McNeil Robinson dead at 72

Nunc Dimittis

Patricia Goodman Booth, 86, died April 17 in Vero Beach, Florida. Born in Yonkers, New York, she showed musical talent as an organist early on, starting her church career at age 14. She studied organ under Arthur Poister at Syracuse University, graduating with a Bachelor of Music degree in 1951.

At Syracuse, she met her future husband, George Lawrence Booth. They were married in 1951 and settled in Fulton, New York. Booth continued her musical career, primarily at the State Street United Methodist Church. After further education at SUNY Oswego she became an elementary school teacher, serving in the Phoenix Central School District, the Nicholasville, Kentucky, schools, and the American School in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 1979 she and George returned to New York, where she continued teaching and also served as organist and music director at the First Methodist Church in Syracuse.

Pat was active in Rotary, the American Guild of Organists (as Syracuse chapter dean), the Philanthropic Educational Organization, and in the Vero Beach Community Church. She was still serving as an organist up until the time of her death. Her proudest accomplishment there was serving on the committee that selected the new Lively-Fulcher organ for the church, which she played just three and a half weeks before her death.

Patricia Goodman Booth was preceded in death by her parents and her husband of 61 years, George. She is survived by her children and their spouses, Dr. Laura Booth Chan (Raymond), Celia Booth (Thomas McCaffery), Eric Thomas Booth (Kathy), Stephen Roger Booth (Kathy), Dr. Michael Booth (Sue), 18 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, and her companion Ramsey Ludington.

Bruce Prince-Joseph, 89, died April 25, in Kansas City, Missouri. During his childhood in Kansas City he began singing in the choir of St. Paul Episcopal Church, where he was first introduced to the pipe organ. In 1943, he moved to New York City and began organ studies with Pietro Yon at St. Patrick Cathedral, where he spent a brief period as chancel organist. He pursued his undergraduate studies at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, where he studied organ with Frank Bozyan and composition with Paul Hindemith. Upon graduation, Prince-Joseph moved to Los Angeles where he completed graduate studies at the University of Southern California and served as organist for St. John the Evangelist Church. He was awarded a Fulbright fellowship to study organ in Europe. He returned to New York City to teach at Hunter College in Manhattan, eventually serving as chair of the music department. In 1953, he became organist and harpsichordist for the New York Philharmonic. He made numerous recordings of organ and harpsichord music.

In 1978, Prince-Joseph moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he pursued work restoring old keyboard instruments, particularly pianos. In 1986, he returned to Kansas City, where he began service at St. Mary Episcopal Church. In 2009, he became organist and music director at St. Therese of the Little Flower Catholic Church, and also served as music director for the John Wornall House Museum and the Alexander Majors House Museum, restoring the 19th-century square pianos of the collection. He also served on the committee for the installation of the Casavant organ at Helzberg Hall in the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

McNeil Robinson II died May 9 in New York City. He was 72. Robinson served as organist and music director in New York City for Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church, Park Avenue Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, the Church of the Holy Family at the United Nations, and the Trinity Institute of Trinity Church (Wall Street). His tenure at Park Avenue Synagogue spanned five decades. He also had long associations with St. Thomas Church (Fifth Avenue) and the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.  

Robinson, known for his improvisations, performed throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan, and recorded for the l’Oiseau Lyre, Decca, LIRS, and Musical Heritage Society labels. A proponent for historical performance practice for music from all eras, he conducted the first twentieth-century performances of selected works by Cavalli, Carissimi, Pergolesi, Alessandro Scarlatti, and Zelenka, as well as early works of Mozart and Méhul. He premiered works by such composers as Jacob Druckman, Vladimir Ussachevsky, Robert Starer, David Diamond, Charles Morrow, and Jack Gottlieb. 

As a composer, Robinson received commissions from the Archbishop of Canterbury, the American Guild of Organists, Group for Contemporary Composers, Meet the Composer, and numerous churches throughout the United States. Of his compositions for the organ, he was most proud of his Concerto for Organ and Orchestra, commissioned by the American Guild of Organists and the San Francisco Symphony for the 1984 AGO national convention, and Dismas Variations, which found its way into the required repertoire for the AGO National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance. His works are published by Theodore Presser, C.F. Peters, and Oxford University Press. 

Robinson joined the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music in 1984 and chaired the organ department there between 1991 and 2015. He also chaired the organ department at the Mannes College of Music and taught at the Hartt School of Music, Queens College, and Yale University. His students included Jason Roberts, Justin Bischof, and Aaron David Miller.

McNeil Robinson was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and at age 14 entered the Birmingham Conservatory as a piano student of Hugh Thomas. By age 17, he had performed as soloist with the Birmingham Symphony (now the Alabama Symphony Orchestra). Robinson attended Birmingham Southern College as a full-scholarship student, and moved to New York City in 1962 to continue his piano studies as a full-scholarship student of Leonard Shure at the Mannes College of Music. He also studied privately with Rosina Lhévinne and Beveridge Webster. In 1966 he entered the Juilliard School and studied organ with Vernon de Tar and Anthony Newman, and composition with Vincent Persichetti. He graduated in 1970, receiving the Juilliard Faculty Award.

Following his study at Juilliard, Robinson continued organ study with George Faxon, Russell Saunders, and Catharine Crozier, and with Guy Bovet and Monserrat Torrent at the University of Salamanca (Spain), and composition with Yehudi Wyner and Jacob Druckman. A significant influence in Robinson’s life was Marcel Dupré, several of whose works became signature pieces for Robinson. 

McNeil Robinson is survived by his wife, Maria Cristina Robinson, a brother, Robert Michael (Janice) Robinson, and many nieces and nephews. His life and career will be celebrated in New York City at a date, time, and location to be announced (see Agohq.org).

Robert Tucker, 60, died May 10 in Atlanta, Georgia. He studied organ performance at the University of South Carolina, and after holding a number of church positions in South Carolina moved to Atlanta, where he was well known as a substitute and long-term interim organist, and continued to concertize. Tucker held the American Guild of Organists’ Service Playing Certificate and was active with the local chapter, serving as transportation information chair for the regional convention. He was the creator and caretaker for the Georgia Pipe Organ information link found on the chapter website and assisted in the posting of job opportunities. At the time of his death, Tucker was the office manager at Parkey OrganBuilders in Norcross, Georgia, where his quick wit and cool efficiency earned the profound respect of staff and clients. Robert Tucker is survived by his partner, Jay Ellis. ν

Samuel Baron, flute performer and teacher on the faculty at Yale, Mannes, Juilliard, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and director of the Bach Aria Festival and Institute, died on May 16, 1997. He was born in Brooklyn and studied violin first, later switching to flute. He attended Juilliard and after graduation reapplied as a conducting major. He became conductor of the New York Brass Ensemble with whom he made a highly acclaimed recording of music by Gabrieli. In 1948 he became a member of the New York Wind Quintet, and played first flute for the 1952 season of the Minneapolis Symphony. In 1965 he joined the Bach Aria Group. In 1980 he became its director and located it at the Stony Brook campus. It was here that I met him and his wonderful wife Carol, when we installed a copy of a Silbermann organ in the school's recital hall. The first performance on the new organ, Wednesday, June 27, 1984, featured Joan Lippincott in a solo performance of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in F, and a Sinfonia for organ and the Bach Aria Festival under Mr. Baron's direction.

--George Bozeman, Jr.

Florence Scholl Cushman died February 26, 1997 at the age of 103. She left a career as a concert pianist in Chicago to teach generations of youngsters in rural Randolph, VT. Her career as a Vermont piano teacher began when she was nearly 60--and lasted almost 40 years, continuing to take students well past the age of 100. She was born Florence Wilhelmina Paulina Scholl in Joliet, Illinois on June 22, 1893. She was educated in Joliet schools and began piano lessons at age eight. At the age of 11 she began traveling alone to Chicago for lessons from world-famous organist Wilhelm Middleschulte. Later she added piano lessons with Glenn Dillard Gunn and then with Swiss pianist Rudolf Ganz. Her last teacher was Moriz Rosenthal. She entered the Chicago Music School, studying with Percy Grainger and Louis Victor Sarr. At the age of 20 she made her debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, playing the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto. She married Dr. Charles Cushman in 1948 and moved to Vermont, where she taught piano students six days a week, maintaining some students until 1995, when she was 102. Mrs. Cushman was a member of Bethany United Church of Christ, where she served as organist for a short time.

Donald Joyce died March 10 of cancer at the age of 45. In addition to degrees from the Juilliard School, he held the Premier Prix de Virtuosité (with Distinction) from the Geneva Conservatory where he worked with Lionel Rogg. During the Bach tercentenary year (1985) he performed the complete Bach organ works in 13 recitals, and was scheduled to repeat this series at the Lincoln Center this summer. Many performances and two CDs grew out of his interest in Iberian and Mexican organ music; at the time of his death he was writing a monograph on historic Mexican organs. He served as Music Director and Organist at the Church of the Holy Apostles in Chelsea, organist at Central Synagogue, and taught at Queens College. As winner of a Fulbright-García Robles grant from the US and Mexican governments, he established a class in organ studies at the University of Guanajuanto, Mexico, last summer. His recordings included music of Bach, Reger, and Glass, as well as Iberian and Mexican composers, on such labels as Catalyst (BMG), O.M., Pickwick, and Titanic. His more recent performances included recitals in Spain as part of the festival Els Orgues de Catalunya, a series of recitals on the historic Appleton organ at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, recordings of the historic Aeolian organ at the Frick Collection, and an inaugural recital for the van den Heuvel organ at the Church of the Holy Apostles in New York. Survivors include his parents, a brother, and two sisters. A service was held on March 28 at the Church of the Holy Apostles, New York City.

Martin J. Argall, 91, MCPO U.S.N. Ret., died January 23. Argall grew up in Chicago, playing piano. He won a citywide piano contest at age 11, but because of the Great Depression, his family could not afford formal training. By high school, he began playing organ, often practicing on the theatre organ at the Symphony Theater, where the owner would accompany him on his violin. Argall was active as an organist in Chicago. A 33rd-degree Scottish Rite Mason, he served as organist for over 50 years for Masonic lodges, including 20 years for the Scottish Rite Cathedral. He was a member of the Medinah Shrine Temple, serving there as organist for 20 years, and as a volunteer at Shriner’s Hospital for Children for 12 years. A member of the American Guild of Organists for 70 years, Argall was organist for 30 years at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Charlotte, two daughters, four grandchildren, and a brother.

Lloyd E. Cast, Jr. died on January 26. He was 75. Born in Hollywood, California, he received bachelor and master of music degrees from Indiana University, as well as a Doctor of Music (honoris causa) from Nashotah House Seminary, Nashotah, Wisconsin. He was organist and director of music, emeritus of the Cathedral of All Saints, Albany, where he served for 37 years. Cast served as dean of the Bloomington, Indiana, and Eastern New York chapters of the AGO and was on the board of directors of the Royal School of Church music in America. He is survived by his partner of 45 years, William L. (Roy) Gordon, a brother, two nieces, a nephew, and four grand nephews.

August E. Knoll, 65, died unexpectedly on February 7 at his home in Wheatland, Iowa. His death was discovered when he failed to appear for his scheduled work as organist of St. Paul United Church of Christ on Sunday morning.
Born in Des Moines, Iowa, November 11, 1942, he graduated from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, and received his master’s degree from the University of Iowa. He was band master of Calamus-Wheatland schools for 39 years, receiving many awards on a state and local level. He was minister of music at St. Paul’s for 38 years. Knoll held leadership positions in both the River Valley and Blackhawk AGO chapters and the Eastern Iowa OHS chapter, of which he was a founding member. He was an annual recitalist on the Clermont Organ Series, helping thereby to maintain public support for the 1896 Kimball organ in the Union Sunday School building, a state historical site.
Knoll was a familiar and beloved supporter of many organ events in the tri-state area of Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. He was an inveterate convention-goer at meetings of both the American Guild of Organists and the Organ Historical Society. He served on the committee that planned and executed the 1986 OHS convention in eastern Iowa.
August Knoll was well known as a successful mentor of many music students, and many of these students went into careers in music. He was also a familiar figure playing and directing in many community bands throughout the area. His constant support and interest in all things musical will be deeply missed.
—Mark R. Nemmers

Karlheinz Stockhausen, age 79, died December 5, 2007. He began musical studies at age six, with a local organist, Franz-Josef Kloth, and studied composition with Swiss composer Frank Martin in Cologne and with Olivier Messiaen and Darius Milhaud in Paris. An influential German composer, he was prominent in the avant-garde movement in the mid to late 20th century; he wrote many compositions that included electronic sound. His 362 compositions include 45 choral works. He founded the Stockhausen Foundation for Music in 1994, to preserve his works and provide instructions on performing his music. Details can be found at <www.stockhausen.org&gt;.

Lyndell P. Watkins, Sr., died November 13, 2007 at the age of 85. Born in Kensett, Arkansas, he played piano as a youth, winning a talent contest held by a Memphis radio station. During World War II he served as a chaplain’s assistant, providing music for religious services. Following the war, he graduated from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, and did graduate study with Marilyn Mason at the University of Michigan, and doctoral study with Jon Spong at the University of Missouri (Kansas City) Conservatory of Music. He was music department head at Arkansas College (now Lyon College) for 14 years, associate professor of music at Delta State University in Mississippi for 23 years, and served as organist-choir director at St. Luke United Methodist Church in Cleveland, Mississippi, and First Presbyterian Church, Greenville, Mississippi. A long-time member of the AGO (Jackson, Mississippi chapter), he also held memberships in the Mississippi Music Teachers Association, the Music Teachers National Association, and the Organ Historical Society. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Doris Darby Watkins, a daughter, two sons, and four grandchildren.

Richard Westenburg, a choral conductor who founded the Musica Sacra Chorus and Orchestra in 1964, died February 20 in Norwalk, Connecticut, at the age of 75. Born in Minneapolis, Westenburg won several small piano competitions as a child. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree in organ at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, and a master’s in musicology, with a minor in film, at the University of Minnesota. In 1959 he went to Paris to study with Nadia Boulanger, Pierre Cochereau and Jean Langlais. After two years as director of music at the First Unitarian Church in Worcester, Massachusetts, he moved to New York in 1962 and enrolled at the Union Theological Seminary, joining the seminary faculty in 1963 and completing his doctorate in sacred music in 1968.
In 1964 Westenburg was hired as organist and choirmaster at Central Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, and he quickly assembled an early version of the Musica Sacra Choir. He was also music director of the Collegiate Chorale from 1973 to 1980 and a lecturer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art from 1979 to 1982. In 1990 he became music director at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church.
In addition to conducting, Westenburg taught choral music and conducting at the Mannes College of Music from 1971 to 1977, and led the choral department at the Juilliard School from 1977 to 1989. He was also a visiting professor at Rutgers University from 1986 to 1992. He is survived by his two sons, two daughters, and six grandchildren.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

—W. Michael Brittenback

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

—Gordon Atkinson