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Michael D. Friesen memorial recital

St. Matthew Episcopal Church, Evanston, Illinois, Casavant organ

The Chicago-Midwest Chapter of the Organ Historical Society will present a recital in memory of Michael D. Friesen, June 10, 4:00 p.m., at St. Matthew Episcopal Church, Evanston, Illinois.

Derek Nickels and Stephen Schnurr will perform works by Vincent Lübeck, Dieterich Buxtehude, Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, Francisco Correa de Arauxo, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Johann Gottfried Walther on the church’s 1977 Casavant Opus 3354.

For information: www.ohschicago.org.

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Midwinter Pipe Organ Conclave January 18–19, 2015, La Grange, Illinois

Stephen Schnurr
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The Diapason is pleased to partner with the Chicago and Fox Valley Chapters of the American Guild of Organists and the Chicago-Midwest Chapter of the Organ Historical Society in presenting a Midwinter Pipe Organ Conclave, Sunday and Monday, January 18–19, 2015. The event will be held in La Grange, Illinois, a near suburb of Chicago. La Grange is conveniently located to Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway International Airports, usually a twenty- to thirty-minute drive. La Grange is conveniently close to Interstate 294, with easy connections to Interstates 55, 57, 65, 80, 88, 90, 94, 290, and 355. There are several hotels less than three miles from the conference.

The conclave opens Sunday evening with a recital by David Schrader in First Presbyterian Church. Termed a “Chicago favorite,” by the Chicago Tribune, Schrader performs frequently not only on organ, but also harpsichord, piano, and fortepiano. In addition to solo performances, Schrader has made frequent appearances with the likes of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, and Chicago’s Grant Park Symphony. At First Presbyterian Church, he will perform on the 1962 Aeolian-Skinner Opus 1390, a three-manual, forty-rank organ from the period of Joseph Whiteford as tonal director.

Monday morning opens with a lecture by Stephen Schnurr at First Presbyterian Church. Editor-at-large for The Diapason and director of music for St. Paul Catholic Church of Valparaiso, Indiana, Schnurr will discuss interesting organs, past and present, of La Grange and nearby suburbs of Chicago.

From First Church, we will travel a short distance to St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, where Jonathan Rudy will perform on Berghaus Organ Company Opus 215, finished in 2003. The exquisite building in the Italian Renaissance style was built to the designs of Chicago’s Joe W. McCarthy in 1930 and 1931. Originally home to a Geo. Kilgen & Son organ, the present 34-rank Berghaus organ has a commanding position in a free-standing case in the rear gallery. Rudy, the first prize and audience prize winner of the American Guild of Organists 2014 National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance (NYACOP), is a doctoral student in organ and sacred music at Indiana University.

Returning to First Presbyterian for a catered luncheon, we will then hear a presentation by Phillip Kloeckner, lecturer in the department of music and associate university organist of Rockefeller Memorial Chapel at the University of Chicago. He will speak about organs in post-colonial South America. Many of these instruments were imported from builders such as Cavaillé-Coll, Tamburini, and Walcker. Kloeckner will also discuss the Italian immigrant to Peru, Innocente Foglia, apparently the only person to attempt to establish an organ building tradition in that country in that period. Foglia’s organs present a unique blend of European tonal traditions.

Karen Brunssen, co-chair of the department of music performance, Bienen School of Music, Northwestern University, Evanston, will then present “Tried, True, and Teachable Vocal Techniques.” Brunssen will focus on quick fixes that make the point, stick with the singer, and improve vocal and choral quality for those who have little time in rehearsal to stress vocal technique.

The final event will occur across the street in Emmanuel Episcopal Church. Scott Montgomery will present a recital on the church’s 1970 Casavant Frères, Limiteé Opus 3062, a three-manual, 63-rank organ from the late period of tonal director Lawrence Phelps. Montgomery has also performed for national conventions of the AGO and OHS, and, like Rudy, was first prize and audience prize winner of the (2006) AGO NYACOP. Director of music ministries and organist for Holy Cross Catholic Church, Champaign, Illinois, he has several compact disc recordings to his credit, as well.

Registration for the entire conference, including luncheon, is only $50. We are sure you will want to join us for this winter respite and refreshment! Visit midwinterconclave.org to register. 

The Organ Historical Society Fiftieth Anniversary Convention (part 1)

June 25–30, 2006, Saratoga Springs, New York

Frank G. Rippl

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 for 35 years

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In the months leading up to the Organ Historical Society’s Fiftieth Anniversary National Convention, the question on everyone’s mind was “Could it live up to the level of advance excitement it was generating?” The OHS magazine, The Tracker, had published its usual pre-convention issue with mouthwatering photos of the organs and venues—pictures by Victor Hoyt and Stephen Pinel that made one fall in love with the organ all over again. There were articles and ads in the professional journals touting the instruments to be visited, not the least of which was the historic 3-manual Odell organ from 1882, the oldest large and unaltered concert hall organ in America—an instrument not heard in decades. There was the outstanding roster of performers, the beauty of New York State, the festive banquets, the cruise on Lake George, and on it went.
By the final evening, the answer was an exultant and resounding “Yes!” Convention chairman Stephen Pinel and his committee truly outdid themselves. One of the biggest surprises was the huge, lavishly illustrated and annotated 250-page, 81⁄2" x 11" convention 2006 Organ Atlas (which replaced the traditional, smaller Organ Handbook we were accustomed to seeing each year), detailing the instruments, the venues and their cities. This major document of the organs of the Albany area will be of invaluable service to historians. It represents an extraordinary amount of painstaking research by Jonathan Ambrosino, editor; Alfred V. Fedak, Scot L. Huntington, Len Levasseur, and Stephen L. Pinel. With this distinguished book, the OHS arrives at one of those new plateaus founding member Barbara Owen spoke of in her opening address. This was an exceptional convention worthy of a fiftieth anniversary. They called it “Coming Home.”
This review includes many fine photos of the convention instruments; more photos can be seen at the OHS website , which has links to previous conventions and to the daily convention programs.

Sunday, June 25

In her opening address, founder Barbara Owen recalled the old days and highlighted milestone events along the way. She especially noted the OHS Archives—now an outstanding and unique international resource. Owen said that the OHS at fifty (“middle aged”) should, like the god Janus, look both forward and backward, but should also look inward to draw upon the strengths of each member.
The first concert took place at the 1885 Round Lake Auditorium, preceded by an outdoor dinner of chicken barbecue, a local specialty. The concert featured the famous 3-manual Davis & Ferris organ (1874), originally built for Calvary Episcopal Church in New York City, and moved to Round Lake in 1888. With its sturdy gothic case and stopknobs arranged in the shape of a cross, it sits high at the back of the stage in this large shed-like building festooned with colorful paper lanterns. Chairman Pinel presented Edna Van Duzee Walter with a plaque honoring her 40 years of volunteer service caring for and promoting this historic instrument. The 2006 Organ Atlas states that “It is the only large American-made, three-manual organ from the pre-1850 period to survive in nearly intact condition.”
Organist Antonius Bittmann and the New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra led by Mark Trautman offered an evening of Rheinberger. Bittmann opened with the Sonata No. 12 in D-flat, and from the first low D-flat in the pedal, it was clear that we were in the presence of an extraordinary musical instrument. Its full, broad scale filled the room with a gentle tone from a quieter, less clamorous time. Especially effective was the second movement’s use of the sweet flute sounds. The third movement, Introduction and Fugue, featured the principals and reeds and made one long for the sounds of other large instruments from that period that no longer exist. After intermission, we were summoned back to our seats by the ringing of the auditorium’s tower bell for the Concerto in G minor for organ and orchestra. This is a splendid work with soaring French horn lines and beautiful writing. The conductor led the fine orchestra and the organ with just the right blend of sweep and precision—a wonderful beginning to a week of music.

Monday, June 26

The day began at 8:00 a.m. in pouring rain. Rain was to be the uninvited guest at this convention; there would be some historic and heavy flooding throughout the area. However, enthusiasm and spirits were on the sunny side as we embarked on a two-hour bus ride out into the lovely countryside of the Mohawk River Valley to visit James Fenimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking region of New York state, beginning in Richfield Springs and Cooperstown, before ending the day in Albany.
My group began at Church of Christ Uniting in Richfield Springs with a recital by Michael J. Diorio on the 1896 Farrand & Votey organ. The twin cases that flank the altar, plus other sanctuary furniture, were all designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Unfortunately, they are lit nowadays with long fluorescent tubes in the ceiling, but the craftsmanship of the delicately carved casework is superb. Diorio’s recital gave a good tour of this instrument’s resources, programming that OHSers always appreciate. He is a fine and spirited player who earned his doctorate in organ just two weeks earlier. Particularly effective were the Adagio für die Orgel by Julius Reubke and Adagio espressivo from Sonata No. 2 by Rheinberger, which he performed with quiet tenderness.
At St. John’s Episcopal Church in Richfield Springs we heard the 1887 Hook & Hastings (photo p. 27) played by Donald K. Fellows, organist at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Pittsburgh, who announced each of his registrations. The St. John’s organ stands to the right of the altar in this intimate church. The façade pipes are painted in shades of blue, red and tan with gold trim. Each stop fills the room perfectly and confidently. Fellows used the flute stops to great effect in selections from Haydn’s charming Pieces for a Flute Clock. George Shearing’s Chorale Prelude on There Is a Happy Land showed a variety of sound including the gentle Oboe and the rich and enveloping Great chorus. There is a wonderful warmth about the building and the organ. Shades of blue dominate.
We drove to Cooperstown, along the way passing the grounds of Glimmerglass Opera and Lake Otsego. After a brief visit to the Farmer’s Museum, a collection of historic structures, we went to lunch in the Old World elegance of the Otesaga Hotel. The buffet was served on the veranda with its stunning view of Lake Otsego.
We then returned to the museum where, in a gentle rain, we toured the various buildings—avoiding puddles and observing wool spinners, blacksmiths and the like, before visiting the former Cornwallville United Methodist Church to hear the 1849 Giles Beach organ played by Eugene Roan with John Burkhalter, English flute. They presented a pleasant musicale of mostly American music from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The gentle and sweet tones of the instruments in the historic church building evoked the period of this charming literature quite nicely. We would hear several organs by Gloversville, New York builder Giles Beach at the convention—this tiny one-manual, four-stop instrument was the smallest. Beach built some 100 organs, of which only six survive.
We then drove to Albany. Following dinner at the Crowne Plaza Hotel (we ate very well all week!), we took a magical stroll to All Saints’ Cathedral, passing some of Albany’s magnificent buildings, including the splendid State Capitol building and City Hall, both by Henry Hobson Richardson. City Hall boasts a 49-bell carillon, and carillonneur Charles Semowich provided glorious “traveling music” as we walked to the cathedral.
Dedicated in 1888, Albany’s All Saints Episcopal Cathedral is one of America’s great gothic churches. At 330 feet long and 100 feet high, it is a most impressive monument. In 1900, Austin built a fine 4-manual instrument, and the organ was enlarged in 1904 when transepts were completed for the cathedral. By all accounts it was a magnificent organ. In 1956 it was greatly altered by the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company, changed to reflect the American Classic style. It was changed again by Austin in 1963, and in 1986 a gallery antiphonal was added incorporating a Trompette-en-Chamade (photo p. 27).
Joan Lippincott’s large and ambitious program began with the hymn “Ancient of Days” to the tune Albany. She then played Fanfare and Fugue by Ned Rorem, which announced itself on the powerful west end Trompette-en-Chamade. Next, Bach’s Passacaglia & Fugue gave us a tour of the principal choruses. Her playing was, as always, clean, robust, and spirited; each musical line was clearly delineated. The first half ended with a brilliant reading of Mozart’s Fantasy in F Minor, in which we heard some of the quiet and gentle sounds of the organ.
Following intermission, Miss Lippincott returned to play another fanfare: Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland. I was seated in the crossing and greatly enjoyed the surround-sound effect of trumpets at east and west ends. The grand acoustics of the cathedral added to the impact of her deeply felt and spectacular performance. She then launched into one of the 20th-century’s greatest organ works: Jehan Alain’s Trois Danses. From my seat in the crossing, I could enjoy the various reed sounds bouncing now from north to south, or triforium to triforium as she used the divisions above both sides of the choir. Lippincott projected all the spirit of the dances dovetailed with the sense of melancholy and fate that pervades all of Jehan Alain’s music. To glorious effect she had reserved the evening’s first use of the 32' reed for the middle of the second Danse—the impact was staggering. The final movement (Struggles) showed why this great performer’s muscular and riveting playing is so admired. Lippincott ended with the Liszt Prelude and Fugue on B.A.C.H., a piece made for a room like All Saints Cathedral.
And that was just the first full day!

Tuesday, June 27

The day dawned sunny and clear. On this day 50 years ago, the OHS was founded, and on this day six years ago, Westminster Presbyterian Church, a red brick church on Albany’s Capitol Hill, signed a contract with the Austin Organ Company to rebuild their 3-manual 1930 E. M. Skinner organ, Opus 780. But there is a great story here. By the 1970s the Skinner needed cleaning, releathering and some renovations. Instead of doing that routine work, the church decided to spend the money on what was then a state-of-the-art electronic substitute. Thomas and Ann Older, members of the church, bought the Skinner for one dollar, and had it installed in their home where it would stay safely for the next 25 years. By 2001, the electronic was ancient and experiencing some very public embarrassing moments. The Olders graciously offered to return the Skinner to a grateful church; Austin rebuilt it, adding an antiphonal organ (in a case designed by Stephen Bicknell) with tonal finishing by Scot L. Huntington. We heard it in a very fine concert by Professor Thomas Murray of Yale University—a longtime champion of historic American organs and no stranger to the organs of Ernest Skinner.
He began with Handel’s Organ Concerto in F, op. 4, no. 4, using the antiphonal organ (which stands above the main door to the church) as the “organ,” and the main part of the instrument in the chancel as the “orchestra.” It was very effective, and the playing was clear and fine. His final piece was Duruflé’s Prelude, Adagio et Chorale varié, op. 4. I sat in the front row so that I could observe his legendary console technique—he did not disappoint. Murray’s sense of color and melodic line was a thing to behold and to hear. He made the most of the gorgeous resources of this wonderful instrument. In the final section of variations on Veni Creator (has there every been a finer harmonization of that marvelous tune?), he gradually opened the Skinner in all of its glory.
This organ exists today as a triumphant vindication of all the things for which the OHS stands: that there is great organ building in every age, and that we only need to regard current fashion as transient; we ignore the greatness of previous ages at our peril; and the lack of a clear-eyed and clear-eared vision dooms us to mediocrity. This was a great recital on a great organ!
We boarded the buses for our next event. Everyone enjoyed the architecture of this historic city as we made our way to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church for a recital by Stephen Schnurr, chairman of the 2002 OHS convention in Chicago and co-author of Pipe Organs of Chicago. St. Paul’s was established in 1827, but worships in a new church completed in 1966—a white building with windows in a “sawtooth” pattern, à la the new Coventry Cathedral, which throws light upon the altar. The 3-manual Casavant organ stands behind the altar on a high platform. A delicate and stunning metal screen separates it from the altar. The sound is clear and fine in the church’s resonant acoustic, and it is an elegant example of the best organ building from its period.
The concert featured mostly Baroque music. In the Bruhns Praeludium in E Minor and the Sweelinck Variations on Mein Junges Leben hat ein End’ we heard the sparkling flues and the Dulzian, Krumhorn, Ranket and Schalmei stops—so popular in the 1960s—as well as the trumpets. In Bach’s Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, BWV 720, we heard the Sesquialtera against the Dulzian 16'—a fine OHS demonstration of an organ’s tonal variety! Schnurr next played the Bach/Vivaldi Concerto in D Minor, and I especially enjoyed the lovely flute stops in the slow movement. He closed with Gustav Merkel’s Sonata in D Minor, a four-hand piece in which he was joined on the bench by Derek Nickels. We heard the fine strings in the Adagio and enjoyed full organ at the end. A thoroughly satisfying program and performance!
We were served a box lunch at Peebles Island State Park located at the confluence of the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers, from which we could observe a lock on the Erie Canal. The OHS 2006 Organ Atlas reminded us on page 60 that “Many organs built by Erben, Hall & Labagh, Ferris and others were sent to their destinations in New York, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and to the rest of the Western Reserve through these locks . . . [making] New York State the organ building center of the U.S. until well after the Civil War.”
A short ride took us to United Church of Cohoes and our annual meeting, where we were introduced to the new executive director of the OHS, Daniel N. Colburn. Among other things, we learned of upcoming conventions: 2007 Indianapolis; 2008 Seattle; 2009 Cleveland. Sounds good to me! Daniel Schwandt, chairman of the Distinguished Service Award Committee, presented this year’s award to Edna Van Duzee Walter for her 40 years of significant and distinguished service to the Round Lake Auditorium organ and its concert series.
Following the meeting, Peter Edwin Krasinski, 2002 first prize winner of the AGO National Competition in Improvisation, demonstrated the 2-manual Giles Beach organ from 1866 with an improvisation in four movements on the hymn we sang: “Holy, Holy, Holy!” (Nicaea). I always enjoy hearing musical styles contemporary to our time played on historic instruments—thereby bringing the instruments out of the museum-type treatments we often give them. Krasinski is a gifted and versatile musician. His improvised tour of this fine and historic organ was most effective.
Our “free” evening began with an elegant cocktail reception sponsored by several organ builders in the gorgeous 1870 Canfield Casino in Saratoga’s Congress Park. The deliciously extravagant Victorian building is now a museum. Kelvin Hastie, secretary of the Organ Historical Trust of Australia, gave a lecture on Australian and New Zealand organs. It was a fascinating tour of those countries’ organ cultures complete with slides and sound samples.

Wednesday, June 28

The day began with heavy rain and ominous flood warnings. We went ahead with a full day in the country, even crossing over to Vermont. One of the great and endearing charms of an OHS convention is a day spent in little rural churches listening to small historic organs. A friend called it “Melodia and Dulciana day.”
My group went first to United Presbyterian Church in Shushan, New York, where Thomas Dressler demonstrated a lovely unaltered 1891 2-manual by Woodberry & Harris, Opus 92. As the now gentle rain fell outside and a passing train joined in with its own bells and whistles, we were enchanted by the organ’s lovely tone. The Melodia was especially good, but I really liked the fine Oboe. The Stopped Diapason on the Swell had a full, room-filling quality. Dressler played Percy Whitlock’s Folk Tune from Five Short Pieces showing many of the warm soft sounds of this treasure of an organ, and ended with a stirring performance of Jacques Lemmens’s Fanfare for Concert Use.
The bus I was on got lost (!) so I missed Grant Moss’s demonstration of the Johnson & Sons Opus 843 from 1896 at First Baptist Church, Manchester Center, Vermont. My apologies to Dr. Moss and to the First Baptist Church. I was told that it went very well. He performed Albert Bigollet’s Douze pièces pour orgue.
We went to lunch at the palatial Equinox Hotel in Manchester, Vermont—another yummy feast in historic Old World elegance. I remember well the OHS meals in the good old days served in church basements. The OHS has come a long way!
My group then went to the United Methodist Church, Rupert, Vermont, to hear their historic 2-manual Johnson & Son organ, Opus 629, built in 1884, demonstrated by Robert Barney. The church has wooden theatrical seats with elaborate wrought iron framing. The Johnson organ stands in a corner to the right of the altar. Barney provided a handout detailing his registrations. He began with Pilgrim’s Chorus by Richard Wagner, which allowed us to hear a build-up of sounds as he layered stop upon stop. It is always so enlightening to hear how much these marvelous old instruments, limited in the number of stops (13), can do. The tonal properties of a single open 8' stop in this period of organ building are amazing! Next, we heard an Andante by Henry Stephen Cutler on the 4' flutes—a lovely effect. In James Woodman’s Variations on “Fairest Lord Jesus” (St. Elizabeth), Barney made fine choices of stops, ending with the Open Diapason 8' (one of the best stops of the convention!). He concluded the program with Bach’s Sinfonia to Cantata 29.
The day’s final recital was in the attractive little Episcopal Church of St. Paul in Salem, New York. Paul Tegels, assistant professor of music and university organist at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, demonstrated the E. & G. G. Hook, Opus 189, from 1855. (Is it really fair for one church to have a Hook organ AND Tiffany windows? This one does. Bless them!) While we did not get to hear much in the way of individual stops, we did hear various combinations of sounds on this sweet-toned and genteel Hook. It had the unusual feature of an attractive balustrade across the front, which supported the façade pipes. Tegels performed the Passacaglia in D minor by Buxtehude as well as music by Vaughan Williams, Haydn, and a jolly march in F major by Guilmant.
The evening weather was perfect for cocktails and a delicious dinner aboard the large riverboat Le Lac du Sacrément, as we cruised the beautiful waters of Lake George. All 450 of us fit very comfortably on this fine ship where we celebrated Michael Barone’s birthday in style!

Thursday, June 29

The day dawned with word of severe flooding in many areas. Our buses had to make a few detours to avoid bridges that were out. At one point I saw a school with water up to the middle of the first floor windows.
My group went first to Christ Episcopal Church in Duanesburg, New York, to enjoy Derek E. Nickels’ brilliant recital on a tiny 3-stop organ by Augustus Backus from ca. 1850. This charming church, which resembles a New England meeting house, is the oldest ecclesiastical structure in the Diocese of Albany. The organ is quite soft spoken, but Nickels made the most of its extraordinary sweet tone. I especially admired his performance of Pachelbel’s partita on Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan.
We next visited Kingsboro Assembly of God in Gloversville, New York, to hear Sebastian Glück demonstrate the 1857 2-manual Giles Beach organ—the earliest known two-manual organ from the Beach shop. Before the concert Stephen Schnurr, chair of the OHS Historic Organ Citations Committee, presented the church’s minister with a Historic Organ Citation for its stewardship of the Beach organ. These citations are given in recognition of instruments of exceptional historic merit. Giles Beach, his father, and his grandfather were all members of this church, making this citation even more meaningful. As well as being a fine organ scholar and writer, Sebastian Glück is artistic and tonal director of Glück New York Pipe Organ Restorers and Builders, who prepared the Beach organ for this recital as it had become unplayable. It has a lovely, delicate quality we hear in so many instruments of this period. Glück’s program was well chosen for the instrument, which, unfortunately, must speak into a very dead acoustic. Especially good were three selections from Twelve Short Pieces by Samuel Wesley. We also heard some Bach, Mozart, Lefébure-Wély, and the third movement from Sonata in D Major by João de Sousa Carvalho.
There is very little to prepare one for St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Schenectady, New York. I confess that the picture I saw of this church in The Tracker played a huge role in my decision to come to the convention. Its style, which I named ‘Richardsonian Gothic’, is striking. The exterior of the 1904 building is all red stone with a tower on each of the four corners and a large dome/lantern tower over the crossing. The vast interior space boasts all-white walls covered in plaster carvings. There are images of 38 saints and 536 images of angels inside the building! The peak of the dome rises 230 feet above the floor. The seating is in a semicircle with a horseshoe balcony. The main floor is raked toward the altar, which stands beneath an enormous gothic arch. The 3-manual organ, also from 1904, by Hutchings-Votey, Opus 1510, stands in the balcony on the left side of the room. It is an intriguing instrument possessing a Saxophone 4' on the Choir. I was told that the organ needed quite a bit of work, so we did not hear very much of it. It had the usual solid sound one expects from Hutchings-Votey instruments, and what we did hear was quite fine. The demonstration was given by organist/composer Alfred V. Fedak, who did a very fine job showing us what was available. He played his own Variations on Pange Lingua as well as pieces by Litaize and Boëllmann. Our visit was all too brief; we left with the sincere hope that this organ will be restored.
A few blocks away found us at Proctor’s Theater and Arcade, which opened in 1927—one of those grand old 2700-seat movie palaces. The original Wurlitzer 3/15 Style F, Opus 1469, was sold in 1957. The present 3-manual instrument, another Wurlitzer, Opus 2157 (“Goldie”) from 1931, was originally built for the Paramount Theatre in Aurora, Illinois, and installed in Proctor’s in 1984. It has been much enlarged over the years, and is lovingly tended to by members of the American Theatre Organ Society. We had the great good fortune to hear the brilliant young American theatre organist Jelani Eddington perform a concert and accompany a silent movie. It was one of the major treats of the convention. He amazed us with his extraordinary skills, split-second stop changes, and color and shading in places most would never imagine. After playing several great American songs and pieces by Leroy Anderson (including a previously unpublished work for organ), he accompanied the Laurel and Hardy 1928 classic Liberty. Eddington’s playing was marvelously understated, which allowed the movie itself to shine, yet he followed each nuance and facial expression of the famous duo, always deferring to them and underlining their zany mayhem in continuous musical motion. He closed his program with Tchaikovsky’s Waltz from Swan Lake. A thundering ovation brought him back for a delightful encore, The Root Beer Rag by Billy Joel—firmly fixing the art of the theatre organ in the present and the future. An amazed audience made its happy way back to the buses.
The evening saw us back in Albany for another major recital: Diane Meredith Belcher on the 1931, 4-manual Casavant organ, Opus 1420, which stands in the rear gallery of St. James’ Catholic Church. St. James’ was completed in 1929. The organ is a glorious instrument, and except for a new Great mixture that Casavant installed in 1983, it is unaltered. Because of the flooding in the area, we did not arrive at the church until after dark. The church is famous for its many large stained glass windows. I hope to return there someday to see them.
Ms. Belcher possesses a formidable technique, and plays with great passion. Torrents of sound came cascading down upon us from the lofty balcony of this acoustically live church. She opened with an expansive and powerful performance of Brahms’s Praeludium und Fuge in a-moll; next, her own transcription of Bach’s Konzert für zwei Violinen in d-moll, BWV 1043, which I found to be quite successful. The pedal part of the Vivace is not for the faint of heart; however, she tossed it off with total control. The elegant Largo was a study in grace, while the Allegro was pure virtuosic dazzle! Belcher followed with Calvin Hampton’s spellbinding Lullaby from Suite No. 2. We heard the lush strings, flutes and soft reeds of this beautiful organ. She ended the first half with Dupré’s Prélude et fugue en sol mineur, op. 7, no. 3. The subdued prelude was followed by a truly thrilling and lightning-fast performance of the famous fugue culminating in full organ.
The second half began with the audience singing Tantum Ergo in Latin—a classy touch! Then followed Franck’s Grande Pièce Symphonique, op. 17. I confess that I’ve never been fond of this particular work—it seems to outstay its welcome—but I did appreciate that here room, organ, and player were well matched in a very good performance. Belcher then played her own transcription of Ravel’s Pavane pour une infante défunte. We heard from the abundant variety of solo stops on this organ including a terrific and bold French Horn. For her final selection, she turned to George T. Thalben-Ball for his Variations on a theme of Paganini for pedals in a brilliant performance that received a long and clamorous standing ovation. (CONTINUE TO PART 2)

 

Organ Historical Society Convention 2002

Chicago, Illinois, June 25-July 1

Ronald E. Dean

Ronald E. Dean is Organist and Choirmaster at the Church of the Holy Cross (Episcopal) in Shreveport, Louisiana, and Professor of Music, Emeritus, at the Hurley School of Music, Centenary College. A graduate of Williams College and the University of Michigan, his organ study was with Frederick Kinsley, Robert Barrow and Robert Noehren. His reviews appear from time to time in this journal.

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The forty-seventh annual convention of the Organ Historical Society took place in Chicago, with some forty events scheduled throughout the seven-day period.  The headquarters was the Hotel Allegro, formerly the famous Bismarck where, according to local lore, many a secret political deal was conjured up in what one can imagine were the proverbial "smoke-filled" rooms (the Chicago City Hall is, after all, just around the corner). Since Chicago is known familiarly as "the windy city" (the term coming more from the renowned political rhetoric than from any breezes that might come from Lake Michigan), it was appropriate that the Organ Historical Society add to the "windiness" through the sounds produced by the thousands of wind-blown pipes during the week. The convention committee, ably chaired by Stephen Schnurr, organized a well-rounded series of events designed to display a wide variety of instruments, from small one-manual nineteenth-century trackers to a huge five-manual 8,000 pipe-Wurlitzer. There was something for every taste and inclination. As the week progressed, one of the famous Chicago heat waves rolled in with daytime temperatures in the mid-nineties, producing a bit of discomfort and tuning problems in churches without air conditioning. There was much fanning and sipping from water bottles. Those stalwart organ folks who went on to the AGO national in Philadelphia the next week experienced the same sort of weather. There certainly were, to paraphrase, "hot times in those two old towns" during late June and early July.

Tuesday

The first event of the convention was a major recital played by William Aylesworth, former OHS President, and convention co-chair for the previous OHS convention held in Chicago in 1984. This evening recital featured the famous 1875 Hook and Hastings three-manual, Op. 794, the oldest organ in Chicago. The building, now the Scottish Rite Cathedral, was originally Unity Church (Unitarian). The program opened with the spirited singing of the three verses of "The Star Spangled Banner" which was followed by Voluntary No. 1 in D, Boyce; Deux Noëls (Laissez pestres vos bestes and Joseph est bien marié), Le Bègue; Cantabile, Franck; Marche Funèbre, Loret; Praeludium und Fuge für orgel zu vier Händen, Albrechtsberger; and Symphonie II, Widor. James Wyly provided the additional two hands in the Albrechtsberger piece. Following this beautifully played recital, which included cogent and helpful verbal commentary, Aylesworth provided the enthusiastic audience with an encore, "Marcia" from Widor's Symphonie No. III (original edition). Since Aylesworth is the regular organist for the Scottish Rite Cathedral, his elegant playing was at home with the musical choices which displayed both the subtle and grand sounds of the organ. In spite of the lack of reverberation to match the grandeur of both the instrument and the building, this opening program was a fitting beginning for the convention.

Wednesday

The first full day began with a "Group A-Group B" split for the first event  to accommodate limited seating space in a couple of churches. This report will follow the "Group A" plan. After a somewhat delayed departure from downtown Chicago with the compounding problems of heavy traffic and the omnipre-sent work on the highways, OHS regular Mary Ann Crugher Balduf presented the following program on a delightful one-manual organ of circa 1885 attributed to Chicago builder Emil Witzmann in St. John United Church of Christ, Palatine: March, Marsh; En Forme de Canon, Salomé; "Élevation" (from Heures Mystiques, op. 49), Boëllmann; "Vision" (from Sechs Charakterstücke für Orgel, op. 64), Bibl; "Moderato," "Poco Allegro," "Moderato con moto" and "Allegro Giocoso" from Miniatures for Organ by Howells; "Prière pour les morts" from Twenty-four Pieces for Organ by Langlais; "All my hope on God is founded" from Three English Hymn Tunes, Clark; followed by singing of the hymn by Howells. The program closed with a Scherzo by Shelley. This instrument was one of the smallest to be heard and was masterfully handled by Ms. Balduf to show what can be done on a lovely little organ with seemingly limited resources. The building is a charming New England style church that has had some recent remodeling. The organ shares a rear balcony location with Hammond speakers. The high placement allows the organ to offer a fair amount of presence within a rather dead acoustical environment. The instrument was restored by parishioners Stan and Scott Regula.

A trip to historic Woodstock (no, not THAT one; this one is in Illinois) and its 19th-century Romanesque-styled Opera House which houses a "steamboat gothic" theatre brought us to an informative lecture by William Osborne on one of Chicago's premier figures in the organ world, Clarence Eddy (1851-1937). Osborne's recently published comprehensive study on Eddy is available through the OHS catalogue. Though a native of Massachusetts, the often-traveling organist and pedagogue spent a great amount of time in Chicago, and these years were the center of Osborne's well-delivered and enlightening remarks which were followed up by a recital of some of Eddy's works the next day (see below). Prior to the lecture, John H. Scharres, managing director of the Woodstock Opera House, related the colorful history of the building and the many uses to which it had been put over the years.

St. Mary Catholic Church, just a short walk from the Opera House, was the site for both a box lunch and a recital by Robert E. Woodworth, Jr. on the church's 1910 two-manual Hutchings which has had some restoration by the Berghaus Organ Company. Michael Friesen presented an OHS Historic Organ plaque to the church. In spite of having wall-to-wall carpeting as well as pew cushions, the vast interior space with its high barrel-vault ceiling offered a good acoustical environment for the following program, which consisted of works by Chicago composers: "Fanfare" from Sonatina for Worship No. 7 by Jones; "Meditation--Elegie" from Suite for Grand Organ, Borowski; Allegretto (Andante quasi Allegretto) and Rondo (Allegretto non troppo), Buck; "Intermezzo" from Sonata II for Organ, Moline; Rest in Peace, Goode; and Impromptu, Bliss; followed by the vigorous singing of the hymn "Wonderful words of life." One wonders how many times that old Gospel hymn had been sung in a Roman Catholic church! The organ, with its keen strings and heavy, broad sound (especially in the reed stops), filled the room well.

Our travel delays were further complicated by a bus breakdown before we arrived at St. Mary Roman Catholic Church in Buffalo Grove where Susan Friesen played the following program: "Offertoire" from Heures mystiques, Vol. 2, op. 30, Boëllmann; two settings of Meine Seele erhebt den Herren, Pachelbel; Pastorale in F-Dur, Bach; Pastorale in A, Clarke; Pastoral Interlude (op. 32, no. 4), Parker; and Variations to the Sicilian Hymn, Carr (arr. Owen), which had been preceded by the singing of the hymn "Saviour, like a shepherd lead us" to the tune Sicilian Mariners. The organ, a small one-manual built by the Wisconsin Pipe Organ Factory in 1904, featured a reversed console. (See the Organ Handbook, 1993, p. 7, for a description of a similar instrument built by the same firm in 1905, reversed console and all, which was played by Rachelen Lien during the Kentuckiana Convention.) Ms. Friesen chose a program that was well-organized and energetically played to show the variety of sonic combinations available on this instrument of limited resources. The church building had been extended at its liturgical east end with the result that the worship space was considerably increased, yet the organ, with its favorable rear gallery location, filled the entire area effectively.

Zion United Church of Christ in the beautiful little town of Carpentersville was the site for a short program played by Mary Gifford on a small two-manual tracker Hinners of 1911 which has had restoration work done by Gruber Pipe Organs, Inc. The instrument is well maintained and loved by the congregation. Ms. Gifford obviously enjoyed playing the following program: Rustic Wedding, West; Prelude, Cradle Song, and Aria, Lloyd Webber; Andante, Wild; and Variations on "St. Elizabeth," Ferko. Prior to the Ferko piece, there was a very emotion-filled moment for many of the conventioneers at the singing of the hymn "What heavenly music" from the 1849 publication, Hymns for God's Peculiar People. Ms. Gifford noted that this was the late Alan Laufman's favorite hymn to which she has provided a descant in his memory. Alan was a prime moving force in, as well as past President of, the OHS and served the Society in many other capacities. He was also the founder of the Organ Clearing House, an organization that has saved many an old and worthy instrument. Since Alan had been a friend to many at the convention, some people found it difficult to sing through increasingly misty eyes.

After another lengthy bus trip, we arrived at the locale of what was undoubtedly one of the monumental highlights of the entire convention, a stunning memorized recital by Ken Cowan given at the Victorian Palace at Plum Tree Farm in Barrington Hills, the residence of Jasper and Marian Sanfilippo. The entire setting defies description--it must be experienced. A catered buffet dinner took place in what one wag called "the rec room," a large museum containing a variety of mechanical contrivances including automatic musical machines, a complete carousel, steam and other-powered engines and a Rolls-Royce Roadster. There was time to wander among the exhibits before taking a short walk to the main house and the continuation of displays of hundreds of mechanical musical instruments, all restored and in playing condition, and in an opulent and perfectly maintained facility, a part of which is actually the residence for the Sanfilippo family.

Cowan's recital took place in the astoundingly decorated multi-storied Music Room which houses, in addition to many more self-playing instruments, the pièce de resistance, an eight-thousand-pipe five-manual Wurlitzer which, in its present state, is the result of the late David Junchen's plan for the ultimate theatre organ. The instrument was originally a much smaller 1927 Wurlitzer built for the Riviera Theatre in Omaha. After considerable expansion, it now contains five enclosed divisions on several levels plus a set of tower chimes flanking the stage. People who did not mind climbing into the chamber were invited to do so at the end of the recital to see the inner workings. Those readers who have heard Ken Cowan realize that he is among the most outstanding young organists on the scene today. His unassuming manner and his sure and relaxed technique hide a fiery yet totally musical approach to organ playing. His program: The Stars and Stripes Forever ("my own arrangement with [obvious] borrowing from other peoples' arrangements," said Cowan). He also noted that a program such as this one requires "rapid shutters" . . . he then turned again to the audience and in an aside added " . . . this may be the only group who knows what I mean!" He was probably correct. The program continued with Rondo Capriccio (a study in accents), Lemare; "Nocturne" and "Scherzo" from A Midsummer Night's Dream, Mendelssohn; Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue, Willan; Prelude to Hansel and Gretel, Humperdinck (arr. Lemare); the rousing singing of the wonderful English hymn Angel Voices, followed by "My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice" from Samson and Delilah, and Danse Macabre, Saint-Saëns (the latter arr. Cowan); and Overture to Oberon, von Weber (arr. Cowan). After several curtain calls, the artist returned with an encore, Moszkowski's Etude in F Major, a brilliant tour de force. As an added touch during the playing of Danse Macabre, one could see occasional appropriate and dramatic lightning flashes in the night sky. Surely, there was no Wurlitzer stop for that special effect!

Thursday

The day began at a somewhat more relaxed pace with Michael Friesen presenting an account of the Louis Mitchell organ built in Montreal in 1869-1870 for Holy Family Catholic Church, Chicago. At seventy-five ranks, it was reputedly the largest church organ in the country. It was rebuilt by Roosevelt in 1892 with a detached keydesk. After several additional rebuildings, all that remains is the huge case occupying a commanding place in the upper gallery. Even though the plethora of golden angels have descended from their once-ornamental location on the organ case (they are still intact and are in the process of being re-gilded), what remains is still imposing.

The landmark Pullman United Methodist Church and its wonderful 1882 Steere and Turner organ was the site of the first recital of the day. Naomi Rowley presented the following program: Epilogue on St. Theodulph, Willan; Two Christmas Partitas: Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming and Good Christian Friends, Rejoice, Drischner; How Brightly Shines the Morning Star, Gade; Prelude and Fugue in B-flat, Simon; Two Pieces (op. 90): Lamento, and Paraphrase on a Chorus from Judas Maccabeus, Guilmant; and the hymn "Of all the spirit's gifts to me" sung to the tune Meyer. The instrument is a fine example of some of the best in nineteenth-century American organ building. Restored by Kurt Roderer in 1968, its tone is broad and solid yet clear and well-balanced in both its small and large ensembles. Dr. Rowley obviously understood the instrument and chose her program well to demonstrate its features. She is a consummate musician and responded modestly to the well-deserved standing ovation.

Our next stop was in the Hyde Park area and the Disciples Divinity House and the Chapel of the Holy Grail on the campus of the University of Chicago. The beautiful chapel has a small two-manual nine-rank Aeolian organ (Op. 1775; 1930) in the rear gallery. Michael Shawgo informally demonstrated the mildly-voiced instrument with the following selections that had been in the Aeolian player roll catalogue: "Meditation" from Thaïs, Massenet; The Palms, Fauré; The Question and The Answer, Wolstenholme; Meditation, Sturges; Andantino, Chauvet; Hymn of the Nuns, Lefébure-Wely; and "War March of the Priests" from Athalie (op. 74), Mendelssohn. Because of the intimate dimensions of the lovely chapel, listeners were encouraged to visit the demonstration in shifts. The organ, totally enclosed behind a wooden screen, has the character of many a residence organ built by the same firm. Since this campus was also the venue for a box lunch, conventioneers were free to mill about the facility and perhaps take advantage of the following recital by Rhonda Sider Edgington played on the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Carillon of the University of Chicago's Rockefeller Chapel: Prelude No. 5 in d, Van den Gehn; Londonderry Air, arr. Myhre; Wondrous Love, arr. Warner; Changes, White; Three Short Pieces ("Air," "Lullaby," "Chantey"), Miller; "On the Burro" and "Jumping Bean" from Spanish Suite by Della Penna; Waltz, Barnes; and Chorale Partita IV on St. Anne, Knox. Some of the more adventuresome listeners took up the invitation to climb the tower to visit the playing cabin.

Following these events, Derek Nickels played a recital on the unaltered 1928 Skinner, Opus 685, in the University Church, Disciples of Christ. His program: Imperial March, Elgar; Chant sans Paroles, Lemare; "Divertimento" from Four Extemporizations, Whitlock; Prelude on Land of Rest, Sowerby; the singing of the hymn, "O God, our help in ages past" followed by Toccata and Fugue on St. Anne from Music for Elizabeth Chapel, Ferko. Nickels treated the fine Skinner with style and aplomb during his expert playing of the program in what was some more oppressive heat. He maintained his composure and musicality during what must have been an unsettling and unwanted percussive hammering just outside the church whose windows were open in an attempt to invite some circulation of air. Mr. Skinner occasionally did include some percussion stops in his instruments, but certainly nothing like this.

William Osborne then played a program featuring works either dedicated to or by Clarence Eddy in the vast church of St. Mary of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago. The large Austin, Opus 1602 of 1928, sang out its solid tones in the opulent, well-maintained and multi-domed structure. As a part of the recent restoration work, its seven-rank String Organ sounded for the first time in twenty-five years. Osborne is a seasoned musician with a great sense of style and an admirable feeling for the musical phrase. His program: Concert Overture in c (1899), Hollins (dedicated to Clarence Eddy); Suite for Organ (1905) "To Clarence Eddy," Rogers; and Eddy's own Festival Prelude and Fugue on Old Hundred (1879), which was followed by the singing of the same tune to the text: "Before Jehovah's Awful Throne." Osborne's deft handling of the incredible pedal cadenza at the end of the Eddy Fugue was nothing short of spectacular. Another well-deserved standing ovation followed.

Holy Family Roman Catholic Church was the site of a short program played by Jason Alden on a delightful one-manual Steinmeyer organ, Opus 197, of 1879 on loan to the church by Keith Hooper. Its reversed console allows the organist to view the now-empty Louis Mitchell case that had been the topic of Michael Friesen's lecture earlier in the day. Like many other churches, Holy Family is in the process of extensive restoration, and is a monument to the faith and persistence of both the clergy and parishioners. The program: Onder een linde groen, Sweelinck; "Andante" from Twelve Fughettas (op. 123a), Rheinberger; "Lebhaft" from Six Fugues on B-A-C-H, Schumann; Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, Buxtehude, followed by the singing of the hymn "Come unto me, ye weary" to the tune Abendlied. Alden, a fine young and very musical player whose interest in the organs of Costa Rica has recently been published in The Tracker (Volume 44, Number 2, 2000), chose his pieces wisely to demonstrate the lovely, bright and incisive sounds of this beautifully designed unenclosed nine-stop tracker. Amazingly, its sounds effectively filled the vast interior of the church.

The evening feature was a recital wonderfully played by Will Headlee on a rare Wurlitzer church organ (Opus 2065, 1930) of four manuals and 32 ranks installed in the breathtaking Reform Jewish Temple Sholom on Lakeshore Drive in the area of Chicago known as the "Gold Coast." After warm remarks by Rabbi Aaron M. Petuchowski, Headlee offered the following program: the hymn "Open your ears, O faithful people," sung to the tune Torah Song; Fantasy: Torah Song, Phillips; Fantaisie in E-flat, Saint-Saëns; Prelude and Fugue in G (BWV 541), Bach; Grand Choeur Triomphal, Guilmant; "Landscape in Mist" from Seven Pastels from the Lake of Constance, Karg-Elert; "Naïades" and "Clair de lune" from Pièces de Fantaisie, Vierne; Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue, Willan; Sweet Sixteenths--A Concert Rag for Organ, Albright; and Toccata on Leonie, Bingham; which was followed by the singing of the hymn by the large audience. The unusual Wurlitzer is situated in two high and widely separated chambers with a balcony for choir and organist. Unfortunately, the placement of the console and the reflecting panel for the choir together make it very difficult for the organist to sense balance with the division on the south side of the gallery since the console is on the north side of the choir loft. Headlee provided us with appropriate and entertaining comments during the recital where he demonstrated the many colors of this unusual and quite fine instrument. Its full, somewhat bright yet smooth and well-balanced sound was a revelation to most, yet he used the Albright piece to bring out the theatre organ colors for which Wurlitzer is better known. An extended ovation followed the program. In recognition of the rarity and quality of the instrument, Michael Friesen presented an OHS Historical Organ citation to the Cantor, Aviva Katzman. Upon leaving, one noticed that the listing of the staff included the name of a Rabbi named Moses--no wonder that this is an important Temple!

Friday

This was northwestern Indiana day that began with a program played by Thomas Brown on a tonally bright and strong 1963 Phelps-designed Casavant (Opus 1740) situated in a rear gallery of the acoustically live contemporary St. Mary of the Lake Roman Catholic Church in Gary. His program was preceded by a surprise snippet of the great Bach Toccata in D Minor that then received a segue into a "Happy Birthday" salute to OHS President, Michael Barone, joyfully sung by all. The recital proper began with the following Bach works: Prelude in G (BWV 541a), Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ (BWV 639), featuring appropriate and subtle ornamentation, Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein (BWV 641) and In dulci jubilo (BWV 608), all from Das Orgelbüchlein, and Fuge in E-flat (BWV 552b) from Clavierübung III; "Berceuse" from 24 Pièces en style libre (op. 31), Vierne; "Placare Christe servulis" from Le Tombeau de Titelouze (op. 38), Dupré, followed by the singing of the hymn "Christ Leads" sung to the artist's own magnificent tune, Spes. Brown can always be relied on for vigorous, exciting and accurate playing as well as sensitive phrasing, and this program showed his considerable abilities in abundance. After a short punch and cookies reception given by the ladies of the church, we were off to Valparaiso for the next two events as well as another box lunch.

David Schrader played a dazzling program on a fine 1883 Johnson and Son organ (Opus 615) which had been relocated through the Organ Clearing House and restored in 1994 by the Rutz Organ Company and installed in the Chapel of Mary, Queen of the Apostles in St. Paul Roman Catholic Church, Valparaiso, where convention chairman Stephen Schnurr is organist. The program: the hymn "Ancient of days" sung by all to the tune Albany; Postlude from Glagolitic Mass, Janácek; Postlude pour l'office de complies, Alain; and Grand Sonata, Buck. Schrader's choices of registration showed the transplanted Johnson off to fine advantage in spite of the dead acoustics. Of particular note were the magical Alain Postlude and the Buck Grand Sonata, a composition made for an organ such as this.

OHS Archivist, Stephen Pinel, presented an illustrated lecture titled, "New and Notable at the OHS American Organ Archives," both a retrospective view and opportunities for the future of what has become one of the most noteworthy collections of organ research materials in the world. The collection began modestly and moved to various locations prior to settling in its present rather elegant space in the Talbott Library of the Westminster Choir College of Rider University. Profound thanks for many years' hard work and dedication are due to Stephen Pinel and his many helpers for bringing our archives to its present state of world-wide and noteworthy respect. If interested, contact the OHS headquarters (www.organsociety.org) for further information on the Archives, its plans and needs.

A visit to the magnificent Chapel of the Resurrection on the Valparaiso University campus brought us to another one of the feature programs of the convention, a recital by John Gouwens on the 102-rank Schlicker/Dobson. The ambiance is visually stunning as well as sonically commanding. After some welcoming remarks by Valparaiso's acting president and university organist, Gouwens played the following program: Praeludium in e, Bruhns; Au jô deu de pubelle--Grans Déi, ribon ribeine, Balbastre; Cathédrales, Vierne; and the hymn "How lovely shines the morning star" sung with gusto by the entire audience, followed by Gouwens' magnificent improvisation on the same tune. The space and views through the incredible stained glass windows add an uplifting effect to what is reputedly the collegiate chapel with the largest seating capacity in the world. Even as left by Schlicker in 1959 with many stops prepared for, the organ was a magnum opus, and it is now even more so with the additions and changes completed by Dobson in 1996. We were told that this afternoon's performance was the first time that the organ had been featured in a national meeting. Kudos to John Gouwens for tour de force playing on yet another hot midwestern afternoon.

We then traveled to St. Paul Episcopal Church in La Porte for a short recital by Gregory Crowell on the church's much altered 1871 Steer and Turner tracker, Opus 45 (with some further rebuilding and additions by Ronald Wahl). The organ has a rather commanding presence in the small and acoustically unsympathetic room, but it did exhibit some refinement in its full sounds and warmth and subtlety in the softer ranks when some annoying ambient sounds did not interfere. Crowell can always be counted on for a sensitive sense of phrasing and contour, both of which he displayed in the following program: Ouverture in C (K. 299), Mozart; Prelude and Fugue in F (BWV 901), Bach; Five Variations on Fairest Lord Jesus Christ, Woodman (followed by the singing of this well-loved hymn); Prelude and Fugue in D, Dvorák; Solo pour la flûte, Lemmens; and Toccata, Foote. The organ had received an OHS Historical Organ plaque in 1981.

The final recital of the day was played by convention chairman, Stephen Schnurr, on a transplanted Roosevelt three-manual (Opus 506) in First Congregational Church, Michigan City. The organ has been restored by Roland Rutz, who was in the audience and recognized for his fine work. The recipient of an OHS plaque in 1999, the instrument sits in a recess at the front of the church, and what could have been a resulting "tone trap" at the top of the front display pipes and behind a choir arch seemed not to inhibit egress of the sound. The recital (enhanced by the accompaniment of birds tweeting outside) was made up of works by Chicago composers: Triumphal March (op. 26), Buck; Offertoire in g (op. 194), Havens; Prelude and Fugue in a, Eddy; "In a Village," "Serenade," and "The War Dance Festival," all from Impressions of the Philippine Islands by Moline. The first two pieces in this set featured the fine Oboe and Doppel Flute stops, while the ferocious final piece was accompanied by frantic fanning. The program continued with Meditation (op. 29), Cole; The Joy of the Redeemed, Dickinson; the hymn "O what their joy and their glory must be," sung by all as an appropriate follower for the Dickinson piece; and "Allegro con fuoco" from Sonata I, Borowski. Schnurr was obviously at home on this powerful Roosevelt, his playing being equally vigorous and brilliant while at the same time displaying an inner warmth and musicality. He is a fine young player who is receiving increasing recital exposure throughout the country. Congratulations are due to Stephen Schnurr for a fine performance, even while tending to the myriad of details as convention chairman. A note at the bottom of the page listing his recital program ended with " . . . he intends to spend the remainder of the summer walking the dunes and shores of southern Lake Michigan as soon as the convention is completed!" He has certainly earned that bit of luxury.

Our Indiana visit ended with dinner in a dining room at the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City. Some wondered if any OHSers visited the casino proper to try to recoup some convention expenses.

Saturday

The first event was a stunning recital by David Dahl on the magnificent two-manual tracker-pneumatic Roosevelt, Opus 494 of 1891, in historic St. James Roman Catholic Church, Chicago. Festive bell ringing from the lofty tower welcomed us to the church. Fortunately, neither the bell tower nor the Roosevelt was severely damaged in a disastrous fire the church suffered in 1972 except for some adverse effects to the organ of extreme heat and moisture. The organ is essentially unrestored (except for some work done in 1949) and was recently put into playing condition by Walter Bradford. Even though there are some stops that are still inoperative, it was enlightening to hear this 1891 Roosevelt of two manuals and compare it with the slightly larger three-manual Roosevelt of the same year heard just the evening before in Michigan City, Indiana. The St. James instrument benefits from installation in a high rear gallery in a lofty nave helping to give a comforting bloom to the sound in the now rather stark interior. After some heartfelt and warm welcoming comments by the pastor who has only recently received appointment to the parish, Dahl presented an outstanding performance of the following program: Trumpet Fanfare, Purcell (arr. Biggs); Allegro moderato maestoso, Mendelssohn; Dahl's own An English Suite Honoring the 18th-century English Organ Art containing "Voluntary for the Diapasons (With solemnity)," "Sarabande Air (With lyricism)," "Voluntary for the Cornet or the Trumpet (With playful spirit)," "Pastorale for the Flutes (With serenity)," and "Jigg (With jaunty humor);" Elegy, Thalben-Ball; the hymn "O praise ye the Lord" sung to the tune Happy Land; Aria, Howells; and Hymn Prelude on Song 22 of Orlando Gibbons, Stanford. Among the many features of this Roosevelt, long a favorite instrument in the area, are a big, assertive yet colorful Great Open Diapason, and a grand and incisive Great Trumpet. Dahl was at one with the organ throughout his program, and his accompaniment of the hymn was truly outstanding, leading both the Roosevelt and the congregation in subtle text breaths. This was some of the best hymn playing of the convention and a true hallmark of a fine musician.

The next event took place in the massive Basilica of Our Lady of Sorrows for  a recital played by Dana Robinson on what may be the largest surviving Lyon and Healy organ, their four-manual Opus 90 of 1902. The instrument received an OHS Historic Organ plaque in honor of its historical importance and the one hundredth anniversary of its installation. The vast interior with its 80-foot high barrel vault and nave of 230 feet is an example of opulent and breathtaking Renaissance revival architecture. The organ is divided on both sides of the wide half-dome chancel and fills the room with a warm and dignified sound. Robinson's program began with the singing of "Hail! Holy Queen," after which there was a short transition leading into the playing of the entire Symphonie III (op. 13, no. 3) by Widor. This was an appropriate choice since this huge work was well suited to the large and colorful sounds of the Lyon and Healy (on which, incidentally, Clarence Eddy had played the dedication recital), the massive ambiance of the building and Robinson's brilliant playing. The entire "package" worked wonderfully well. The artist obviously understood the organ, the room and the music. This was one of the most spectacular venues of the entire convention.

For a total change of pace, the group went to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Chicago, where James Russell Brown played very ably on a small tubular-pneumatic Lancashire-Marshall (their Opus 52 of 1891) which had been relocated by the Organ Clearing House and rebuilt for its present location by the Bradford Organ Company of Evanston in 1987. Placed on an angle at the rear of the church, some of its "innards" could be seen by those entering the building. With the help of a stop assistant, Brown organized the following program to display the potential of what could be accomplished on a modest yet flexible organ: the hymn "A song of creation" sung by all to the tune Whitehead, followed by a setting of the same tune by Locklair; Ciacona in e, Buxtehude; Sur "La, Mi, Re," anonymous English, 16th century; Scherzo, Gigout; "The peace may be exchanged" from Rubrics, Locklair; Angels (Chaconne), Ferko; and Fugue in F (BWV 540), Bach. Once more, the organist must have suffered greatly from the extreme heat but his performance was musical and assured, and communicated his joy in playing (perhaps aided by the twittering of more birds).

Frederick Beal then performed the following program on a rare Burlington Organ Company tracker built in Burlington, Iowa, in 1903, and placed in a recess at the left front of the Living Sanctuary of Faith Church in suburban Oak Park. His program: Voluntary in c, Greene; Meine Seele erhebt den Herren from Schübler Chorales and Fugue in g (The Little), both by Bach; "Fidelis" from Four Extemporizations for Organ, Whitlock; "I am black but comely, O ye Daughters of Jerusalem" and "How Fair and how Pleasant art Thou" from Fifteen Pieces for Organ, Dupré; Voluntary on St. Columba, and Prelude on Hyfrydol, both by Willan, preceding the hymn "Love divine, all loves excelling" sung to the tune Hyfrydol. Thanks to work done by the Berghaus Organ Company and the loving ministrations of Fred Beal, the organ, in spite of its somewhat closeted enclosure and the fact that it still needs restoration, acquitted itself quite well. Beal noted that there had been a problem with the organ bench squeaking and that tightening repairs did not seem to do the trick, whereupon someone suggested that perhaps an application of a bit of sacred olive oil from the communion table might work. Permission was granted, and the offending noises were quite mitigated. This is the only instance we could recall of an anointed organ bench at an OHS convention.

Jonathan B. Hall then presented the final recital of the afternoon in St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Forest Park on the landmark three-manual Aeolian-Skinner (Op. 1235, 1954) with floating positiv supplied by Berghaus in 1976. As a result of the continuing heat and humidity, several conventioneers drifted in and out of "the arms of Morpheus" during the playing of the following program: Concerto in a minor (after Vivaldi), Bach; Offertoire, Truette; the haunting Lotus by Strayhorn (arr. Wyton); the hymn "O love, how deep, how broad, how high" sung to the tune Deus tuorum militum, followed by Sowerby's Prelude on the same melody. The organ with its "pipes in the open" arrangement in the rear gallery, together with the added Rückpositiv on the gallery, gives a visually stunning effect in this highly decorated, vaulted and reverberant church. Hall obviously understood the potential of both organ and the wonderful room. This event was an exciting climax to an active series of performances before we went to Oak Park for the Annual Meeting, a barbecue dinner and the evening recital.

OHS President Michael Barone efficiently chaired the meeting which, in addition to the usual business items and reports from the treasurer and executive director, contained announcements concerning the modest expansion of oversight of the OHS publications, both books and periodicals, including our official quarterly, The Tracker. At this time also, this year's Biggs Fellows, Michael Banks from South Bend, Indiana, and Charles Creech from West Monroe, Louisiana, were introduced. The E. Power Biggs Fellowship was founded to allow deserving interested people to attend a national OHS convention who might otherwise not have been able to do so. Over the years, this function of the Society has resulted in many of the recipients having gone on to careers in music as performers, church musicians, scholars, or organ builders. In fact, Patrick J. Murphy, the first recipient of a Biggs Fellowship in 1978, and now a highly respected professional organ builder in Pennsylvania, was at this convention. The Distinguished Service Award went to Julie Stephens, who over the years has done exceptionally fine work and performed many tasks for the OHS. She also happened to be in charge of the committee responsible for seeing to arranging for all of the varied dinners and box lunches provided during this week.

After a sumptuous barbecue dinner served at Oak Park's First Baptist Church, many conventioneers took advantage of a short stroll to the First Methodist Church where its 1925 four-manual E.M. Skinner (Opus 528) "open console" was generously hosted by the church's organist, Michael Shawgo, who had done the demonstration of the small Aeolian organ in the Chapel of Disciples Divinity House earlier in the week. The Skinner, though distinguished and serviceable, is awaiting restoration.

The Arts Center of Oak Park (formerly First Church of Christ, Scientist) and its three-manual Kimball of 1916 with a later Austin console was the site of an evening recital by Christa Rakich. Her program, interspersed with verbal comments that were both informative and entertaining, follows: Prelude and Fugue in d (op. 16, no. 3), Clara Schumann; the Suffragette hymn, "March of the Women," Smyth (sung lustily by all); Répons pour le Temps de Pâques--Victimae Pascali Laudes, and "Rorate Coeli," "Hosanna Filio David," "Domini Jesu," and "Veni Creator Spiritus," all by Demessieux; Nocturne, Tailleferre; and Trois Préludes et Fugues (op. 7), Dupré, performed in the following order: G minor, F minor, B Major. Peter Sykes assisted as page-turner and occasional cipher stopper, and now and then emerged "from the woodwork" (actually an anteroom) to tend to other mechanical ghosts. The selections, except for the Dupré works, were pieces by women composers. The program suited the organ well in spite of a mixture that tended to separate itself from the ensemble and a particularly huge and annoying sixteen-foot pedal stop that set up extensive vibrations in the room, and which frequently obscured the upper pitches. It is quite possible that the artist was not aware of these particular problems as the console is situated off to one side of the platform and is in a somewhat sunken valley where balances might have been difficult to perceive. Ms. Rakich's energetic performance elicited an appreciative standing ovation.

Sunday

The organizers of the convention wisely left the earlier part of this day open for those who wished either to attend churches in the area or to indulge in a late morning. The events started with Lee Orr's lecture, "Dudley Buck in Chicago." Since Orr is deeply involved in the music of this noteworthy nineteenth and early twentieth century American organist and composer, it was fitting that he present this topic to our convention, particularly since Buck had spent some time working in Chicago before returning to New England and New York after the calamitous Chicago fire of 1871. Buck was apparently well known as a virtuoso with an especially "facile and quiet" pedal technique. One looks forward to Orr's publishing the results of his research, both with regard to Buck's music as well as his biography. The profession needs continuing scholarly studies of performers and composers like Dudley Buck and Clarence Eddy (see the comments on William Osborne's presentations noted earlier in this report) to help fill in our gaps of knowledge about these important and once highly popular figures.

The group then moved to the Epworth United Methodist Church where John W.W. Sherer (organist and director of Music for Chicago's landmark Fourth Presbyterian Church) presented the following program, "Chicago Composers: Past and Present," on a fine 1930 Möller, Opus 5881: Fanfare, Proulx; "Flourish" from Suite for Organ, DeLamarter; A Song of Gratitude, Cole; "Communion" from Ferko's Missa O Ecclesia; Bred dina vida vingar, Webster; Prelude on a Melody by Sowerby, Simmons; the magnificent Pageant by Sowerby, and the hymn "This is the Spirit's entry now" sung by all to Sowerby's tune Perry. The organ, with its hefty reeds, vigorous full ensemble and lovely soft work, had been a gift of the Barnes family which included the famous William H. Barnes, who had been organist at this church and was known throughout the organ world for his many writings and the several editions of his book, The Contemporary American Organ. As usual, Sherer communicated both the demanding and subtle qualities of the program through utilizing both his remarkable virtuoso technique and his sensitive musical sense to serve the requirements of the music. He is a terrific musician.

The rest of the day's program took place in Evanston and environs, beginning with Philip Gehring's warmly received recital on a two-manual tracker built in 1974 by Lawrence Phelps and Associates for St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, Skokie. His program: Passacaglia, Buxtehude; O Mensch, bewein dein' Sünde gross (BWV 622), Bach, which featured elegant ornamentation on the Sesquialtera; this was followed by Pepping's setting of the same chorale melody and featured a solo line on the Principal; Benedictus--Cromome en Taille, Couperin; the Passacaglia of Near followed by the audience singing the hymn "Now thank we all our God" sung to the usual melody by Crüger. Sectional works such as variations, chaconnes and passacaglias are particularly good choices for events such as these as they allow opportunities to display both solo colors and various ensemble combinations. The rear gallery organ with its detached console and beautifully designed case filled the modestly sized room with strong, bright and colorful sound.

The next stop was the small St. Andrew Episcopal Church in Evanston where Ruth Tweeten presented the following short recital on the church's dandy little Lyon and Healy organ, Opus 174, of 1905: Voluntary in D, Croft; Chorale Prelude on Rhosymedre, Vaughan Williams; Jesus is tenderly calling, Open My Eyes that I May See, and This is My Father's World, all by Diemer; Voluntary in d (Diapasons), Walond; Siciliano (Swell Flutes), Alcock; Voluntary in D (Full Organ), Avison; and the hymn "Jesus is tenderly calling thee home" sung to a tune by George Stebbins. This diminutive "stock model" two-manual tracker of seven stops, restored by Bradford Organ Company with volunteer assistance from members of the Chicago-Midwest Chapter of the OHS, acquitted itself well under Ruth Tweeten's expert hands. Her fine, sensitive playing and creative registration showed what can be accomplished on an organ with only seven ranks. There were many such organs that served small churches well, and this one continues to do so under the watchful and enthusiastic care of this caring congregation. Prior to the program, Susan Friesen presented an OHS Historic Organ citation to the parish's articulate and appreciative rector.

Brian Harlow, recently named assistant organist at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, New York, and who had served prior to that appointment as interim director of music, organist and choirmaster at his Alma Mater, the Groton School in Groton, Massachusetts, played an outstanding recital on the well balanced Skinner (Opus 616) of 1927 in the First Congregatonal Church, Evanston. His program: Variations de Concert (op. 1, 1908), Bonnet; "Muzette" from Six pièces (op. 70, 1891), Bossi; Berceuse, op. 16, Fauré (trans. Commette); the hymn "The church's one foundation" sung to the tune Aurelia; and "Finale" from Sonata I by Harwood. Harlow is obviously one of the rising young stars on the organ scene and played magnificently on this beautiful and dignified Skinner that benefits also from being in a particularly good room. Once again, here is an artist who also knows how to play and lead a hymn--his subtle phrasings helped give life to the singing. As a virtuoso, his "horsepower" was well demonstrated in the infamous pedal cadenza near the end of the Bonnet Variations; it was done with both vigor and ease.

After a "dinner on your own" time to sample the various culinary delights in Evanston, we went to St. Luke's Episcopal Church for the feature event of the evening, a thrilling performance by Thomas Murray on the magnificently restored Skinner, Opus 327 of 1922. Details of the phases of its restoration by the A. Thompson-Allen Company of New Haven have been published elsewhere recently, but suffice it to say that here is what one might perceive as a "freshly-minted" (albeit eighty-year-old) E.M. Skinner. Everything seems just right, and the tuning, in spite of the continuing heat and thanks to the fact that Nick Thompson-Allen had been on site for several days, was tight and secure. The instrument, always a landmark in Skinner's output, is truly a monument. After some introductory welcoming remarks by Richard Webster, organist and choirmaster of St. Luke's, Murray played the following program: Fugue in g (K. 401), Mozart; Six Trios (op. 47, 1900), Reger; Two Preludes on Welsh Folk Tunes (1956), Romanza: The White Rock and Toccata: St. David's Day, Vaughan Williams; Sonata I (1904), Borowski; the hymn "Blessed be the God of Israel" sung to the tune Thornberry; followed by Vocalise, Rachmaninoff (trans. Potts); and Sonata Eroïca (op. 94, 1930), Jongen. The event was a perfect match of organ, program and artist. Murray justly received a tumultuous standing ovation.

Monday

The final day of the convention began with a short recital by former OHS President Kristin Gronning Farmer on a three-manual tubular-pneumatic Lyon and Healy, Opus 29 of 1898 in Lake View Presbyterian Church, Chicago. The organ has had some restorative repairs by the Bradford Organ Company and sounds quite good in this modernized and sympathetic room. The program began with the singing of the hymn "Not here for high and holy things" to the tune Morning Song, followed by Chaconne in e, Buxtehude; Herzlich tut mich verlangen, Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern and Mach hoch die Tür, die tor macht weit from Zehn Choralvorspiele (op. 77) by Georg Schumann; "Une femme pieuse essuie la face de Jésus" from Le chemin de la croix, Dupré; and concluded with Concerto in D, FXII/15 ("The Guitar Concerto"), Vivaldi. In spite of a few mechanical problems and with the assistance of her husband, John Farmer, Ms. Farmer played in her usual forthright and musical way and featured the considerably fine colors of this straight, modest-sized instrument.

Next, the large two-manual Johnson & Son tracker, Opus 690 of 1888, in Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church was played with verve and understanding by Christine Marshall Kraemer, the church's organist and choir director. The instrument was restored by the Bradford Organ Company in 1987 and received an OHS Historic Organ plaque to commemorate its centennial in 1988. This is one of only two Johnson organs remaining in Chicago of the many that firm installed in this city (see the articles, "Chicago, A Johnson Town" written for The Tracker, Vol. 10, No. 2 and No. 3, 1966 by the late F.R. Webber). Ms. Kraemer's program follows: Voluntary in D, Boyce; "Andante religioso" from Mendelsssohn's Sonata IV (op. 65, no. 4); Noël sur les flûtes, d'Aquin; O wie selig seid ihr doch, ihr Frommen and O Gott, du frommer Gott from Elf Choralvorspiele, Brahms; "Adagio" from Fantaisie in C, Franck; and the chorale prelude Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme by Walther prior to the singing of the hymn, "Sleepers, wake! A voice astounds us" to the Wachet auf tune. Under Ms. Kraemer's expert control, the Johnson sounded quite typical and acquitted itself well in the somewhat dead room. We often need to be reminded that many fine nineteenth-century American organs were designed, voiced and installed in less than what we might consider favorable acoustical surroundings, yet they often sounded both grand and colorful--a tribute to the art of those builders of the past. This instrument served as just such a reminder.

The last event of the morning was a short but delightful recital played by Elizabeth Naegele on a fine and firm-sounding tubular-pneumatic Austin, Opus 172 of 1906 in St. Paul Community Church (originally St. Paul Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church), Chicago. The instrument, situated in a front corner of the room and angled toward the center of the congregation, has had a few tonal rearrangements and revisions, but has the overall fine Austin ensemble except for a two-foot fifteenth which is a bit strong when used with a super coupler. Ms. Naegele, with the help of one of her young and enthusiastic organ students as page turner and stop assistant, gave a rousing and energetic performance of the following program: Overture to Die Meistersinger, Wagner (arr. Karg-Elert, adapt. Morris), followed by the singing of the hymn "Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing" to the tune Azmon; Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele and Herzlich tut mich erfreuen from Elf Choralvorspiele, op. 122, Brahms; "Nicaea," "Ash Grove," "Ajalon" or "Redhead," and "Saint Kevin" from Four Hymn Voluntaries, Leavitt; and Fiat Lux, Dubois. Ms. Naegele's joy in playing brought a palpable uplifting effect to the program.

After yet another box luncheon, this time in the undercroft of the monumental St. Mary of the Angels Roman Catholic Church, Chicago, the group assembled in the upper church where James Hammann played a superlative recital on the highly unified Kimball of 1920 situated grandly in the rear gallery of this magnificent church. Designed to approximate one-sixth the scale of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome it is, as a result, the largest Catholic church in the state of Illinois. Closed for a time, considered unsafe and destined for demolition, the gigantic multi-domed building has been beautifully restored and is a monument to the faith and persistence of the parish and the priests of the Prelature of Opus Dei. Hammann always rises to the occasion in vast enclosures such as this, and brilliantly played the following program: Fantasie in Freiem Stile No. 4 in e (op. 133), Merkel (dedicated to Clarence Eddy); "Adagio molto espressivo" from Sonata No. 2 in g (op. 77), Buck (also dedicated to Clarence Eddy); and Choral varíe sur le theme du Veni Creator (op. 4), Duruflé (programmed in commemoration of the centennial of the composer's birth). The glory of this final piece was the fact that those in attendance were invited to sing the unaccompanied chant (provided in our Hymn Supplement) alternately with the Duruflé variations. Doing so provided a totally different dimension to the work than is felt when it is simply performed in straight concert format. The result was elevating in its effect, thanks to the fact that Gregorian chant is a natural expression in a space such as this with the room helping to act as support for the pitch. Thanks are due to James Hammann for coming up with the idea. It worked spectacularly well. Prior to the recital, Michael Friesen presented an OHS Historic Organ plaque to the appreciative pastor of St. Mary's.

Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church in Chicago was the locale for the next event, a recital by Timothy Edward Smith on a rare Van Dinter organ of 1909 situated in the rear gallery of this highly decorated and well-maintained air-conditioned church. This latter feature came as a very welcome relief to the conventioneers as well as, I am sure, to the performer who presented a beautifully played recital on an organ with a surprisingly conservatively designed stoplist for its time. The large 37-rank two-manuals boasts not only a Twelfth and Fifteenth on the Great, but also a three-rank Mixture as well as an 8' Trumpet and 4' Clarion, a complete Pedal division (up through a 4' Octave and including a 51⁄3' Quint), and a large Swell division containing a variety of eight and four-foot colors as well as a Dolce Cornet. The original tracker action has been electrified and a new console supplied. The OHS had visited another and somewhat smaller yet equally bold and colorful Van Dinter organ played by Rosalind Mohnsen during the Kentuckiana convention. (See the Organ Handbook 1993, pp. 78-81.) Timothy Smith received a justly deserved standing ovation for his fine musical and vigorous playing of the following program: Solemn Melody, Davies; Ciacona in c, Buxtehude; Canzona on Liebster Jesu, Purvis; Funeral March of the Marionette, Gounod (trans. Smith); "Fantasia et Fuga" from Sonata Cromatica, Yon; followed by the hymn "Praise to God, immortal praise" sung to the tune Dix. Smith has performed frequently at OHS conventions and always with wonderful results. Hear him if you can, either in a "live" recital or on CD.

The final recital of the afternoon was presented by Sally Cherrington Beggs on a relocated large two-manual Hutchings, Opus 269, of 1892 located in St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, Chicago. Originally installed in Cambridgeport, Massachusetts, it was rescued through the Organ Clearing House, relocated and reconstructed with some additions for St. Joseph's by the Bradford Organ Company. Ms. Beggs gave a lively and enjoyable performance of the following program: the hymn "Come now, and praise the humble saint" sung to the tune Land of Rest; Fantasie über Ein Feste Burg (op. 13), Paine; "Rondo Ostinato," "Sarabande" and "Rhythmic Trumpet," all from Baroques, Bingham; Sweet Sixteenths--A Concert Rag for Organ, Albright; and On an Ancient Alleluia, Bitgood. The organ, though considerably altered, still has the Hutchings "heft" and color.

For the final event of the convention, the group assembled in the vast First Baptist Congregational Church in the Union Park section of Chicago to hear Peter Sykes, a perennial favorite, in a major recital on the church's large four-manual, totally enclosed seventy-seven rank Kimball, Opus 6949 of 1927. The organ, with a case from the church's previous 1871 three-manual Hook and Hastings, is receiving some ongoing restoration work by the Bradford Organ Company. Its central location in a front gallery and surrounded by a variety of additional instruments, both acoustic and electronic, is ideal for projection into the entire large church, and Sykes took advantage of this feature in the following program: Sonata III, Hindemith; Rhapsody (op. 17, no. 1, 1915), "Moderato tranquillo," Howells; Sonata No. 2 in d (1914), Prokofiev (trans. Sykes); the hymn "Come all you thirsty" sung to a tune composed by Peter Sykes; Scherzo-Fantasia (1960), McKinley; Clair de lune (op. 53, no. 5), Vierne; and Suite, Duruflé. While coping with what appeared to be a problem with balky swell shades, Sykes' virtuoso playing and demanding program obviously delighted the audience which rose to its collective feet in appreciation. As part of the event, Michael Friesen awarded an OHS Historic Organ plaque to the organist and pastor of the church. During the intermission, OHS Vice President Scot Huntington eloquently ex-pressed appreciation to the convention committee and to its chairman, Stephen Schnurr, for the years of work that went into the planning and ultimate realization of a very successful convention. Huntington noted that, since Schnurr is a native of Kentucky, he might enjoy (and certainly deserved) a gift of premier Kentucky sipping whiskey as tangible evidence of the Society's gratitude for a job exceptionally well done. One hopes that Schnurr will enjoy this as much as he will roaming the dunes of northern Indiana (see the note at the end of the report of his recital in Michigan City on June 28).

Each OHS convention has its own personality, and all are enjoyable, both from the standpoint of hearing a variety of noteworthy instruments well-played and renewing acquaintances with those who share one's interest in the OHS and its aims. The 2003 convention will be in south central Pennsylvania June 19-25, with headquarters in Harrisburg. Buffalo, New York, will be the site for the 2004 convention slated to run from June 14-24. Plan to attend a future OHS convention--you will not be disappointed. Both fun and enlightenment will be in store!

 

(Because of travel delays, the reviewer was unable to hear the opening event of the convention. The comments are distilled from those furnished by OHS members who were in attendance.)

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