligieuse in F, op. 15, no. 2. The bright mixtures were a bit of an aural shock after a day of more restrained sounds. He moved next to four pieces by Denis Bédard. First was Andantino (1993), parts of which reminded me of Vierne’s Berceuse. It is a surprisingly tonal work that Lamb played quite nicely. Next were Variations on Sine Nomine (1998), which, among other things, featured a lovely Gemshorn Celeste. The next Bédard pieces were “Ode” (2001) and “Grand Jeu” from Suite du premier ton (1993), all in a neo-romantic style that worked quite well on this organ, which is spread horizontally, wall to wall across the rear balcony. It is quite a loud sound. The hymn was O Praise Ye the Lord (Laudate Dominum) in an arrangement by Michael Burkhardt.
Lamb closed with an old favorite of mine, Dubois’ Grand choeur in B-flat. He seemed to use full organ a bit more than necessary. Organists would do well, sometimes, to parcel out those fff sounds more conservatively. Otherwise they lose their effectiveness.
A short stroll down the street in Richmond took us to Reid Memorial United Presbyterian Church. As we made the two and a half block trek, we were treated to Reid’s tower chimes playing a series of hymn tunes. And that was just the start of the treasures to be found here. The building is a very attractive Gothic structure made of Indiana limestone. We entered a large stone porch with two mighty gothic arches and a mosaic tile floor. The interior was filled with light from 62 Tiffany windows. The somewhat fan-vaulted white ceiling gave a wonderful lightness to the space, which was dominated by the gorgeous Hook organ standing in two matching, solid mahogany cases on either side of the altar area, “plus,” in the immortal words of Madame Arnfeldt, “a tiny Titian” (!) that hangs in the back of this remarkable church. The 1906 Hook organ comprises three manuals and 66 stops. It was rebuilt by the Henry Pilcher company in 1937, and in 1958 the Wicks company did further work. Most of what remains is Hook, however. It has my favorite stop name of the convention, however, that would appear to have been added by Wicks to the pedal: “Voce de Tomba” a 32′ resultant (“Voice of the Tomb”).
Bruce Stevens, a longtime favorite of OHS conventions, was our recitalist. He began with a brief chorale prelude by Max Reger, Ach bleib mit deiner Gnade, op. 135a, no. 1, which was also the hymn that followed, after which we heard another setting, this one by Karg-Elert, which featured the celestes and the beautiful Clarinet stop, now named Krumhorn. Stevens always plays with the musical line carefully in mind, fingers and toes. The composer, the music and the instrument all shine through him, and not the other way around. I highly recommend his recording on the large Hook organ in St. Mary’s Church, New Haven, Connecticut! He thanked the women of the church who carefully dusted and polished all the tall gorgeous and elaborate casework—no small feat!
The next selection was Buxtehude’s: (“Jig”), BuxWV 174, in which the strong pulse was tossed to and fro with ease and style. Then came a perfectly splendid performance of Bach’s great Prelude and Fugue in B Minor, BWV 544, in which his Anton Heiller pedigree showed through with every note! Then we visited with the flutes of this organ in Mozart’s Adagio and Allegro in F Minor, K. 594, in which he displayed a marvelous poetic delicacy. His final selection was the great Sonata 7 in F Minor, op. 127, by Josef Rheinberger. It was a first-rate performance with broad and spacious sounds.
After a delicious and bountiful dinner at Guy Welliver’s Smorgasbord in Hagerstown, Indiana, we returned to Indianapolis for a most entertaining event: a theatre organ concert! It was held in the Warren Center for the Performing Arts, which is part of Warren Central High School. The organ came from the huge 3200-seat Indiana Theatre; it has 3m, 17rks on 19″ of wind pressure, and a 15-horsepower blower! I feel a real affinity for Barton organs as they were made in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, just 15 miles from where I live.
Our soloist on this fine instrument was young Mark Herman, who at age 19 is well known in ATOS circles. He gave us a wonderful evening of music from “The Great American Song Book”: Gershwin, Cole Porter, and the like. He plays with an infectious, enthusiastic style and has a fine understanding of jazz harmonies. I especially liked his version of Cole Porter’s My Heart Belongs to Daddy. It was saucy and sassy—full of humor punctuated by the kettledrums and the huge English Post Horn. He also played pieces he wrote that displayed that same playfulness, charm and humor.
Herman possess a great color sense—using all the resources of this very elegant instrument mounted in chambers on either side of the auditorium, the console rose out of the pit on the orchestra lift. Lighting effects were used with colorful projections on the chambers. His “If I Loved You” from Carousel was drop-dead gorgeous: lush colors and harmonies that belied his youth. Throughout the evening, he was witty and engaging in his remarks. He ended with a riotous performance of Roller Coaster. We were happy folk as we filed out to our buses.
Sunday, July 15
We were given a blessed free morning. Many people chose to worship at some the churches we’d visited. I slept in and enjoyed my pleasant room, with newspaper and coffee, and Sunday talk shows: an indulgence I can never enjoy back home—church musician that I am. A fine luncheon was served at the hotel, followed by the annual meeting of the OHS.
At 2:10 pm we boarded our buses and went to the rather spectacular 1929 R.C. church of St. Joan of Arc, a grand Italianate building made of Indiana limestone. It is striking for its 140-foot campanile and a 90-feet wide portico with five huge arches. The monumental interior has a flat ceiling. The side aisles are separated from the nave by 22 single-piece stone Corinthian columns that support the clerestory windows. Six marble columns support the baldacchino over the altar. Mosaics abound, especially St. Joan of Arc in the baldacchino, and St. Mary and St. Joseph above their respective side altars.
The organ, a 1929 Kilgen, Opus 4367, 3m, 33 stops, sits in a balcony to the left side of the altar, and speaks through a carved wooden screen. It enjoys a sumptuous acoustic! Basic repairs were made over the years and the Great Tuba was changed to a Trumpet, but otherwise it is as it was in 1929.
Rosalind Mohnsen, director of music and organist at Immaculate Conception Church in Malden/Medford, Massachusetts, and another OHS favorite, played a very fine concert. Organ, acoustics, player, and program all fit together perfectly. She began with the great “Choral varié” from Duruflé’s Prélude, adagio et choral varié sur le thème du “Veni creator,” op. 4, which swept over us like a warm blanket. Her own arrangement of Saint-Saëns’ “O Salutaris” from his Messe, op. 4, was next, with the huge Doppel Flute gurgling away beneath the melody on the Vox Humana, Stopped Diapason and Flute with tremolo. It was a wonderful effect. It was followed by the “Prelude” from Charpentier’s Te Deum and her own arrangement of Verdi’s “Marcia funebre” from his opera Giovanna d’Arco (Joan of Arc), a nod to this parish and its glorious building. The piece is quite good and very idiomatic for the organ.
The hymn she chose was also appropriate for the setting, The Maid of France, with Visioned Eyes (Noël Provençal), which came out of the old St. Gregory Hymnal. Nice touch, Rosalind! There followed a Krebs Trio, which nicely featured the Choir Corno di Bassetto. Next came a quiet bit of whimsy: Indiana composer Joseph Clokey’s “The Wind in the Chimney” from Fireside Fancies, op. 29, a charming display of the soft sides of this organ. She closed her exceptional recital with “Canticle of the Sun” by Richard Purvis from his Saint Francis Suite. The warm and powerful sounds of this fine organ were a joy to listen to on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
The only other musical event of the day was a glorious one: Choral Evensong sung by the Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopal) Choir of Men and Boys. Many of us would have liked to have heard them in their home setting, but the cathedral was having renovation work done. Therefore we did not get to hear any of the fine organs they have there. However, all was not lost because they relocated the event to the Church of St. John the Evangelist a few blocks away. St. John’s is the oldest Roman Catholic parish in Indianapolis (founded in 1837), and their building boasts very fine acoustics. The organ is a hybrid of sorts. It started out as a 1894 J. G. Pfeffer & Son with a Gothic case standing 26 feet high in the rear gallery. (Anyone who had the good fortune to be at the Iowa convention back in the 1980s will remember those wonderful Pfeffer organs we heard.) In 1923 a hailstorm damaged the organ and rose window. The Wicks company rebuilt the old organ in 1935 retaining many of the old Pfeffer pipes and adding four new ranks. Goulding & Wood rebuilt the Wicks organ as its opus 14 in 1989, retaining eight old ranks and the case. It now has 2m, 36rks of pipes plus nine digital ranks.
Choirmaster Frederick Burgomaster led the men and boys with all that marvelously understated yet dynamic style of the English Cathedral choir. All was in exquisite taste and control. The literature was first-rate: Stanford, Near, Josquin Desprez, Gibbons, Stainer, Bruckner, Sowerby, Grayston Ives, and Jonathan Dove. The Preces and Responses were by Philip Moore. The Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis were by Herbert Howells (St. John’s Service).
The choir was very well prepared and sang with clarity, conviction, and all the appropriate drama and color. Organist David Sinden provided masterful accompaniment for the choir—shading all the crevices, plumbing the depths, and exalting the peaks. The hymn singing in that exceptional space was among our best. My only complaint was that at times the organ and the men slightly overpowered the boys. But, it being summer, I expect that the boys may not have been able to gather their full number. Kudos to those young men who gave of their summer time in order that we might have such an inspiring, spiritual, and musically uplifting experience. Mr. Sinden sent us out with his postlude: Kyrie, Gott, heiliger Geist, BWV 671 by J. S. Bach. It was an afternoon of indescribable beauty and stimulation for all the senses!
We then enjoyed a free evening in downtown Indianapolis. Many of us ganged up to find some of the many fine eating establishments in that most attractive city, and had a grand time talking of what we had just heard!
Monday, July 16
Monday morning our buses took us to the First Presbyterian Church, Franklin, Indiana, where we attended a hymn-sing. The Akron-style building has large side windows through which the morning light poured in. They helped enhance the title of the service: “Christ, the Light of the World: Yesterday, Today, and Forever.” It was led by organist Robert Hobby, director of music at Trinity English Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Rev. Robert A. Schilling, AAGO, a distinguished clergyman and organist who performed at this convention in Acton, Indiana. The nicely designed service featured reflections, hymns and organ voluntaries all focusing on God’s light. The reflections were well chosen, and the hymns were all beloved tunes and texts. Mr. Hobby played with a fine energetic style but was often louder than necessary—I believe it was Tom Murray who, at his own recital, referred to that kind of hymn playing as being in “attack mode.” We OHSers love to sing hymns and are pretty loud. When WE are drowned out, then the organ is too loud. The organ is a 1912 Steere, 3m 38rks, rebuilt in 1988 by Goulding & Wood. Rev. Schilling delivered the non-scriptural readings, tracing the concept of light as it is manifested throughout the church year. Hobby played several of his own compositions, which I thought were very effective. His improvisation teacher was the legendary Paul Manz.
We then drove down to Columbus, Indiana, a city renowned for its stunning collection of buildings designed by some of the finest architects of the 20th century. Our concert was at the First (Tabernacle) Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, to hear Daniel Jay McKinley, who had been organist at this church from 1978–1998, but who now is organist/choirmaster of Christ Church, Hamilton and Wenham, Hamilton, Massachusetts. The building was designed by Eliel Saarinen, and ground was broken in 1940. The tapestry that hangs to the right of the altar that Saarinen designed was woven by his wife, Loja. It is thought to be the largest tapestry with a religious theme woven in the United States. Lighting fixtures and some of the liturgical furnishings were designed by Charles Eames and Eliel’s son, Eero Saarinen. One could easily discern how this building, essentially a long rectangular box, has influenced mid 20th-century church architecture all across America.
The organ was built by Aeolian-Skinner (4m, 80rks) as their opus 993. It would be the last, large A/S completed before WWII shut down organ building in America. There were problems and some criticism of the instrument as being too shrill, so it was softened a bit, but by 1969 it had deteriorated and was in need of an updated electrical system. To the rescue in 1980 came Goulding & Wood, who had done some tonal improvements on the instrument in the 1970s. It sounds quite grand today, and is admired throughout Indiana—a blending of the best of English, German and American organ building.
A projected image allowed us to watch Mr. McKinley play, as he was not visible to us. The organ is in the front of the church with the pipes in a chamber to the left of the altar. The acoustics are excellent. He opened with Wagner’s Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, a marvelous and entertaining exploration of this large and colorful instrument. It was brilliantly played, inspiring awe! Following was a series of 16th-century dances by Tielman Susato and Pierre Phalèse. The first showed us the fine chorus reeds, while the second used the various 8′ principals ending with the chimes (!). Flutes, salicional, harp, soft reeds, even strings were used. Not correct stylistically, but fun to hear. Fine sounds all around.
Bach’s great Fantasy and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 542, came next. I felt that the louder portions of the fantasy seemed a bit hurried, but he made it work. The fugue was well played with lots of dash and energy. The hymn, O God who brought the light to birth, by Timothy Dudley-Smith (b. 1926), was commissioned for this church in memory of an infant daughter of choir members (husband and wife), and was sung to Sussex Carol. It was quite touching.
McKinley closed his program with Franck’s Grande pièce symphonique, op. 17. He made the most out of this church’s generous acoustics. In the fifth section (Andante) he used all the string stops to great effect. It was a first-rate performance of this difficult-to-hold-together piece. The church’s elegant simplicity is almost startling. It should be a place of pilgrimage for anyone interested in church architecture and in fine organs.
After lunch our caravan of buses took us west to the outskirts of Bloomington and a large A-frame church, St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, to hear the very talented Christopher Young, assistant professor of music at Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington. He performed on the church’s 1883 Thomas Sanborn organ, 2m, 14rks, which came from the Lockerbie Central United Methodist Church of Indianapolis. St. Mark’s is its fourth home. Interestingly enough, it is owned by the UI School of Music and placed in St. Mark’s with the agreement that it is to be shared by the church and the university students and faculty. The Convention Atlas states that the organ “is believed to be the only virtually tonally and mechanically intact example of this builder.” It is a beauty, sitting all shiny and buffed to the right side of the altar and pulpit.
This concert was unique in its use of visual media. As we entered, a PowerPoint presentation was giving information and photos about the organ’s restoration and installation. When the concert began the presentation went further, showing us pictures of each composer and the registration being used—changing as the performer changed them. It was a really helpful and riveting feature!
Dr. Young played very well, opening with S. S. Wesley’s “Choral Song” from Three Pieces for a Chamber Organ. It was followed with a Horatio Parker Scherzo, and then two Hoosier composers: Ned Rorem’s There Is a Spirit That Delights to Do No Evil . . . and William Albright’s charming “The Flues Blues” from The King of Instruments. The Albright piece was played with clever winks, nudges and wit. The hymn by William Albrecht, Father, We Thank Thee (Albrecht), was very effectively played, with loads of sonority. Next up was Vierne’s virtuosic “Impromptu” from Pièces de fantaisie, 3rd suite, op. 55, which he tossed off with great ease, grace and élan. The Oboe blended very well as a chorus reed. He closed his stimulating concert with Dudley Buck’s Variations for Organ on Foster’s Melody “Old Folks at Home.” The Oboe with tremolo was sweet and sentimental, accompanied by the Dulciana, which had a warm presence. The third variation featured some brilliant pedal solos. Hearty congratulations to Michael Rathke, organbuilder of Greens Fork, Indiana, for his superb job in restoring this fine instrument.
We then headed east to Indianapolis and Sacred Heart Church for a recital by Tom Nichols, music director at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Indianapolis (where we attended Choral Evensong the night before). The 19th-century gothic church is a feast for the eyes, with a nave and two side aisles.There are five beautifully carved altars across the front, a communion rail and a pulpit complete with winding staircase, and elaborate canopy. Imagine our surprise when we read our atlas carefully and learned that the interior had been destroyed by fire on April 27, 2001, and had been completely restored to its former appearance! Amazing dedication of numerous artisans, and a wisely chosen diocesan insurance policy, plus a great deal of love and dedication of the parishioners made it possible. The organ was built in 1899 by Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s William Schuelke, Opus 146. It was also worked on by Pilcher and Wicks. The fire destroyed all but seven ranks, and caused partial destruction of a few others. Wicks has rebuilt the instrument salvaging what they could. The sound in that resonant acoustic is very good.
Nichols began with the hymn The King of Love My Shepherd Is (St. Columba), which soared and rang through this gorgeous church with its wall-to-wall terrazzo floor. He then played two movements from Dupré’s Fifteen Pieces for Organ Founded on Antiphons, op. 18, nos. 5 and 7. That was followed by the G-major Prelude from “Bach’s” Eight Little Preludes and Fugues. Eight little gems!
Next came a great demo of the flutes in Dan Locklair’s beautiful “Silence may be kept” from Rubrics, which he played with great sensitivity. Then came an old favorite of mine, Cantilène by Gabriel Pierné. The Cornopean and Doppel Flute were quite wonderful, as were the lush strings. Emma Lou Diemer’s setting of the Battle Hymn of the Republic gave us another chance to enjoy the strings and Doppel Flute. Nichols performed his own set of variations on the tune Slane (Make Us True Servants) that was quite a good piece. His final selection was by Matthew Dickerson, a lively, dance-like setting of Lasst uns erfreuen that showed the organ well. As we left we enjoyed looking again at the twin 165-foot steeples of this venerable building.
But the day was not done. More wonders awaited us at one of Indianapolis’s most magnificent buildings: the Scottish Rite Cathedral, an immense Gothic structure built with Indiana limestone and looking, for all the world, like Riverside Church in New York City. It is believed to be the largest building in the world dedicated to Freemasonry. We stepped out of the buses into the late afternoon sunshine and took up benches in a huge park across the street and listened to a concert played for us on the cathedral’s 63-bell carillon housed in the 212-foot central tower. The carillon was cast by the Taylor Bell Foundry, Loughborough, England. The concert was expertly played for us by John Gouwens, whom we had heard in an organ recital on Friday—a man of many talents, he. His program included Pealing Fire by Libby Larsen, Impromptu by Léon Henry, Stephen Foster’s Beautiful Dreamer, a piano piece, Charmes by Federico Mompou, which Gouwens transcribed, and his own Sicilienne ronde. It was a very agreeable change of pace for us to sit in that beautiful park, which is an urban mall, containing numerous huge monuments to honor war dead. If you’ve never been to Indianapolis, I highly recommend a visit!
We then entered the cathedral, passing through one stunning room after another, finally making our way to the large ballroom where we enjoyed a bountiful buffet. We then went upstairs to the 1300-seat auditorium, where we heard a great recital by Martin Ellis playing the glorious 1929 Skinner organ (5m, 71rks), Opus 696. The auditorium is a step back in time to an opulent world of deep reds and a forest of dark and gleaming walnut. Huge carved angels act as brackets supporting the ceiling. The seating is horseshoe shaped around a platform that leads to a stage. The organ console is placed in and among the seats at the opposite side of the room from the stage. The pipes are all in the ceiling and speak through a grille. There are Antiphonal and Stage divisions in a separate locations. Originally the organ had a four-manual console. The Reisner company provided a new five-manual console in 1969. The sound is powerful and has an amazing presence in the room.
Ellis opened with the hymn God of Grace and God of Glory (Cwm Rhondda), which was followed by a grandiose arrangement by Richard Ellsasser of a Frescobaldi Introduction and Toccata. Bach’s Toccata in F Major, BWV 540, worked surprisingly well on this very orchestral organ. He followed that with Seven Sketches of Utrillo by Robert Hebble, in which we could hear many of the beautiful solo stops on this huge instrument as it evokes Parisian scenes. Next up was his own arrangement of Manuel de Falla’s Ritual Fire Dance; coming out the ceiling as it was made the colors and rhythms very intoxicating. Mr. Ellis is a very youthful, energetic performer, who is organist and assistant director of music for North United Methodist Church in Indianapolis.
After intermission we again heard Vierne’s Berceuse, a piece I never tire of hearing, followed by Ellis’s arrangement of Louis Adler’s novelty tune High Hat. He played it in pure theatre organ style, which was delightfully refreshing. His talented fingers and musicianship ruled the day! He also played a piece by Indiana composer Janet Louise Mauzi entitled Momento. As it happened, the composer (b. 1916) was present at this recital. The ever gallant Mr. Ellis paid tribute to her. The work was a sweet-cup-of-tea sort of piece—utterly beguiling. Ellis closed with Elgar’s famous Pomp and Circumstance in D Major, which he tore into with bold, muscular energy, performing it with great style, spaciousness and nobility. His encore was the late Welsh composer William Mathias’s Recessional—a strong and lively piece that made a nice aperitif. It was an altogether thrilling concert—a perfect ending to a long but pleasant day.
Tuesday, July 17
The convention, on its final day, was joined by the first rainfall we’d seen all week. It was most welcome as grass everywhere was going dormant from lack of rain. Our first stop was Calvary United Methodist Church in Brownsburg, Indiana, a suburban area of Indianapolis. The congregation was begun in 1828, but the building we entered was built in 2006. From their previous building, they brought with them their organ built by Charles Ruggles in 1994: three manuals, although the Rückpositif is prepared for. It has a commanding position on a platform behind and about eight feet above the altar, and has a fine North German tonal palette. The handsome stop knobs are of brass.
Our soloist was Carla Edwards, professor of organ and associate dean of the School of Music at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. She began with Brahms’s Praeludium in G Major. It was well played and, among other things, gave us a good hearing of the elegantly voiced 8′ Principal. The mixtures are quite good. I especially enjoyed the pedal’s full-length, deep-throated 16′ Trombone. She next gave us Daniel Pinkham’s Variations on Wondrous Love, followed by Gerald Near’s A Triptych of Fugues. The second fugue, marked “Slowly, expressively,” nicely demonstrated the rich, full flutes of this fine organ. The hymn was another Wesley hymn, Praise the Lord Who Reigns Above (Amsterdam). We sounded grand singing in the resonant acoustics of this attractive worship space.
The next stop was a unique experience for most of us: a visit to a Quaker Yearly Meetinghouse. Upon entering we were immediately struck by the peaceful simplicity of the place. Smooth wooden floors and pews stretched out along the width of this rectangular structure with simple tables at the front. On the left side stood an attractive 1899 August Prante organ, 2m, 16rks, which had been relocated by the Organ Clearing House in 1999 from the former Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Indianapolis. It was restored and installed by Goulding & Wood. The case has honey-colored wood and the façade pipes are in shades of cream and maroon.
William Aylesworth, distinguished organist from Chicago, and longtime OHSer, was the performer. We began with the singing of My Country, ’tis of Thee, but from then on all the music was by Chicago composers. His first selection was by Robert John Lind (b. 1940), Festludium in C, a fine contrapuntal piece. The next pieces, also by Lind, were a smart set of variations on Nun danket alle Gott, newly composed for Mr. Aylesworth to use at this concert.
Next came a sweet and gentle piece, In Summer by Charles Albert Stebbins (1874–1958). After a pp beginning, it grew into a larger, expansive sound, coming back down to an Oboe solo with tremolo and to the softest sounds again. Meditation by Rosseter G. Cole (1866–1952) was one of those dreamy, wandering little pieces that I found to be charming. He closed this program of good music unknown to most of us with another Cole piece, A Song of Gratitude, a joyous work. We were then served cookies and lemonade at which time we could enjoy the beauty of the grounds with large, lush, well-shaped trees. It was a refreshing pause for all of us.
After lunch at DePauw University in Greencastle, we gathered at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, a small building with a lively acoustic, that is adjacent to the campus. Kirby Koriath performed on the 2002 Zamberlan organ (2m, 23rk), Opus 1. Mr. Koriath is coordinator of graduate programs and professor of organ, church music and harpsichord at Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana. The organ stands in a rear balcony in a modern case. Nearly all the pipework was vintage pipework obtained from the Organ Clearing House. Some of the old pipes came from the 1870 E. & G. G. Hook Opus 555 built for the Methodist Episcopal Church of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, and from a ca. 1855 George Stevens or Stevens & Jewett organ.
Koriath began with Simon Preston’s Alleluyas. It was clear that this is not a shy organ and a bit on the strong side for such a small room. Next he played Pachelbel’s Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern in which we heard the beautiful Stopped Diapason (Hook) with the cantus in the Pedal on the Hautboy. Then more Pachelbel, his Toccata in D Minor. The loudness of this organ was particularly apparent in this piece and the hymn Es sungen drei Engel, a carol I fondly remember from my study of Orff-Schulwerk many years ago. He ended with a three-movement work on the hymn we had just sung: Orgelkonzert über die Weise “Es sungen drei Engel” by Hans Friedrich Micheelsen (1902–1973). I enjoyed the second movement’s use of the flute stops. Mr. Koriath played very well, and I enjoyed the pieces he chose. More variety and restraint in dynamics would have left a better impression.
Our next event was back on the DePauw campus in a large room on the second floor of the oldest building on campus, Meharry Hall. The rectangular room has a horseshoe balcony. Large portraits of past presidents line the walls above and below the balcony. The organ was at the rear in the balcony—an Aeolian-Skinner that was originally built as an antiphonal division for a large Kimball and was probably one of the last instruments Aeolian-Skinner built before the Second World War. All the pipework for the 2m, 13rk instrument was exposed.
The organist was Kristi Koriath (wife of Kirby Koriath whom we had just heard!), organist at Grace Episcopal Church in Muncie, Indiana. She began her program with a Partita on “Auf, auf, mein Herz, mit Freuden” by Flor Peeters, in which we could hear the fine voicing of this Aeolian-Skinner: it was clear, refined, and never forced. Next we heard a fine performance of Vierne’s “Scherzetto” from 24 Pièces en style libre, op. 31, which worked very well on this attractive little organ.
Ms. Koriath introduced our hymn Ein’ feste Burg ist unser Gott (rhythmic) with a chorale prelude by Buxtehude. Verse three was an organ solo: a chorale prelude by Jan Bender that used a 4′ reed in the Pedal. On verse four we joined her, but her accompaniment did not work so well as it had in the other verses. I’m not sure what happened, but we never got back on track. Hymns are funny things. Next came a Bach chorale prelude, Mit Fried’ und Freud’ ich fahr’ dahin, BWV 616, which was very enjoyable. She closed with a lively reading of Bach’s Prelude in G Major, BWV 541. We left with happy faces—not the easiest thing to summon up on the last day.
We then bused to Wabash College in Crawfordsville, one of the few remaining all-male undergraduate colleges in the country (850 students), to hear the 3m Aeolian-Skinner organ in the college’s chapel. Our soloist was the tireless Stephen Schnurr, director of music for St. Paul Catholic Church, Valparaiso, Indiana, secretary of the OHS National Council, and chair of the Historic Organ Citations Committee, and who, with Dennis Northway, is author/publisher of the book Pipe Organs of Chicago. As if that weren’t enough, Dr. Schnurr also wrote all the convention venue histories for the 300-page Organ Atlas 2007, which is an extraordinary and invaluable resource. Oh, and he is an excellent organist and teacher!
He opened with the hymn Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (Beecher) because of Henry Beecher’s connections to this chapel. The chapel is in New England Meeting House style with horseshoe balcony and clear Palladian windows. The colors blue and white predominate. The barrel-vaulted ceiling gave our singing much resonance. The console, rebuilt by Goulding & Wood, was moved front and center on the stage. The pipes are in chambers on either side of the stage. The auditorium’s walls are lined with portraits of past presidents. Schnurr continued with Mendelssohn’s Sonata in B-flat Major, op. 65, no. 4, which he played with great energy. He generously shared the program with his student, Micah Raebel, who will be a senior at Kankakee Valley High School, Wheatfield, Indiana. Micah performed the second and third movements of the Mendelssohn with great clarity—a talented young man, he! He used the Oboe stop to great effect. Dr. Schnurr played the final movement.
Next up was Indiana composer Joseph Clokey’s Jagged Peaks in the Starlight, which sounded very well on this organ—the Clarinet is a dream of purity. That was followed by another Indiana composer, H. Leroy Baumgartner (1891–1969), with his Prelude and Fugue on the Tune “Laudes Domine,” op. 42, no. 7. Dr. Schnurr and young Mr. Raebel sat down together on the bench for a 4-hand, 4-foot piece by Gustav Merkel (1827–1885), Sonata in D Minor, op. 30: Allegro moderato. This is a good duet if you are looking for such a thing. They played it very well. A fine and interesting recital with which to end the afternoon!
Back in Indianapolis, we all looked forward to dinner at The Rathskeller, a great old building that looked like a German Rathaus, with an interior decked out in all things Germanic. The food, served buffet style, was very good, but alas, none of it was German! Nevertheless, no one went away hungry. We then walked two blocks, passing a huge Shriner temple, to Zion Evangelical UCC Church for the closing recital of the convention by Ken Cowan on the church’s 1933, 4m, 63rk Kimball, with an antiphonal division added by Casavant in 1955. The organ stands in a chamber to the left side of the front of the church, speaking into the church at an angle. Renovated by Reynolds Associates in 1999, it is quite a beautiful-sounding instrument and a favorite of Indianapolis area organists.
It is difficult to find enough adjectives to describe Ken Cowan’s playing. He is simply one of the best anywhere! He began with Mendelssohn’s Sonata in F Minor, op. 65, no. 1. I especially enjoyed the soft whispering sounds of the sweet Erzähler and Swell strings. In the third movement he used the fine Clarinet, and the final movement moved along with great momentum with its arpeggios and chromatic passages. The hymn was All Things Bright and Beautiful (Royal Oak), which bubbled along merrily under his care. He spoke before each piece he played; his charming, boyish manner belied the blazing musicianship that streams out of the pipes at every turn.
His next piece was Fugue, Canzone, and Epilog by Karg-Elert. Now, Cowan is a master colorist, but he had a surprise for us when suddenly we heard a real violin begin to play from within the organ chamber. It was soon joined by a trio of women’s voices. The magical effect was enchanting. When it was over, he brought out the trio, and the violinist, Lisa Shihoten, whom he introduced as his wife. We cheered. Before intermission, Ken and his wife played a great violin/organ duet, Chaconne in G Minor for Violin and Organ by Tommaso Antonio Vitali (1663–1745) in an arrangement by Leopold Auer. This is a very good piece and Mr. Cowan gave it the full romantic orchestral treatment. Ms. Shihoten is a superb player who brought great passion to the music.
Following intermission, Mr. Cowan and Ms. Shihoten returned for two more pieces together: Caprice for Violin and Organ by Naji Hakim, and the second movement of Violin Concerto in D Minor, op. 47, by Jan Sables. The Hakim piece was commissioned by the AGO, and Cowan described it as being “light hearted.” It is that in spades, sounding like an audience of laughing people. In places it reminded me of Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, with the occasional Cuban or Latin American rhythm. The organ part seems not for the faint of heart, but it sure sounds like fun. The music sparkles. I don’t think the audience stopped smiling once from beginning to end. The Sibelius movement was quite a contrast—all warm and low in the violin with luscious string tone in a bit more movement supporting, building to a climactic forte then pulling back for the violin entrance. The Kimball’s gorgeous tone embraced the violin and all of us. It is a marvelous instrument.
For the next item on the program, Ken came out alone to play Vierne’s Naïades. But, before he could start he had to fetch his wife who he had “engaged as a page turner.” They came back out and she had her violin bow in hand because she could not reach all the way across the wide pages on the wide music rack. She demonstrated her technique much to the merriment of all of us. Naïades, a difficult work, was played effortlessly. Cowan closed with his arrangement of Franz Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz No. 1. Needless to say it was utterly fantastic! I’ve heard him play many times and each time I come away wondering how he could ever “top this,” and every time he manages to do it! We leapt to our feet amid shouts of “Bravo!” He came back and gave us a charming bonbon of an encore, Gigue by Bossi.
It was a stunning end to a convention that was well run, on time, gracious, and friendly. Many of us come each year, finding that it is always a pleasure to be among our own kind—people who love the organ, instruments old and new. People who love history, love to get a feel for a particular area of the country and to learn about how pipe organs, and the buildings in which they stand, are a part of the fabric of communities large and small. Being fans of architecture plays a key role as does curiosity about local cuisine. On the bus rides, we like to sit with different people each time we board. It is fascinating to discover all their backgrounds. We find professors, cathedral organists, parish organists, organ builders, organ historians, and some who don’t play at all, but just like to listen to organ music. With 25 concerts one certainly has an opportunity for that! We come from all over the world to experience the American organ. There is much to be proud of here, and it was on fine display in the long history of superb organs in the Central Indiana region at this summer’s convention. Bravo to the committee and to the Organ Historical Society!■
