Santa Barbara's Trinity Episcopal Church celebrates centenary with Cornerstone Concert November 4

David Arthur Sansome Gell, 70 years old, died March 2, 2014, in Santa Barbara, California. Born in Alberta, Canada, his musical journey began at age 8 as a boy chorister in an Edmonton, Alberta, church. After immigrating to Alhambra, California, he began organ lessons at age 13.

Gell attended California State University at Los Angeles, majoring in history and music; he graduated in 1966 from Azusa Pacific University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music, studying organ and theory with Gerald Faber. He did graduate study at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, the University of Hawaii (Manoa), and with Emma Lou Diemer at the University of California at Santa Barbara. During the Viet Nam conflict, he served on board the USS Klondike, and as organist and assistant to the Pacific Fleet Chaplain in Pearl Harbor. 

David Gell served as organist and choirmaster at churches in Monrovia, California, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, First Congregational Church, and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Santa Barbara. His greatest distinction was as Minister of Music, Organist and Composer-in-Residence of Trinity Episcopal Church, Santa Barbara. During his 30-year tenure, he helped create several community concert series, including an Advent Series, Old Spanish Days Fiesta with La Música Antigua de España, Young Artists Concerts, and music and organ demonstrations to school children. He served as organist-in-residence at major cathedrals in Britain during five concert tours with the Santa Barbara Boys Choir. 

Active in the American Guild of Organists, he had served as dean, sub-dean, and treasurer of chapters in Hawaii and Santa Barbara. He performed in Canada, Louisiana, Hawaii, and California, including at Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles and AGO regional conventions. He established the local chapter of the Choral Conductors Guild and served as founder, first conductor, and president of the board of the Santa Barbara Master Chorale.

David Gell composed works for orchestra, vocal solo, choral anthems and cantatas, concertos for instruments, fanfares, an organ sonata, string quartet, chorale preludes, and hymn introductions and intonations for the Episcopal Church’s 1982 Hymnal. Gell generously shared his scores, interpretation ideas, and ingenious methods of registration and of managing multiple pages of scores. His memorial service included music by his favorite composers—Buxtehude, Stanley, Handel, and Emma Lou Diemer. Two of his own organ compositions were included: “Meditation on Picardy” and “Toccata on ‘Only begotten, Word of God.’” In honor of his service in the Navy, Taps was played. 

David Arthur Sansome Gell is survived by his wife of 45 years, Carolyn Gell. Memorial contributions may be made to the Azusa Pacific University School of Music, Organ Scholarship Advancement, P.O. Box 7000, Azusa, CA 91702-7000.

—Charles Talmadge

Perry G. Parrigin, 88, passed away December 26, 2013, in Columbia, Missouri. Born in Paintsville, Kentucky, he received his bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Kentucky in 1947 and his master’s degree in organ from Indiana University in 1949. Following his military service at Fort Knox, Kentucky, as a chaplain’s assistant, he studied under Robert Baker at Union Theological Seminary in New York, and at the University of Colorado. Parrigin moved to Columbia in 1953 to teach music theory and organ at the University of Missouri; he retired from the university in 1989 as Professor Emeritus, and became organist and choirmaster at the Missouri United Methodist Church, serving in that role from 1953–1963 and from 1980–1997 as organist. During his tenure he oversaw the renovation and expansion of the church’s Skinner organ. He was named Organist Emeritus in 2000. Parrigin was a longtime member of the Kiwanis Club and the American Guild of Organists. Perry G. Parrigin was preceded in death by his wife of 32 years, Elizabeth, and is survived by several nieces and nephews. 

Robert L. Town, professor of organ emeritus at Wichita State University, died on December 10, 2013. He was a master teacher, recitalist, and consultant during his long and productive career. (See Lorenz Maycher, “A Conversation with Robert Town,” The Diapason, May 2008.) Born October 31, 1937, in Waterman, Wisconsin, his interest in the pipe organ began at age three, when he attended church for the first time. At age 12, he headed a successful campaign to purchase a Hammond organ for his church, and at 15, he was appointed organist at First Baptist Church in Weedsport, New York. Town received his Bachelor of Music degree in 1960 from the Eastman School of Music, studying with Catharine Crozier. He entered Syracuse University as a master’s student of Arthur Poister, graduating in 1962 and continuing his studies there while filling a one-year vacancy in the department. Later, he continued his doctoral work with Marilyn Mason at the University of Michigan. At age 25, Town won the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artist Competition, over two finalists ten years his senior; this led to his national debut as a recitalist in a career playing in the United States, Canada, and Europe, including at the Kennedy Center, St. Thomas Church for the New York World’s Fair, and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. 

Town became chairman of the Wichita State University organ department in 1965 and taught until he retired in 2006. His students were successful in prestigious competitions over a 20-year period, including two winners at Fort Wayne in addition to nine finalists at the Ruth and Clarence Mader competition (Pasadena), the Gruenstein competition (Chicago), and the national undergraduate competition in Ottumwa (Iowa). Two students won international competitions and three were selected as Fulbright Scholars. Perhaps his greatest achievement was in securing the four-manual, 63-stop, 85-rank Marcussen tracker pipe organ at Wichita State University in 1987. Marcussen and Son had never produced an instrument in the United States but were persuaded when told that Wiedemann Recital Hall (named for the organ’s benefactor, Gladys Wiedemann) would be erected specifically to house the organ. In 1994, the Rie Bloomfield Recital Series was endowed on the campus.

Professor Town’s estate provided a bequest to establish the Robert L. Town Distinguished Professorship in organ, a position currently held by Professor Lynne Davis, and provided for the ongoing maintenance of the Marcussen. Ten years before his death, Town made an endowed gift to keep all of the practice organs on the campus well maintained. Memorials may be sent to Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, 313 S. Market, Wichita, KS 67202 or the Marcussen Organ Maintenance Fund, c/o WSU Foundation, 1845 N. Fairmount, Wichita, KS 67260. 

A New Series of Organ Music Established by MorningStar Music Publishers

Marilyn Biery, DMA, AAGO, is Associate Director of Music at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, Minnesota. An ardent supporter of composers and performer of new music, she has collaborated with Libby Larsen, Stephen Paulus, David Evan Thomas, James Hopkins, Pamela Decker, and others. She is editor of the new Concert Organ Music Series at MorningStar Music. Biery earned Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in organ from Northwestern University, and her Doctorate from the University of Minnesota.

It was a frustrating two years of hopeful submissions and
disappointing rejections. Imagine--you are a performer and enthusiast of
new music and you have just been given the greatest gift: a piece of music
written and dedicated to you! You so emphatically believe this composition
should be shared with the world that you do everything you can to find the
piece a publisher, only to be told that it is “a wonderful piece that
won’t sell” or “beautifully written, but the sales it would generate
in today’s market wouldn’t offset the cost of printing it.”

In the spring of 1999, Jim (Biery) and I were given the gift
of an organ duet by one of our composer friends, David Evan Thomas of St. Paul.
Written in the Dust is a symphony for organ duet, written by a versatile composer
whose works have been performed by the Minnesota Orchestra and the Minnesota
Opera, who is Composer-in-Residence at the Schubert Club in St. Paul, and whose
undergraduate years of study at Northwestern University included organ lessons
with Robert Delcamp, currently University Organist at University of the South
in Sewanee, Tennessee. Written in the Dust is
a semi-programmatic work based on the scripture story from John 8: 3-11
about the woman who is caught in adultery, whose punishment was to be stoned
for her sin. Jim and I are convinced that Thomas’ duet is one of the
finest examples of literature written for the genre. We were so excited about Written
in the Dust that after the premiere, I
started sending it off to various publishers for consideration. I tried
publishers in the United States, England and France. All were very impressed
with the work; none agreed to publish it.

In the fall of 2001, I broached my frustration to Mark
Lawson, President of MorningStar Music Publishers. MorningStar was founded in
1987 by Rodney Schrank; in 1997 Mark Lawson became president and has continued
the MorningStar tradition of publishing quality music with particular emphasis
on choral, organ and handbell music. Not only did Lawson agree to publish it,
he suggested that we start a series of music that would fit into this category:
Concert Organ Series at MorningStar. The series would include pieces that were
not composed for worship (although some portions or movements could be used as
such), that would be primarily non-chorale based, more virtuosic, more
extended, and more developed than the music currently published by the houses
which promote (primarily sacred) organ music in the United States today. Lawson
says: “I would like this series to encourage composers to continue to
create concert works, and MorningStar will endeavor to make them available to
those interested in obtaining them.”

The reason that Lawson could suggest such a project without
as much concern for its potential to return the publisher’s investment is
that his investment is minimal. Technology today has made it practical for
composers to print their own publisher-ready scores using a computer program,
and therefore submit camera-ready copy. Some publishers use this system often,
others still have their own engraver convert the computer file so that it
matches their other printed scores. In the case of MorningStar, Lawson decided
to ask each Concert Organ Series composer to submit their score camera-ready,
and then MorningStar would print the copies as needed instead of committing to
a set number of printed copies.

What Lawson has done with the formation of this series is to
make a commitment to supporting composers who are writing for the organ as a
concert instrument, by advertising and making their works available through his
catalog of music for the church. Since the beginnings of the idea in 2001, the
catalog has grown to include music by Herb Bielawa, James Biery, Emma Lou
Diemer, Charles Hoag, James Hopkins, Robert Sirota, David Evan Thomas, and
others.

Emma Lou Diemer, 1995 AGO Composer of the Year, has had
numerous collections of organ pieces published.  In addition to her organ music, Diemer has written many
works for orchestra, chamber ensemble, solo voice, choir and electronic tape. She
has received an ASCAP award for publications and performances annually since
1962. Diemer says of the Concert Series: “This venture by MorningStar is
producing a treasury of new music that every concert organist will want to
delve into.”1

Herb Bielawa is a free-lance composer and pianist, married
to organist Sandra Soderlund. He has written music for instrumental ensembles,
piano, harpsichord, organ, choir, electronics, chamber opera, band and
orchestra. Bielawa recently remarked on the MorningStar series:
“MorningStar’s new series is certainly a beacon in a very dark sky.
Their bravery in embarking on this kind of project to support serious classical
music is truly laudable.”2

James Hopkins, Professor of Music Composition at the
University of Southern California, whose compositions have been performed by
the National Symphony, Denver Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Seattle
Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Fine Arts Quartet, the Western Arts Trio and the
Washington Choral Society, has received commissions from the National Endowment
for the Arts, Pasadena Chamber Orchestra and the American Guild of Organists.
Hopkins says: “I am very pleased that MorningStar provides an outlet for
music which, because of its technical demands, duration, or other elements will
necessarily not have a large commercial market. Nevertheless, this music, I
hope, merits serious attention by those whose abilities and performance venues
make these compositions entirely appropriate.”3

John Nuechterlein, President and Chief Executive Officer at
the American Composers Forum, based at the home office in St. Paul, is
supportive and enthusiastic about MorningStar’s new series: “Three
cheers to MorningStar for taking this giant leap forward. New work is critical
for the long-term health of the repertoire, and the Concert Organ Series will
offer a visible showcase for the best literature being written for organ
today.”4

Libby Larsen, American composer and tireless advocate for
contemporary music and musicians, says: “To challenge ourselves with the
compelling poetic voices of our time is really the only choice for serious
students and performers of the organ.”5

This new series deserves to thrive under the good will and
support of organists at all levels of experience and technical expertise. Organists
can support this project by collecting these scores either for performance or
for personal libraries of organ music. The list of pieces currently offered by
MorningStar on the Concert Series follows, with some description of each work.

MorningStar Concert Organ Series list of works

Organ Solo:

A Diet of Worms, Michael Horvit

Subtitled “An Entertainment for All Hallows Eve and
Other Cheery Occasions,” A Diet of Worms was written for the first annual
“Monster Concert” of the Houston Chapter of the American Guild of
Organists, held on Halloween night 1979. The title is a play on words, relating
to the two main themes employed in the work. The main body of the piece is a
passacaglia based on the children’s song “The worms crawl in, the
worms crawl out” (the tune from Paul Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s
Apprentice). The other important theme is the chant melody Dies Irae from the
pre-Vatican II Requiem Mass, which Hector Berlioz used as the “Witches
Sabbath” theme in his Symphonie fantastique. In the composer’s mind,
this made a connection to the medieval Church conclave, the Diet of Worms.

h2>Celestial Wind, Robert Sirota

In composing Celestial Wind, Sirota was inspired to write a
brilliant toccata based upon Acts 2:2-3:

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven of a rushing and
mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire,
and it sat upon each of them.

Sirota’s aim was not merely to imitate the sound of
rushing wind and flames, but to also evoke the sense of awe and ecstasy that
must have been felt by Jesus’ disciples at this manifestation of the Holy
Spirit. (Example 1)

Cityscape, Morgan Simmons

Cityscape dates from 1992 and was composed for inclusion in
an organ recital of Chicago composers as part of the Fourth Presbyterian
Church’s annual Festival of the Arts. The theme of that year’s
festival was “Faces of the City.” This three-movement work, which
depicts facets of the city, is based on a three-note descending scale (C-B-A),
the opening notes of the popular song, “Chicago, Chicago, That
Toddlin’ Town.” Coincidentally, this same melodic sequence marks
the beginning of Old Hundredth, and a citation of that melody occurs in the
third movement. The Fourth Presbyterian Church is located on the part of North
Michigan Avenue which is known as “The Magnificent Mile.” Each of
its Sunday morning services begins with the singing of Old Hundredth, sung to
the text of the Doxology. The first performance of Cityscape was played by
David Schrader, to whom it is dedicated.

Overture to Coriolan, op. 62, Ludwig van Beethoven, arranged
for organ by James Biery

Beethoven composed nine symphonies, eleven overtures, a
violin concerto and five piano concertos, sixteen string quartets, nine piano
trios, ten violin sonatas and five cello sonatas, thirty large piano sonatas,
an oratorio, an opera, two Masses, and numerous smaller pieces, but only one
curious work for the pipe organ, an odd little Prelude which passes through all
the major keys. In 1824 Beethoven wrote to Freudenberg, an organist from
Breslau, “I, too, played the organ frequently in my youth, but my nerves
could not withstand the power of this gigantic instrument. I should place an
organist who is master of his instrument at the very head of all
virtuosi.”6 The opening unison C’s and exclamatory chords of the
Coriolan overture, each followed by some of the most resounding rests in all of
music literature, allow the magnificent King of Instruments to add its own
voice to Beethoven’s powerful music.

Deux Danses, James Hopkins

Hopkins’ Deux Danses for organ was composed in 1983
and was premiered by James Walker at the AGO Far-Western Regional convention in
June of that year. The titles for each of the dances were suggested by two
legends from Greek mythology. The title of the first dance, Mirror of Medusa,
refers to the tale of the Medusa. She was one of the three fearsome monsters
called Gorgons. Her body was covered with scales, her hair was a mass of
twisting snakes, and whoever looked at her turned into stone. In the legend,
Medusa was slain by the Greek hero Perseus, who used a shield of polished
bronze as a mirror with which to see her. The title of the second dance, The
Circle of Bacchants, refers to the followers of Bacchus, the God of Wine. The
Bacchants, being frenzied with wine, rushed through the wilderness
“uttering shrill cries and performing frightful deeds.” (Example 2)

Fantasy on Cortège et Litanie of Marcel Dupré,
James Hopkins

The Fantasy on Cortège et Litanie of Marcel
Dupré was composed in 1986 as a solo piece for concert organist Cherry
Rhodes and first performed by her in October, 1989, at Grace Cathedral, San
Francisco. Because of the very orchestral nature of the writing, the composer
decided in 1994 to recast the work in a second version for small orchestra. The
Fantasy is based on the two main themes of the well-known work Cortège
et Litanie of Dupré. Even though one or both of these themes is almost
always present in some form, there is in fact no direct quotation from the
original work. The harmonic style, while incorporating some fairly dissonant
combinations, nevertheless retains Dupré’s original E major tonal
framework. The first part of the Fantasy consists of several short sections
that evoke a vague, dream-like atmosphere. After a brief cadenza, the
rhythmically driving central portion of the work is heard. A short
recapitulation of earlier material and a final triumphant outburst bring the
Fantasy to a joyous conclusion. Hopkins’ Fantasy won first prize in an
international composition contest sponsored by the Los Angeles Chapter of the
AGO.

Five Pipe Organ Adventures, Herbert Bielawa

This set of relatively short organ pieces dates from 1993
and was written for specific groups of musicians: those who have recently
become interested in the pipe organ, those who have yet to discover it and
those who are intrigued by the pieces themselves. The Adventures were composed
with a capable keyboard player in mind, with minimal skill or experience
playing pedals. The pedal parts are fairly basic and undemanding. The number of
pedal notes in Adventures is limited, changing foot position occurs when manual
activity is minimal, and occasionally no pedal is required at all.

Four Biblical Settings, Emma Lou Diemer

This major work was commissioned by the Ventura, California
chapter of the AGO. The four movements feature a variety of styles, including
minimalism, rhythmic innovation, and subtle dissonances. It was premiered on
June 30, 1993 by Sandra Soderlund in Santa Barbara. The movements are based on
Psalm 90, Psalm 121, Isaiah 11:1 and Isaiah 35:1. The first movement is in a
minimalist style and is innovative in the way that the increments in
“volume” of the crescendo pedal are used not only for drama but to
define the phrase structure of the movement and to express the imagery in Psalm
90. The second movement (Psalm 121) has expressive, upward bending lines. The
third movement (Isaiah 11) weaves in the chorale “Jesu, meine
Freude.” The last movement (Isaiah 35) is characteristically joyful and
rhythmic in its use of various groupings of eighth-note patterns. (Example 3)

Metopes, James Hopkins

Commissioned by the Far West Regional Convention of the
American Guild of Organists, Metopes was composed in the summer of 1990 and
first performed by Cherry Rhodes in June 1991. The work consists of two
extended movements, Arachne’s Web and The Gift of Nessus. These are
connected by the brief “Interlude,” for pedals alone, which serves
to unite the two by motivic transformation. The title Metopes is the
architectural term that refers to the sculptured marble slabs between the
triglyphs of a frieze. These spaces were frequently decorated in low relief
with depictions of scenes from classical Greek mythology.

Arachne’s Web refers to the story of the maiden
Arachne, a mortal who was exceedingly skilled in the art of weaving. She
unwisely challenged the goddess Minerva to a contest. Minerva was greatly
displeased by Arachne’s obviously greater skill at weaving. To punish
Arachne for her impudence, Minerva transfigured Arachne into a spider that
hangs by its own thread. Musically, an almost constant stream of descending
thirds depicts the weaving while above it an ever more ornate melody is spun
out. An angry outburst terminates the melodic elaboration, and the movement
ends quietly with the opening material.

The Gift of Nessus relates to the story of the centaur Nessus
who attempted to run away with Dejanira, the wife of Hercules. Hercules heard
her cries and shot the centaur in the heart. The dying Centaur told Dejanira to
take a portion of his blood and keep it to be used later as a charm to preserve
the love of her husband. Dejanira did so and before long had occasion to use
it. In one of his conquests Hercules had taken prisoner a fair maiden, named
Iole, of whom Dejanira became jealous. When Hercules was about to offer
sacrifices to the gods in honor of his victory, he sent to his wife for a white
robe to use on the occasion. Dejanira, thinking it a good opportunity to try
her love-spell, steeped the garment in the blood of Nessus. As soon as the
garment became warm on the body of Hercules, the poison penetrated into all his
limbs and caused him the most intense agony. The garment stuck to his flesh and
as he wrenched it off, he tore away whole pieces of his body. This movement
begins in a low register as a slow dance with menacing sounds. As the music
gradually moves higher, the dance becomes more complex and animated. A quiet
middle portion that develops the material heard thus far provides a foil to the
dramatic and agonized final dance episode.

Of Things Hoped For, David Evan Thomas

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen,” writes Paul in his letter to the Hebrews.
Thomas’ two-part work is based on the idea of faith; the experience of
writing a piece on such a subject enabled Thomas to express his own thoughts:
“Faith and I have an uneasy dialogue, since my own faith is so . . .
mercurial. But just as the act of writing a letter is the quickest way to draw
a friend close, the meditation of writing music often makes the ineffable
concrete. I found when all the notes were down that a reverent murmur had grown
into a crowning shout of praise. Paul’s words came to mind, and thus a
title.”

Of Things Hoped For begins with a modest arching phrase,
supported by a descending pedal line. The ensuing meditation develops a new
melismatic idea along with toccata elements, leading to a grand statement. A
dance follows, based on the melisma, which stretches and flips the material.
The little bass line from the opening reasserts itself as a soprano tune, first
in a quiet B-major episode, then--triumphantly and in D major--in the
trumpet. The two movements may be performed together, or may stand alone; they
would work well in a worship setting. Marilyn Biery commissioned Thomas to
write this work in honor of James Biery’s birthday in 2001; it was
premiered by James in May 2001, at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul,
Minnesota. (Example 4)

Organ Booklet, Herbert Bielawa

The movements in Bielawa’s Organ Booklet are
essentially etudes modeled upon the various “Organbooks” in
history. It was from Bach’s term Orgelbüchlein that he drew the
title for these organ etudes. Bielawa set himself the task of making use of the
classical major and minor triads and manipulating them in unusual ways. The
challenge was to create a fresh marriage of familiar triads with unfamiliar and
unexpected developmental procedures. Whereas the triads are from antiquity,
their combination is from the present.

Prologue, Reflection and Jubilation on York, James Biery

In Biery’s search for possible material on which to
base this commission for The Congregational Church of Green’s Farms,
Westport, Connecticut, he came across the hymn “O Lord, Almighty God, Thy
Works.” The history of the text coupled with the quirky angularity of the
melody proved irresistible. The hymn was one of several “hymns and
spiritual songs” found in the third edition (1651) of the Bay Psalm Book.
The Bay Psalm Book was published by the Congregationalist settlers in the
Massachusetts Bay Colony; in 1640 it was the first book published in English in
North America. “O Lord, Almighty God” was popularly known as
“The Song of Moses and the Lamb” and was sung at the first great
council of Congregational Churches in New England, the Cambridge Synod of 1648.
The hymn is sung to the tune York, which is one of the twelve Common Tunes from
the Scottish Psalter of 1615. At one time in England it was second only to Old
Hundredth in popularity.

Even though the Prologue, Reflection, and Jubilation is
based on the tune York, the entire melody is not heard until the third movement.
The Prologue is a tribute to one of Biery’s favorite 20th century
composers, Maurice Duruflé. The running figuration heard throughout is
built upon the first four notes of the hymn. The main theme, played on the
string stops, begins with the ascending triad of the opening phrase of the hymn
(transformed to the minor mode).

The first movement melts into the second, a serene
“Reflection.” Once again the melodic line begins with the first
four notes of York.

An improvisatory recitative passage leads into the final
“Jubilation.” This movement pays homage to Calvin Hampton, the
gifted and innovative New York composer who died in 1984 at the age of
forty-six. Again the rising triadic motive is prominent, now in the major key.
The hymntune is first heard in the pedal part, and then triumphantly in a final
grand statement. (Example 5)

Psalm 151, Emma Lou Diemer

Psalm 151 was commissioned by Joan DeVee Dixon in 1998 in
honor of Alvin Broyles. The piece moves restlessly with sixteenth-note
figuration, punctuated by melodic ideas that alternate between the hands. Psalm
151 builds to a dramatic close in which an A major chord emerges from the
contrasting sonorities and is sustained full organ to the end. (Psalm 151 is one
of the non-canonical psalms found in the Dead Sea Scrolls at Quamran.)

Scherzo, Emma Lou Diemer

Scherzo was written in 1996 in honor of Carolyn and David
Gell and for the dedication of the Schulmerich Carillon at Trinity Episcopal
Church in Santa Barbara. The piece is mostly for manuals, and sections of it
may be played with various bell sounds contrasting to light organ
registrations. It is in the style of a traditional scherzo, bouncy and bright
in character.

Six Chorale Preludes on Ton-y- Botel, Herbert Bielawa

In Giocoso, the tune is in the pedal for several measures
but turns into a fugal subject in partial imitation. In Cantilena the tune is
embedded inside the staccato “peppering” of the texture. Canone
Doppio is a double canon with fragments of the tune in the pedal. Cadenza is a
flourish for the pedals where the tune is laced into the rush of sixteenth
notes with a few commentaries on the manuals. Preghiera is a prayer in which
very delicate flakes of sound accompany the pedal, which presents the tune.
Maestoso is a grand finale with the tune appearing in the manuals and pedal
alternately. (Example 6)

T.S. Eliot Impressions, Dennis Bergin

T.S. Eliot Impressions (Set 1) was inspired by the four
“Ariel” poems of T.S. Eliot. The poems are entitled “Journey
of the Magi,” “A Song for Simeon,” “Animula,” and
“Marina.” Colorful organ registrations, late twentieth-century
musical language and references to other organ works and chant melodies are
employed in this musical representation of Eliot’s poetry. The poems
mark, in part, Eliot’s conversion experience to orthodox Christianity.
The spiritual theme of T.S. Eliot Impressions is that of a journey from
darkness to light and from despair to hope.

Organ duet, two players, one console:

Auld Lang Syne, Eugene Thayer, edited by Robert C. Mann

The organ works of Eugene Thayer are not widely known today.
Thayer (1838-1889) was a well-known and highly respected organ
recitalist, pedagogue, composer and church musician who held church positions
in Massachusetts and New York. Robert C. Mann has provided this edition of
Thayer’s duet on Auld Lang Syne, which Thayer transcribed for duet from
one of his solo compositions. Thayer used duets as teaching pieces: he would
play the secondo part and his student would play the primo part. Unfortunately,
this duet is printed with each performer having their own score, making it
necessary to have an organ with a wide music desk in order to fit both scores
on it.

Evensong, Charles Callahan

Both of the Callahan duets in the MorningStar Concert Series
were commissioned by Raymond and Elizabeth Chenault. Evensong was premiered in
May of 1987 at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina. It is based
on two evening hymns: Tallis’ Canon and Ar Hyd y Nos. Evensong is quiet in
nature and uncomplicated in texture.

Largo ma non tanto, J. S. Bach, transcribed for organ duet
by James Biery

Biery has transcribed the middle movement of the Bach
Concerto in D minor for Two Violins, BWV 1043, for organ duet. This duet
requires the secondo player to sit in the middle of the bench to play the
ripieno part (which uses pedals), and the primo player to sit off to the right
side in order to play the two solo parts (manuals only). (Example 7)

Ragtime, Charles Callahan

Ragtime was also premiered in 1987 at the Spoleto Festival
by the Chenaults. The title of this piece conveys the compositional style of
this lively and colorful duet.

Psalm Variations, James Hopkins

Psalm Variations was composed originally in the spring and
summer of 2000 for orchestra. The piece was reworked in the summer of 2002 for
organ duet, and is dedicated to Marilyn and James Biery.

Psalm Variations is based on the American folk melody
Resignation. This melody is most often associated with the text “My
Shepherd Will Supply My Need,” a metrical paraphrase of Psalm 23 by Isaac
Watts (1674-1748). Although Psalm Variations is not a religious piece,
the variations do follow the flow of the text.

Written in the Dust, David Evan Thomas

Written in the Dust by David Evan Thomas was inspired by an
address given at the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis in November 1998 by
the Rev. Dr. Kendyl Gibbons, Minister of the Society. Gibbons’ address
focused on the biblical story from John about the woman, caught in adultery,
whose punishment was to be stoned for her sin (John 8: 3-11). Jesus said
to the crowd “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to
throw a stone at her,”  and
then he dismissed her, saying, “Go and sin no more.” The
semi-programmatic movements of Written in the Dust are entitled “Jesus,
the Woman and the Pharisees” (verses 3-6), “The Writing in
the Dust” (6-8), and “Go, and sin no more”
(9-11). Written in the Dust contains all the ingredients which make this
a masterful, virtuosic work for duet: a brilliant pedal cadenza, “pedal
fans” in the outer movements, motives which are started by one player and
finished by the other, ranges of motion for each player that cover the keyboards,
fast figuration, conversational passing back-and-forth of musical ideas, and
elegant, lyrical writing. All combined, they enable Written in the Dust to tell
a compelling musical story. It was premiered in October 1999 by Marilyn and
James Biery at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Example 8)

Duet, two organs:

Chantasy, James Hopkins

Chantasy for two organs was a commission from Mount Angel
Abbey, St. Benedict, Oregon, in thanksgiving for the two recently installed
Martin Ott organs. It was premiered by Cherry Rhodes and Ladd Thomas on October
17, 1999 in the Abbey. Hopkins calls it a “chant fantasy” on the
Kyrie and Sanctus of the Missa Cum Jubilo. Much of the harmonic language of
Chantasy is reminiscent of the music of Maurice Duruflé. (Example 9)

Voluntary for Antiphonal Organs, James Biery

The Voluntary for Antiphonal Organs was composed for and
first performed at the 1988 National Convention of the Organ Historical Society
in San Francisco. The piece is constructed using the standard sonata form with
a brief slow introduction.

Organ with instrument:

Divertimento (string quartet), Charles Callahan

A light-hearted piece, with considerable contrapuntal
activity among the instruments and a mystic element of calmly soaring melody in
the quiet sections.

Easter Canticles (organ and violoncello), Robert Sirota

The three movements of Easter Canticles--Vigil,
Crucifixion, and Resurrection--are structured as a triptych after the
iconostasis7 of an Orthodox church. The three panels are meditations on scenes
from the Passion of Jesus Christ: his prayerful agony in the Garden of
Gethsemane, his crucifixion and resurrection. With the combination of cello and
organ, Sirota sought to capture the mysticism of these three moments of the
Passion. The first movement is agonized and restless, the second portrays the
crucifixion, even down to the hammering of the nails into Christ’s hands,
and the third depicts Christ’s light-suffused resurrection.

The Kraken, Charles Hoag

The Kraken is a work for organ pedals with the player also
playing a large tam-tam (or the player could also be joined by a
percussionist). It is based upon the poem by the same name by Alfred Lord
Tennyson (1809-1892). The Kraken is a mythical Norse sea monster. The
opening lines of the poem give the setting for the music, which starts on the
lowest possible pitches and works upward to a frenzy in both instruments:

Below the thunders of the upper deep,

Far, far beneath in the abysmal sea,

His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep

The Kraken sleepeth . . .

Organ and Voice:

Canticle of the Sun (high voice), David Evan Thomas

Canticle of the Sun, a setting of the poem by St. Francis of
Assisi, was commissioned by the Twin Cities (Minnesota) AGO and first performed
by soprano Elizabeth Pauly and organist James Biery in 2000.

The parallel verses of St. Francis’s poem inspired from
Thomas a series of variations on what could be called a Theme of Praise, a
declamatory melodic idea that emphasizes fourths and fifths. After the initial
presentation of the theme (“All praise to you, my Lord”), the
speaker moves from extolling sun and moon to praising each of the four elements
of the medieval world (wind, water, earth, fire) taking in all of creation.
Because the text is concise--only a few key images per variation--it
remains for the organ to develop the material through figuration, texture and
registration, as well as to provide links between sections, each of which
explores a different tonality. A special place is reserved for the human art of
forgiveness. The vocal line here descends into its lowest register, accompanied
by the simplest organ texture, before rising up again in fountains of praise.

Concertos:

Concerto for Organ and Orchestra, Gerald Near

This concerto by Gerald Near was conceived in the grand
traditional manner. The movements follow the usual form for a concerto: Sonata-allegro,
Slow movement (in no particular form) and Rondo (Toccata). It is scored for
chamber orchestra in a desire to make the work more practical and accessible.
Gerald Near’s music is published by Aureole Publications and distributed
by MorningStar.           n

Broadening a harpsichordist’s horizons: East Texas Pipe Organ Festival 5 continues tradition

A stunning series of pictures by photographer David Brown provided the thematic and artistic background for the opening reception of the 2015 East Texas Pipe Organ Festival on Sunday afternoon, November 8, 2015. Brown’s new book comprising photographs of the Aeolian-Skinner organs featured at these annual East Texas celebrations was available at the gala event. Titled An American Classic: Roy Perry and the American Classic Organ, this volume is available as a print-on-demand item from www.blurb.com (www.blurb.com/b/6530916-an-american-classic).

Perry’s own organ at First Presbyterian Church, Kilgore (Aeolian-Skinner’s famous Opus 1173), was the most frequently heard of the Texas treasures, utilized first in Sunday’s vibrant opening recital by Damin Spritzer (works by Benoit, Dallier, Oldroyd, Larry King, Alkan, J. S. Bach, Howells, and Spritzer’s unique specialty, multiple pieces by French-American composer René Louis Becker); continuing on Monday with a thematic program of music associated with the instrument played by festival director and current organist-choirmaster Lorenz Maycher (the finest performance I’ve heard of Sowerby’s Carillon, made unforgettable by the perfect balance of the organ’s chimes and celesta), plus Perry’s own composition Christos Patterakis and three pieces from Callahan’s Kilgore Suite, followed by Charles Callahan himself playing the first performance of his Celtic Suite: four selections commissioned by the festival in honor of this year’s honored guest, organist Albert Russell.

Also playing Opus 1173 on Monday evening, Todd Wilson gave stellar performances of Bach, Widor, and his own transcriptions of three improvisations by Gerre Hancock, culminating in a riveting performance of Reger’s Fantasia and Fugue on BACH. Wednesday began with a program by Adam Pajan, but the day’s most memorable sounds from this versatile instrument were heard by an audibly delighted capacity audience when Jelani Eddington provided his masterfully coordinated accompaniment to the silent film Hot Water, starring comic actor Harold Lloyd. Finally, Ken Cowan made magical music in Thursday’s closing concert, applying his seemingly effortless virtuosity to works by Bach, Karg-Elert, Dupré, culminating in a gripping dramatic performance of Reubke’s Sonata on the 94th Psalm.

Within easy walking distance of First Presbyterian Church, St. Luke’s United Methodist is home to Roy Perry’s smaller masterwork, Opus 1175, a two-manual instrument of 28 stops (plus four borrowed voices to flesh out the Pedal division), and with the added resource of a partially enclosed Great division. One of Maycher’s stated objectives for his fifth festival was to show the extraordinary versatility of this superbly voiced instrument and its ability to encompass the performance of large major works from the solo organ repertory. Bradley Hunter Welch’s impeccable performances of the complete Sixth Symphony of Widor and Liszt’s Prelude and Fugue on BACH certainly put to rest any doubts that might have been harbored by any audience member. Additionally, Welch explored the organ’s lovely individual voices in Max Drischner’s Variations on O Run, Ye Shepherds and all six of J. S. Bach’s Schübler Chorales, cleverly dividing these beloved transcriptions into two groups of three and programming them on either side of the Liszt.

Also playing Opus 1175, young Caroline Robinson presented an eclectic program (Brahms, Vierne, Nico Muhly, Boëly, Alain, Schumann, and Howells, with Sowerby’s Requiescat in Pace sounding particularly appropriate to this instrument). Ms. Robinson was also the inspired presenter of the festival’s free outreach programs for elementary school students and was praised in the local newspaper (Kilgore News Herald, November 14) for her audience-building skills as demonstrated in the two sessions presented at St. Luke’s. 

To experience the region’s other two large Aeolian-Skinner organs of national repute required travelling: on Tuesday morning, November 10, two chartered busses departed at 8:30 for a full day’s excursion to Shreveport, Louisiana. Our schedule began at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral with a 10 a.m. recital by David Baskeyfield. This unflappable young artist showcased the glories of Aeolian-Skinner Opus 1308 in the most generous acoustical environment of the churches that house these treasured instruments with a bracing program comprising works by Whitlock, Saint-Saëns, Dupré (Symphonie II), and a stirring performance of Liszt’s mighty Fantasy and Fugue on Ad nos, ad salutarum undam. After a superb lunch at Ristorante Giuseppe and an eye-opening, leg-stretching visit to the R. W. Norton Art Gallery, the refreshed group assembled at Shreveport’s First Baptist Church (another acoustically live building) to hear Charles Callahan’s demonstration of the fine Williams organ (voiced by Roy Perry), then returned to St. Mark’s for Scott Dettra’s much-anticipated program (Lemare’s organ transcription of Wagner’s Meistersinger Overture, Sowerby’s Arioso, a welcome hearing of Seth Bingham’s Passacaglia in E Minor, op. 40, and Stanford’s Fantasia and Toccata, op. 57—all dispatched with panache and musical grace). Capping the day with a buffet dinner in the uppermost reaches of Shreveport’s Artspace Gallery and a comfortable trip back to Kilgore, weary travelers either engaged in the nightly gathering at Kilgore Comfort Suites (this year titled Owls Paradise, or, in honor of honoree Russell, Al’s Paradise) or simply skittered off to get a good night’s sleep.

The second, much shorter excursion was Thursday’s trip to nearby Longview, where Monica Czausz completely captivated her audience with deftly delivered verbal program notes and supremely confident, musical playing (from memory) of Dvorák’s Carnival Overture (another Lemare-based transcription), shorter works by Bach, Widor, Alkan, and Parker, and a resounding traversal of Reger’s Chorale Fantasia on Halleluja! Gott zu loben—all thrilling on Opus 1174, the Perry-voiced organ housed front and center in the spacious contemporary architecture of First Baptist Church. After another memorable lunch at the Summit Club, Matthew Lewis played a recital of Franck, Vierne, Tournemire, Dupré, the rarely programmed Diptych of Messiaen, and a traversal, both intense and rousing, of Duruflé’s Suite, op. 5.

Evening social times, the famous “After-Glow” sessions at the Kilgore Comfort Suites Inn rounded off each music-filled day. Comfortable transportation on chartered buses also gave the occasional opportunity for such unexpected connections as that between Dallas organist Graham Clarke and Bellevue, Washington, physician Gordon Hale, who discovered their mutually similar experiences from military service during the Vietnam conflict.

ETPOF director Maycher has assembled another stellar group of artists to showcase East Texas’s treasure-trove of American Classic pipe organs for Festival Six (November 6–10, 2016). Book soon (the hotel fills quickly) and join the select 100-plus registrants who will thrill to the musical legacy of the legendary Roy Perry and his magnificently voiced East Texas wonders.

September 29–October 2, 2013

Thanks to Gale Kramer for his review of the student recital on September 30.

Marijim Thoene, a student of Marilyn Mason, received a DMA in organ performance/church music from the University of Michigan in 1984. An active recitalist, her two CDs, Mystics and Spirits and Wind Song, are available through Raven Recordings. She is a frequent presenter at medieval conferences on the topic of the image of the pipe organ in medieval manuscripts.  

Gale Kramer, DMA, is organist emeritus of Metropolitan United Methodist Church in Detroit, Michigan, and a former assistant professor of organ at Wayne State University. A graduate of the University of Michigan, he is a regular reviewer and occasional contributor to The Diapason. His article, “Food References in the Short Chorales of Clavierübung III,” appeared in the April 1984 issue of The Diapason.

Marilyn Mason—legend in her own time, musician and teacher of international renown, torchbearer for composers, organ builders, and students, ground breaker, and pioneer—was honored in this year’s 53rd Conference on Organ Music. Mason has been consumed by a magnificent obsession, and has shared her mantra “eat, sleep, and practice” with hundreds of students at the University of Michigan. The Victorian writer Walter Pater encapsulated her life: “To burn always with this hard, gem-like flame, to maintain this ecstasy, is success in life.” 

The principal business of this annual conference was the celebration of Marilyn Mason’s 66 years at the helm of the organ department of the University of Michigan. Following this year of furlough she will say goodbye to the full-time employment that has occupied her since her organ teacher, Professor Palmer Christian, hired her on to the faculty of the School of Music. Over the course of the conference many of her attributes came to the fore: loyalty to the University of Michigan, excellence in performance all over the world, practical concern for scholarships and employment for her students, and perseverance in making things happen, not just once, but over many years. The organ conference itself embodies one of many events she saw a need for, initiated, and perpetuated over time, in this case for 53 years. Other long-term projects to which she devoted her energies include a large repertoire of commissioned organ works, and 56 Historical Organ Tours sponsored by the University of Michigan, which she initiated in order to enable students to experience the sound and touch of historic European instruments.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

The music of the first event of the conference, “A Grand Night for Singing,” featuring all of the choral groups at the University of Michigan—the Chamber Choir, the Orpheus Singers, Men’s Glee Club, and Women’s Glee Club, totaling 357 young singers—took place in Hill Auditorium and was filled with energy and beauty. The concert—the perfect way to begin a celebration of Marilyn Mason’s life’s work—was the first of the season, and also celebrated the one-hundredth anniversary of Hill Auditorium. The singers entered from the back of the auditorium and the audience of over a thousand fell silent as hundreds of singers walked briskly down the aisles and took their places on the risers. The repertoire ranged from secular to sacred: from scenes from Rossini’s The Barber of Seville to Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, from Baroque to contemporary, from a cappella to that accompanied by the Frieze Memorial Organ, Steinway, or Baroque ensemble. The level of performance of these choirs was truly remarkable, especially since they had been prepared in only nineteen days. Vocal blend, whether from a small ensemble or a choir of over three hundred, was rich, the range of dynamics was kaleidoscopic, attacks were precise, phrases were controlled, but most impressive was the power to communicate deep emotion that transported the audience. This was apparent especially in the University Choir’s performance of Stephen Paulus’s The Road Home, conducted by Eugene Rogers and featuring soprano soloist Shenika John Jordan. Ms. Jordan became an actress and transported us with her soaring voice.  

Several works were accompanied on the Frieze Memorial Organ and harpsichord played by Scott Van Ornum, former student of Professor Mason. In both Benjamin Britten’s Festival Te Deum and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ O clap your hands we heard a sampling of the vast color palette of the organ, from soft flutes to thundering reeds. Van Ornum deftly exploited the dramatic power of the organ to soothe, exhilarate, and transport. The hosts of the concert, Melody Racine and Jerry Blackstone, reveled in the music, especially in the grand finale, It’s a grand night for singing, during which they danced and sang. The audience was invited to join in singing with all the choirs directed by Blackstone, and accompanied by organist Scott Van Ornum and pianists Samantha Beresford and David Gilliland. 

In the evening, Andrew Herbruck played music by Leo Sowerby for his Master of Music recital at Hill Auditorium, offering an interesting survey of Sowerby’s forms and styles. Comes Autumn Time reflected Sowerby’s fascination with blues and his preference for solo reeds. It was a treat to hear movements two and three from the seldom-played Suite for Organ. In the second movement, Fantasy for Flute Stops, Herbruck played the repeated motif (which sounded much like a forerunner of Philip Glass) with amazing dexterity and control. The third movement, Air with Variations, showed Herbruck’s careful phrasing of the passages for solo clarinet. He played the Passacaglia from Symphony for Organ with a combination of restraint and gusto and made the performance electric.

Festival Musick (I. Fanfare, II. Chorale, and III. Toccata on “A.G.O.”)filled the second half of the recital and provided a glimpse into Sowerby’s ability to combine unusual timbres in dialogue with the organ. 

Monday, September 30, 2013

The conference opened with a program by pupils of James Kibbie: Andrew Lang (Praeambulum in E Major, LübWV 7, Lübeck), David Banas (Premier Livre d’orgue: Récit de Tierce en taille, Offertoire sur les grands jeux, de Grigny), Mary Zelinski (Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 550, Bach), Paul Giessner (Organ Trio, no. 1, Lucas Grant), Elliot Krasny (his own Ascension, Descention), and Jenna Moon (Sonata IV in B-Flat Major, Mendelssohn). They brought out the best in the Marilyn Mason Organ, conceived by Charles Fisk and others in collaboration with Marilyn Mason in the years just before 1985.

Department Chair Kibbie introduced Dr. Karl Schrock, Visiting Faculty Member in Organ for the 2013–2014 academic year, and announced the appointment of Vincent Dubois and Daniel Roth as Visiting Artists, one in each of the two academic terms. They will each teach private lessons to all organ students and present a public masterclass and recital.

The afternoon session, featuring the students of Marilyn Mason, was held at the First Congregational Church, home of the 1985 Karl Wilhelm organ, Opus 97. When Marilyn Mason entered the church everyone spontaneously rose to their feet and clapped. She introduced Andrew Meagher, saying, “I admire Andrew a lot. He is the only student I have ever had who studied Schoenberg’s Variations on a Recitative with me and memorized it. I watched the score and he played it right!” (Schoenberg consulted with Mason during the writing of this work.) Meagher is a DMA graduate and played Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, BWV 543, from memory. The other students are currently enrolled and played the following pieces with conviction and energy: Regan Chuhran, Prelude in F Minor, BWV 534; Renate McLaughlin, Le petit pêcheur rusé—Air and three variations from Air and Variations for Pedal Solo by Flor Peeters; Joshua Boyd, Jubilate, op. 67, no. 2, and Recessional, op. 96, no. 4, by William Mathias; Glenn Tucker, Trio Sonata No. 1 in E-flat Major, BWV 525 (played from memory); and Kipp Cortez, Fantasie and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 542.

The recital was immediately followed by Stephen Warner’s discussion of the history of the organs at First Congregational Church, with special emphasis on the current Karl Wilhelm organ. He gave some practical and useful advice on organ maintenance. 

Next we heard repertoire for organ and other instruments. Sipkje Pes-nichak, oboist, and Tim Huth, organist, performed Aria by Jehan Alain. We also heard music for organ and handbells directed by Michele Johns and performed by Joshua Boyd and ringers from St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. 

The evening festivities began in the banquet hall of the Michigan League, packed with well-wishers whose lives have been profoundly touched by Marilyn Mason. She was congratulated and paid tribute to by David C. Munson, master of ceremonies and dean of engineering and computer science; Lester P. Monts, senior vice provost for academic affairs; and Arthur F. Thurnau, professor of music (ethnomusicology). The Reverend Dr. Robert K. Livingston, senior minister at the First Congregational Church in Ann Arbor where Marilyn Mason is organist, praised her, saying: “Her life is a model of a life lived with compassion and loving kindness, and dedication and desire to help mentor. She has followed the advice of Stephen King, ‘Make your life one long gift to others—the rest is smoke and mirrors.’ She has made a lasting difference to each one of us and the world.” Short reminiscences were given by some of her former students, including Michele Johns, adjunct professor of organ and church music. Carolyn Thibideau, dean of the Detroit AGO chapter, quoted Mason’s sayings: “A recital date always arrives” and “If you have a task that needs to be done, just do it and get it over with!” Tim Huth, dean of the Ann Arbor AGO chapter, said he thinks of the organ conference as “soul juice.” He thanked her for enriching his life, commenting that she helped found the Ann Arbor AGO chapter, which now offers scholarships in her name and has made her an honorary member. In thanking her, Tim quoted Meister Eckhart: “If the only prayer you say in life is thank you, that will suffice.” Mary Ida Yost, professor emerita of organ at Eastern Michigan University, recalled Mason’s raucous laughter, and jokes from her little black book. She remarked how Marilyn Mason is one of the most celebrated performers and teachers of the world. She is larger than life. She has changed the world of organ music for life. She is a living example of unending generosity, genuine respect, and kindness. Her greatest legacy is about the future and not the past—through former students of hers who play in churches and teach, generation through generation. 

She quoted Mason’s sayings: “Miss one day of practice and you notice, miss two and your friends notice, miss three and the whole world notices.” 

Closing remarks were offered by Christopher Kendall, Dean of the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance: 

Throughout her career she has shattered many glass ceilings. She was the first American woman to play a concert in Westminster Abbey, the first to play in Latin America and Egypt. She has concertized on five continents. On one sabbatical she consulted with Fisk on the building of the facsimile of a Gottfried Silbermann organ for the Blanche Anderson Moore Recital Hall. She has made definitive recordings, consulted with Arnold Schoenberg, commissioned seventy-five organ works, and mentored hundreds of talented students. Her studio will be named the Marilyn Mason Organ Studio.

We were serenaded with a carillon recital as we left the League for Hill Auditorium to hear a concert to be performed by former doctoral students of Marilyn Mason. The joyous music announced the celebration like a high feast day. Patrick Macoska played Menuet Champetre Refondu by Ronald Barnes, Triptich: Intermezzo-Fantasy, and Slavic Dance by John Pozdro, Happy in Eternity (passacaglia) by Ronald Barnes, and Evocation by John Courter. 

At Hill Auditorium, James Kibbie, professor of organ and co-chair of the organ department at the University of Michigan, began his remarks by saying, “Look around and you will see the legacy of Marilyn Mason.” He pointed out that she has brought the best students and helped place them in jobs; led organ tours throughout Europe; created the Organ Institute; built the Scholarship Endowment Fund; and found and unlocked her students’ potential. He noted that the greatest tribute of all is to hear great music performed by her students. “Her greatness was immediately recognized by Palmer Christian, her teacher at the U of M. Upon meeting her he announced that a ‘buzz bomb’ just arrived from Alva, Oklahoma.” 

The concert’s emcee was the witty and loquacious David Wagner, professor of organ at Madonna University and director of the classical music station in Detroit. He regaled us with his unforgettable and hilarious story of his first encounter with the University of Michigan Organ Conference. Sixteen-year-old David read about it in The Diapason, a gift given to him as a reward for a good lesson by his organ teacher in Detroit. David persuaded a pal to borrow his uncle’s Buick and drive around Ann Arbor until they found Hill Auditorium. He had no idea where it was, but was convinced they could find it. They did find it. When David got back to Detroit, the police were ready to arrest his pal for grand theft, because his pal had not told his uncle they were borrowing the car. Such is the lure of the organ conference! 

All of the performers without exception played brilliantly. Each selected masterworks calculated to mesmerize and enthrall. Shin-Ae Chun (2006), a native of Incheon, South Korea, also holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing science. She is an international concert artist, represented by Concert Artist Cooperative, and organist at the First Baptist Church in Ann Arbor. She played Miroir by Ad Wammes and Prelude and Fugue on B-A-C-H by Franz Liszt. Thomas Strode (1981), founder of the Ann Arbor Boy Choir in 1987, teacher of music at St. Paul Lutheran Middle School, is director of music at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor. He played Gaston Dethier’s Christmas (Variations on ‘Adeste Fideles’). Thomas Marshall (1975) has been a member of the music faculty at the College of William and Mary since 1981 and has played harpsichord in an early music ensemble at Williamsburg since 1977. He played Praeludium et Fuga in h, BWV 544 by J.S. Bach and a commissioned work for this concert, Dance of Celebration (“Mambo for Marilyn”) by Joe Utterback. Joseph Galema (1982) received his BM from Calvin College and his MM and DMA from the University of Michigan. He has been organist at the U.S. Air Force Academy since 1982. In 2008, he became an instructor in the Milan Academy in Denver. He is in Who’s Who in America and has toured throughout Europe and the Baltic states. He played Marcel Dupré’s Prelude and Fugue in B Major, op. 7, no. 1, and Allegro Deciso from Evocation, op. 37. 

Interspersed among the music were tributes offered by Professor Larry Schou of the University of South Dakota; Eileen Guenther, president of the AGO; and Professor Emeritus Gale Kramer of Wayne State University in Detroit. Larry Schou teaches organ and world music, and as dean of the School of Humanities oversees a faculty and staff of forty-seven. He recalled Marilyn Mason telling him to “Work hard. See life as others might not.” He remembered with fondness her workshops on Alain and Duruflé, and Almut Rössler’s performances and lectures on Messiaen. He thanked her for inviting his father and his colleague to her house for lunch, and for her work of sixty-six years. “Your performances, sense of humor, and prayers have helped so many people—they are to me a living legacy.”

Eileen Guenther’s letter was read. The president of the AGO expressed her congratulations to Mason, saying the lives she touched bear witness to her dedication to education. She thanked her for all she has done for the AGO.

Gale Kramer described Mason with words, varying in number of syllables from six to one, which poignantly captured her essence. 

Six syllables: “Marilyn Mason is indefatigable. Part of being indefatigable means doing something carefully many times without getting tired, whether practicing, repeating a joke, or commissioning an organ work. She has said a good teacher tells a student the same thing over and over in as many different ways as possible. Part of being indefatigable is coming back after a rest—on a pew, in the back of a bus—then climbing to the top of a spiral staircase.”

Five syllables: “Marilyn Mason is multifaceted, a performer, teacher, church musician, bon vivant, tour leader, raconteur, and friend.”

Four syllables: “Marilyn Mason is a visionary, evidenced in 53 organ conferences, 56 historic organ tours, and 70 commissioned works.”

Three syllables: “Marilyn Mason is practical. She realized it takes money to refurbish and maintain the Frieze Memorial Organ and to build and maintain the Fisk organ; it takes money to fund scholarships. And she is concerned that her students find jobs. At the breakfast table on her Historic Organ Tours, she would say, ‘Take some bread for a snack later on, you paid for it!’”

Two syllables: “Marilyn Mason is loyal to her students—that’s why we are here. And she is loyal to the University of Michigan. She belongs to a group of individuals who used their careers to bring esteem and glory to the university, not to people who used the university to further their own careers.” 

One syllable: smile. “We remember her smile, her exuberance.” 

At the end of the concert, Marilyn Mason was surrounded by students past and present whose lives have been profoundly touched by her teaching, joie de vivre, compassion, and kindness. 

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

We were privileged to hear Michael Barone of Pipedreams lecture on the topic “As Years Fly By.” It is always illuminating to hear Barone comment on recordings of organ music. He focused on composers whose birthdates can be celebrated in 2013. First on his list was Jean Titelouze (1563–1633) of the French Classical School. 

With the birthday of Johann Ludwig Krebs (1713–1780) we celebrate (maybe) The Little Preludes and Fugues. Barone suggested we check out other of Krebs’s works, including a Fugue in B-flat, which has been recorded by Irmtraud Krüger at Altenburg Cathedral. 

Barone also mentioned Charles-Valentin Alkan (1813–1888), whose set of virtuosic etudes for pedal piano has been recorded by Olivier Latry on Art of Pedal Piano: Alkan, Boëly, Brahms, Liszt, Schumann, issued in 2011. Kevin Bowyer, an English organist, has recorded the music of Alkan in Salisbury Cathedral. 

2013 marks the 150th birthdays of American composer Edgard Varèse (1883–1965), who studied with Widor at the Paris Conservatory, and Horatio Parker (1863–1919), several volumes of whose concert pieces, including the 21 Recital-Pieces, have been reissued. 

2013 also marks the hundredth anniversary of the births of Benjamin Britten (1913–1976), composer of War Requiem and only one organ piece, Prelude and Fugue on a Theme by Vittoria (1946), and Robert Elmore (1913–1985), much of whose music—reminiscent of Sigfrid Karg-Elert and Max Reger—is out of print. His Come to the Holy Mountain and Beneath the Cross of Jesus offer a richly emotional landscape, yet easily approachable. Norman McKenzie has recorded Elmore’s Sonata, written in 1975.

It was fitting that Michael Barone, one of the most informed critics of our time of organ repertoire and its discography, be invited to celebrate the accomplishments of Marilyn Mason. He began by saying: “Marilyn Mason has been with us through the ages. We are all her children, celebrators, and her debtors.” He pointed out that she has performed the music of contemporary composers: Searle Wright, Leo Sowerby, Robert Crandell, Virgil Thomson, Normand Lockwood, and Paul Creston (to name only a few) and has commissioned many to compose music for her. Mason was the first to record Arnold Schoenberg’s Variations on a Recitative and has recorded the freely composed works and partitas of Pachelbel on the Fisk organ. Barone played excerpts from her recordings, which included her program performed at the International Congress of Organists in London in 1957: the one solo piece, Concerto by English composer Matthew Camidge (1758–1844) as well as Sowerby’s Classic Concerto and Seth Bingham’s Connecticut Suite, both with orchestra. Barone concluded by playing her recording of a trumpet fanfare by José Lidon (1752–1827). He said: “To Marilyn Mason who has taken us around the world, and given us reason to practice, and given us an example for us all to follow.” With these words we all stood and clapped and cheered while Marilyn Mason gave us one of her unforgettable smiles.

James Hammann, DMA, former Mason student, concert artist, recording artist, scholar, former chair of the music department at the University of New Orleans, and former president of the Organ Historical Society, gave a presentation entitled “History of Farrand & Votey Organ with Videos, Recordings, and Commentary.” He prefaced his lecture saying that “This work was done for my DMA document and was encouraged by Marilyn Mason.” Hammann detailed the mechanical developments during the organ’s transition from mechanical action to electro-pneumatic, pointing out that the Detroit organ company of Farrand & Votey was the first to use intermanual couplers with tilting tablets. Farrand & Votey built Opus 700, now known to us as the Frieze Memorial Organ in Hill Auditorium, for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. It had 63 speaking stops and the same façade that it had when it was placed in University Hall in 1898. University Hall was torn down and replaced with Angell Hall and the organ was moved to Hill Auditorium in 1913. It was considered one of the largest and finest instruments in the country. Farrand & Votey built small organs as well as large; Detroit in the 1890s was an innovative organ-building center.

As we left Hill Auditorium we were treated to a carillon concert: Kipp Cortez, doctoral student of Marilyn Mason,  played Preludio V by Mathias Vanden Gheyn, Chorale Partita IV: ‘St. Anne’ by John Knox, two movements from Gregorian Triptych by John Courter, Image no. 2 by Emilien Allard, and Movement III from Serenade by Ronald Barnes. 

The final round of the Second Annual Organ Improvisation Competition was held at the First Presbyterian Church. Each contestant was given a theme to study for 30 minutes and was then required to improvise a three-movement suite no more than 15 minutes long. Judging criteria included thematic development, form, stylistic consistency, rhythmic interest, and use of the instrument. The judges were Michael Barone, James Hammann, and Christine Clewell. Each contestant played with virtuosic technique, and grasped instantly the possibilities of colors and timbres at their disposal. It was exciting to hear “new works” spun from their imaginations and to hear them played with such passion. It was no wonder the judges deliberated for almost 45 minutes.  

Devon Howard, private teacher and organist at First Presbyterian Church in Longmont, Colorado, and Douglas Murray, professor of English at Belmont University, Nashville, Tennessee, were runners-up. Aaron Tan, organ scholar at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Detroit, received third place. Alejandro D. Consolacion II, director of music and organist at Whitehouse United Methodist Church in Princeton, New Jersey, received second place. Richard Fitzgerald, associate director of music at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., received first place.

Richard Fitzgerald received his undergraduate degree from Westminster and his MM and DMA from Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore; his dissertation was entitled “Method for Improvisation and Pedagogy.” He has studied improvisation with John Walker, Donald Sutherland, Mark Anderson, Ronald Stolk, Rachel Laurin, Jeffry Brillhart, and Peter Latona. 

Special thanks are due to Tom Granum, Director of Music Ministries at First Presbyterian Church for his gracious hospitality, and to Michele Johns, organizer of the competition, and her committee, Marcia Van Oyen, Gale Kramer, and Darlene Kuperus. 

As we approached Hill Auditorium for the final concert of the conference, we were welcomed by Joshua Boyd’s carillon recital: Summer Fanfares by Roy Hamlin Johnson, Music for Carillon, op. 107 by Lowell Liebermann, Reflections from the Tower by Emma Lou Diemer, and Easter Dawning by George Crumb. 

The closing recital was played by Tom Trenney who, from my vantage point, looked like a teen-ager. His recital was icing on the cake—played with intensity, gusto, sensitivity, and passion. One was dazzled by his flawless technique and the beautiful spirit that shone through each piece: Variations on America by Charles Ives, Scherzo, op. 2, by Maurice Duruflé, Air by Gerre Hancock, six movements from The King of Instruments by William Albright, Fugue in E-Flat Major, BWV 552 by J.S. Bach, Deuxième fantasie by Jehan Alain, and an improvisation on two submitted themes (Now Thank We All Our God and a newly created abstract theme). At the end of his performance Trenney was given thunderous applause and a standing ovation. 

After the first half of Tom Trenney’s recital, a surprise appearance by William Bolcom and Joan Morris paid tribute to Marilyn Mason with a lively and heartfelt performance of Black Max and (I’ll Be Loving You) Always.  

The 53rd Conference on Organ Music honoring Marilyn Mason’s sixty-six years of teaching was organized by Michele Johns. It offered performances and lectures of the highest quality that informed and inspired, and offered tribute to a beautiful life dedicated to performing, teaching and learning. Marilyn Mason’s energy, enthusiasm, sense of humor, and compassion are the qualities that have drawn hundreds of students to her from all over the world, and throughout the United States. 

The final photo is of Gordon Atkinson, a resident of Windsor, Australia, and an eminent composer and organist, who, of all of her former students, traveled the farthest to celebrate her lifetime achievement. He reminisced saying: 

I heard Marilyn Mason play at Westminster Abbey in 1957 for the International Congress of Organists. She played at the Abbey when it had only one general piston! The program was hailed as one of the great recitals of the Congress. Who would have guessed I would study with her for my master’s degree at the University of Michigan?

Marilyn Mason has been a Svengali, and an organistenmacher. Her countless students are literally everywhere there is a pipe organ to be played. Each person attending the conference was given a CD that included works from some of her performances with the Galliard Brass Ensemble, works played at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, and Pipedreams premieres.  In this gift we have a reminder of her virtuosity and artistry. In conclusion we say thank you to Marilyn Mason for “burning with a hard, gem–like flame,” and for sharing your radiance with the world and us.

PART ONE OF TWO

For its forty-ninth annual convention, the Organ Historical Society met in Buffalo, the land of Bills and Wings, with headquarters at the Adam’s Mark Hotel, close to the waterfront marina. Nearly four hundred people were in attendance. The Organ Handbook, which included a daily schedule and information on the events and performers as well as historical background on the churches visited and instruments featured, was dedicated to the memory of Farny Wurlitzer, Herman Schlicker and Robert Noehren, all of whom contributed significantly to the history of organ building in Buffalo. There were examples of instruments from all three builders heard during the week.

Wednesday

The events began with an optional tour to Niagara Falls and a buffet lunch at the new Seneca-Niagara Casino in downtown Niagara Falls, New York. There was ample time for those who wished to try their luck at the casino and perhaps recoup some of their convention expenses.

Fred Swann played the opening recital that evening on the reconstructed 3-manual Johnson & Son, Opus 797 of 1893 in the vast and beautifully appointed St. Stanislaus R.C. Church. After a welcome by the pastor (who is also auxiliary bishop of the diocese), Swann played the following program: Sonata 8 (op. 132), “Introduction and Passacaglia,” Rheinberger; Woodland Flute Call, Dillon; Fantasia in A, Franck; the hymn “Holy God, we praise thy name” (sung lustily by all) to the tune, Grosser Gott; By the Waters of Babylon, Huston; Petite Suite, Bales; the Symphonic Chorale, “Ach bleib bei deiner Gnade,” Karg-Elert; Meditation, Duruflé; and Fantasia and Fugue in G, Parry. Swann’s own delightful transcription of an Allegro of Corelli served as an encore. His expert programming and playing displayed the dignified and powerful sounds of the organ as well as the more delicate ensembles and solo colors—all enhanced by an acoustical environment favored by the church’s high vaulted ceiling and a octagonal dome at the crossing. After a well-deserved and enthusiastic standing ovation, the audience, which happily included many parishioners, went across the street to the parish hall for a reception. As people left the church, the tower bells pealed their joyful sounds. This event was certainly an apt beginning for a week of convivial celebration.

Thursday

The convention’s first full day began at the hotel with a lecture by Donald Ingram, who presented an enlightening and often humorous recollection of his association with Herman Schlicker (1902-1974) and the Schlicker Organ Company. The presentation dealt primarily with an overview of Schlicker’s tonal and mechanical innovations. At its height, the firm employed a work force of approximately forty-seven persons.

A short bus trip brought us to the sumptuous Delaware Avenue Baptist Church located in an area noted for the monumental beauty of many of its residences. The church building is a feast for the eyes with its Richardsonian design and attention to decorative detail. A particularly ornate baptistery set off by six marble columns with Ionic capitals and featuring a symbolic shell design immediately draws one’s eye to its inset location behind a coffered arch. Floating above in the curve of the domed church are representations of ten winged figures illustrating the text from Psalm 91: “He shall give His angels charge over thee.” On a balcony over the baptistery and thus completing a central focal point in the large auditorium is the 3-manual Johnson & Son, Opus 827 of 1895 (with later reworkings by both Viner and Schlicker) on which James Hammann played fourteen examples from Dudley Buck’s Studies in Pedal Phrasing (op. 28), followed by the hymn, “All glory be to God on high” sung to the tune  Allein Gott in der Höh. Hammann can always be relied upon to supply an unusual program well-suited to the organ at hand.

The fourteen Studies selected for this program displayed three important characteristics:

(1) the fact that these technical studies can be lovely little pieces in themselves thanks to Buck’s musical and melodic creativity;

(2) the various colors, solo stops and ensembles of a fine instrument can be featured effectively;

(3) in the hands of a fine artist such as James Hammann and his registrational sensitivity coupled with his flexibly shaped phrasing, music can be made out of what are basically pedal studies over which Buck wove attractive counter melodies. Hammann also provided a handout showing the registration for each study.

The 1896 Hutchings organ, Op. 465, at Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church offered an interesting contrast to the approximately contemporary Johnson (1895) just heard. Whereas the Johnson was originally supplied with mechanical action, the Hutchings had an early version of electro-pneumatic key and stop action and may have been the first organ in Buffalo to have had this “modern” action. Later additions and modifications were made by Wurlitzer, Viner and Schlicker (console). After remarks by both the interim pastor and the former music director, Derek Nickels played the following program: Sonata 5 in D (op. 65, no. 5, 1845), Mendelssohn; “Harmonies du Soir” from Trois Impressions (op. 73, 1911), Karg-Elert; “Scherzetto” from 24 Pièces en style libre (op. 31, 1913), Vierne; Elegy (1916), Brewer; the hymn, “Guide me O thou Great Jehovah,” sung by the entire assembly to the tune, Cwm Rhondda; and the “Finale and Fugue” from Sonata 7 in F (op. 127, 1881), Rheinberger. Even though the acoustically treated barrel vault plus the substantial grille work (added later in front of the original Hutchings case) prevented clear projection of the organ’s sound, the usual firm and distinguished basic Hutchings tone emerged quite well under Dr. Nickels’ expert playing. He wisely chose a very effective group of pieces to display the instrument’s colors and its highly expressive enclosed divisions.

A short bus trip brought us to the former First Church of Christ, Scientist, recently purchased by David and Marsha Karpeles of Santa Barbara, California. After renovation, it will become yet another venue for their extensive collection of original documents and manuscripts. We were served a box lunch as we sat in the pews and listened to a demonstration of the ex-church’s 1913 3-manual Möller, Op. 1500, rebuilt by Möller in 1956. David Blazer’s short and eclectic program included the Prelude from Duruflé’s Suite; a transcription of the theme from “The Young and The Restless,” and Bach’s Schmücke dich and Prelude in C Minor (BWV 546). The loud, somewhat boomy and opaque sound of the Möller successfully covered up munching and paper-rattling sounds produced by the hungry conventioneers. Blazer deserves our plaudits for putting up with what must have been a less than congenial performance situation on a difficult instrument.

The First Presbyterian Church, across from Kleinhans Hall, home of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, was the next stop for two demonstrations. The first was by Timothy Smith who presented a short program on the fine 1957 Schlicker in Hindman Chapel. The well-balanced 2-manual organ contains some pipework from the chapel’s previous ten-stop Roosevelt organ installed in 1889 as that firm’s Op. 426. Since we arrived at First Presbyterian early enough, many people chose to wander around and enjoy the richly decorated interior of the church including its Tiffany windows. Incumbent organist David Bond played the following program on the church’s landmark 4-manual Noehren organ of 1969-1970: the hymn, “Ye watchers and ye holy ones,” sung to Lasst uns erfreuen; Prelude in C (BWV 547), Bach; Noël Etranger, Daquin; “Humoresque” from L’organo primitivo, Yon; and Chorale No. 1 en mi majeur, Franck. The organ, situated in the rear gallery with its often-pictured suspended Positiv, was one of Noehren’s largest instruments and said to be his favorite of all the ones that came out of his atelier. It features broadly intense principal choruses, commanding chorus reeds, wide-scaled flutes and piquant and colorful baroque-style solo reeds. A bit of whimsy is reflected in the inclusion of a stop control (knob only) for 4/5’ Chivas Regal, evidently intended for eventual subtle Celtic blending characteristics. Bond performed brilliantly, showing that the instrument has ample broad support for a room full of OHS hymn singers and featured the delightful baroque color reeds against a plenum in the Daquin, the lovely Great Rohrfloete (with just enough chiff) in the Yon, and the massively voiced Great 8’ Principal at the beginning of the Franck. Since the console is located in close proximity to the pipes, the organist undoubtedly has to take into account problems of perceived balance and make adjustments for proper perceptions in the room. The organ has benefited from a recent thorough cleaning, re-regulation and some re-voicing by the Niagara Organ Works who thoughtfully provided complimentary copies of a newly produced CD in which one could hear another recital program and also a “before-and-after” example of some reed work.

Later that afternoon, Scot Huntington, organ builder and restorer as well as OHS Vice-President, presented the following program in Nativity of The Blessed Virgin Mary R.C. Church: Organ Motet, Tallis; Prelude in C, Thayer; Minuet in A, Smart; Maria Zart, Schlick; Violin Sonata #5, Bach (with Allison Alcorn-Oppedahl, violin); and Allegro maestoso, Roseingrave. The lovely instrument, apparently originally built by Hall and Labaugh in 1853 and moved to Buffalo later in the nineteenth century, stands proudly in the rear gallery of the lofty sandstone Gothic church. The church interior has been tastefully restored and is in a fine acoustical and visual setting for the seldom-used organ. Even though it needs a thorough restoration, Paul Marchesano, Joe McCabe and Kevin Gilchrist together with Scot Huntington provided many hours to give the instrument enough of a voice so that many of its colorful and delicate tones were able to sing through the vaults and accompany the violin to give a tantalizing taste of what a future restoration might produce.

The evening event was a demonstration and concert of appropriate music played with verve and enthusiasm by Scott Foppiano on the large and restored 1925-1926 Wurlitzer (Op. 1206) in Shea’s Buffalo Center for the Performing Arts. The vast and ornate auditorium was originally Shea’s Buffalo Theatre, one of the nation’s premier entertainment palaces built for the presentation of both stage shows and motion pictures. Foppiano demonstrated many of the organ’s solo and ensemble effects, both with and without the characteristic generously pulsating tremolos. In addition to playing music usually associated with this outstanding example of theatre organ building, he accompanied the showing of the 1922 silent film, “The Cops,” starring the hilarious and athletic Buster Keaton.

Friday

The morning began with Jonathan Ambrosino’s lecture on Robert Hope-Jones, the infamous, quirky, often misguided and personally haunted genius of the organ building world. The theme of his illustrated talk was centered on Hope-Jones’s ideas on “radical change.” Included were appropriate remarks on the ups and downs of the often stormy relationship between himself and the Wurlitzer firm, then located in nearby North Tonawanda, New York. As usual, Ambrosino, well-known for his combination of articulate delivery and depth of scholarship, seasoned with affectionate good humor, did not disappoint the conventioneers who filled the room with resounding applause.

There followed a short walk to St. Anthony of Padua R.C. Church for a short recital presented by Donald Fellows on a more-or-less “stock” model Hook & Hastings 2-manual tracker, Op. 1429 of 1889. The instrument had been moved to St. Anthony’s from Plymouth Methodist Church in 1911. The interior of this elegant and beautifully maintained church had been restored in 1991 and reflected the subtle care taken to emphasize the many architectural features of this Italianate Classic room. A high coffered ceiling and hard surfaces in the building helped to supply an ideal acoustical ambiance for the following program: Prelude and Fugue in d (op. 37, no. 3), Mendelssohn; “Stèle pour un enfant défunt” from Triptyque, Vierne; the hymn, “If now, thou seekest miracles,” sung to the tune Si quarus miracula; “Adoro te devote”—Prelude with Four Variations, Near; and Te Deum, Reger. The pieces were well-played and displayed the firm and distinguished tone of the Hook, which, in spite of some minor tuning problems, acquitted itself well.

Following a catered lunch at St. Francis Xavier R.C. Church, organist Tom Trenney presented the following short memorized recital on the church’s very early example of the work of Herman Schlicker: the hymn, “I sing the mighty power of God,” sung to the tune Forest Green; Bishop’s Promenade, Coke-Jephcott; Variations on “The Last Rose of Summer,” Buck; and “Prelude,” “Scherzo” and “Toccata” forming a three-movement improvisation on submitted themes. The 2-manual, largely enclosed organ of 1933, located in the rear gallery of the high and tastefully decorated room, does not sound as one’s “mind’s ear” might expect of a Schlicker. It has a warmth and breadth of tone more typical of that of a previous generation. The instrument is provided with two consoles, one in the gallery and one on the floor of the nave. It was from this floor console that Trenney played his program. The submitted themes, which Trenney had not seen prior to the performance, were Jerusalem (the wonderful Parry tune), “Come thou fount of every blessing” (Nettleton), and the inevitable Harry Warren show tune, “Shuffle off to Buffalo” (it had to happen sometime during the week!). Trenney achieved the unbelievable task of combining these disparate melodic concoctions into an entertaining and surprisingly unified musical offering. Here is a fine young artist who combines technical security and fire with a fine and sensitive lyric awareness.

Because of limited seating for the next two events, the conventioneers were split into two groups, which then exchanged places and thus heard a repeat of the program. This report will follow the order given in the official Handbook.

Stephen Roberts gave a short demonstration on the Church of the Ascension (Episcopal)’s 3-manual Kimball, K.P.O. 7129 of 1934, which is undergoing restoration. Since much of the organ is currently unplayable, Roberts chose pieces that would work on what is available. His program opened with the lusty singing of The Royal Telephone (“Central’s never busy, Always on the line”) followed by Four Versets on Ave Maris Stella (op. 18, nos. 6-9), Dupré; Vision, Rheinberger; and Variations on “America,” Ives. Roberts, with the aid of a student console assistant, was able to give us more than a few hints of what will eventually be the resurrection of a really fine Kimball.

After a refreshing reception in Ascension’s Parish Hall, the group walked the short distance to Holmes Chapel in Westminster Presbyterian Church for a  demonstration played by Lorenz Maycher on what he calls his favorite instrument, the beautifully balanced 2-manual Aeolian-Skinner, Op. 1136 of 1951. The organ features a floating Positiv division, which is hung on the rear wall of the chapel, thus creating a stunning visual effect as well as a source for antiphonal effects, and, when desired, an enveloping sound for singing support. His program: How Brightly Shines the Morning Star, Telemann; Fugue in d (“Fiddle”), Bach; the hymn, “Holy, holy holy! Lord God Almighty,” sung with plenty of support from the organ to the tune Nicaea; Whimsical Variations (1950), Sowerby, and Fugue in C (op. 36, no. 3), Dupré. As usual, this young artist played with a total “no nonsense” command of the instrument, allowing his technical control to serve the organ and its music.

The previously split groups then met in the main church for Felix Hell’s full recital on the 4-manual Aeolian-Skinner, Op. 1249 of 1959 located in the rear gallery. His program: Fantasy and Fugue on B-A-C-H; Reger; Chorale No. 2 in b (1890), Franck; the hymn, “Praise to the Lord,” sung in a good, broad “Anglican” tempo to the tune Lobe den Herren; and Fantasy and Fugue on “Ad nos ad salutarem undam,” Liszt. For an encore, he played the last movement from Trio Sonata 1, Bach. Hell has the distinction of being the youngest person (at age 18) to graduate with a Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music. Last  fall (at age 19), he began graduate work at the Peabody Conservatory where he studies with Donald Sutherland. The charming and totally unaffected young virtuoso possesses an impressive technique, and it will be revealing to observe his increasing musical sensitivity as his career develops.

Central Park United Methodist Church was the site for a relaxing catered dinner followed by ample time for a post-prandial stroll in the lovely neighborhood. The handsome limestone church houses the Ward Memorial Organ, a 4-manual Skinner, Op. 356 of 1922-1923. The instrument’s layout is somewhat unusual in that the console and part of the Pedal division as well as the Swell and Choir are located in a transept, while the Great, Solo and the Pedal reed are in the central ceiling of the nave and over the crossing. These latter elements are concealed (very effectively) by a grille cloth colored to blend into the ceiling. This is certainly a clever arrangement, but one can only imagine the tuning and balance problems such an installation can create.

The artist for the recital was Thomas Murray who presented the following program, which he interspersed with highly appreciated and helpful comments: Introduction and Passacaglia in d  (1899), Reger; Fantaisie in D-flat (op. 101, 1895), Saint-Saëns; a group featuring “Four Americans:” Hommage to Perotin (1956), Roberts; Novelette (1908), Parker; Reverie (1962), Still; and Ride on, King Jesus, Greenlee; followed by Notturno (1942) and Impetuoso (1933), Wiedermann. After intermission, we all sang “Battle Hymn of the Republic” to the tune Vision; the program concluded with Rhapsody (op. 17, no. 3, 1919), Howells; Overture to Ruy Blas (1839), Mendelssohn (arr. Lemare); and three movements from the Byzantine Sketches (1920): “Rosace,” “Noël,” and “Toccata: Tu es petra,” Mulet. Murray received a richly deserved standing ovation for his expert playing and was able to bring out the best from this somewhat unusually designed and very fundamental-toned organ. The controversial John A. Bell was the consultant for this particular project and may have been largely responsible for some of its odd tonal characteristics. One cannot help comparing this instrument with the earlier Skinner of 1922 (Op. 327) in St. Luke’s, Evanston, played by Murray at the Chicago OHS Convention in 2002. The Evanston installation, even allowing for the vastly different architectural and acoustical setting, gives the impression of being a much more cohesive and “modern” instrument.

Saturday

The day’s events began with a lecture by organ builder Charles Kegg on the topic “Pipe Organ Restoration,” subtitled “more than you really wanted to know.” His basic tenet is that a true restoration is “ . . . bringing back what was lost.” Much of his talk dealt with specific problems involved in the continuing restoration of the 1934 Kimball heard in the Church of the Ascension the day before. He emphasized the fact that the Kimball’s original materials and design were of very high quality indeed. Among the points he raised were the fact that water damage in organ chambers is sometimes due to inherent building design flaws and that “ . . . falling plaster is not our friend.”

The first recital of the day was held on the landmark 1954 Schlicker in Trinity Episcopal Church with Stephen Schnurr presenting the following program: Fantasia super Komm, Heiliger Geist (BWV 651), Bach; Toccata in d (BuxWV 155), Buxtehude; Balletto del granduca, Sweelinck (attrib.); Concerto del Sigr. Meck, Walther; the hymn, “Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendor,” sung to the tune Bryn Calfaria; and Variations de Concert (op. 1), Bonnet. The organ, situated in the rear gallery, features a tight and well-balanced plenum together with perky small ensembles and colorful solo registers. As usual, the multi-talented Schnurr demonstrated his sure technique and subtle musical sense.

Will Headlee played the final recital of the morning on a thoroughly grand and somewhat altered Kimball of 1903 located in the high rear gallery of the equally grand St. Louis R.C. Church. This was one of several highlight programs with the organ, organist and restored church creating an overall magnificent experience. Headlee thoughtfully provided a sheet of written commentary done up in his usual entertaining style and gave information on both the music and his registrations. His program: two of the Trois Préludes et Fugues (op. 7, 1918), B Major and F Minor, Dupré; Air for Organ (1963), Hancock; from the Partita on “Sei gegrüsset, Jesu gütig” (BWV 768), Bach (Choral, Variations, I, VII and XI); Introduktion und Passacaglia in d (1899), Reger; and the rousing hymn, “Round the Lord in glory seated,” sung to the tune Rustington. Following Headlee’s superb performance, which was justifiably acknowledged with a standing ovation, the departing audience of parishioners and conventioneers was treated to the celebratory ringing of a bell located in a beautiful and lofty tower, which, together with the tower of the First Presbyterian Church, can be seen from many points in the city of Buffalo.

The next locale was Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (located diagonally across the street from the historic Anchor Bar, home of the original “Buffalo Wings”). After a catered lunch we took part in a hymn festival with the redoubtable James Bigham in charge. The main church houses the largest organ in western New York, the 5-manual Margaret L. Wendt Memorial Organ of some 152 ranks, originally a 1949 Möller (Op. 7852) with many changes and additions made by others over the years. Charles Kegg, who rebuilt both the massive console in the chancel as well as the one in the gallery and who was also responsible for most of the recent tonal work, explained some of the features of this remarkable instrument’s layout. Its divisions emanate from a variety of locations in the attractive room, and it is amazing that all of the spread-out portions of the organ worked cohesively and were in fine tune. To say that the instrument has room-filling potential would be an understatement as we were to find out later during the program. Bigham, widely known for his creative improvised hymn accompaniments, expertly played one division against another during the singing of the hymns, effectively demonstrating both large and small ensembles and colorful solo effects. Unfortunately, the creative muse overcame a sense of balance and soon proved how loud an organ can go to swallow up the sound of a room full of singers, several of whom were seen quietly replacing the hymnals in the racks or, in at least in one case, frantically waving a white handkerchief signifying sonic surrender. As a giddy postlude to this event, several people on the buses transporting conventioneers to the next recital pointed out the location of St. Mary’s School for the Deaf just a few blocks away.

The final event of the afternoon took place at the Jordan River Missionary Baptist Church with Randy Bourne playing the following program: “Wedding March” from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mendelssohn; “Adagio sostenuto” from Moonlight Sonata (op. 27, no. 2), Beethoven; “Air (on the G-string)” from Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D (BWV 1068); “Little” Prelude and Fugue in G Minor (BWV 557), Bach; Song on an Old Negro Melody, Deep River (1917), Burleigh; and the hymn, “I’ve just come from the fountain,” the African-American spiritual, which was done up “in the style” by the room full of singers. The organ, a Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling, Op. 1343 of 1919 and obviously in great need of a total restoration, created multiple challenges for Bourne who lovingly struggled to make the organ sound as well as it could. It is a rare example of a small original and unaltered essentially 8-foot instrument by this important midwest builder. A curious feature of the console is its use of color-coded stop tabs. Congratulations are due to the church for not replacing the organ and to Randy Bourne for his considerable efforts to elicit sounds from it.

St. Paul’s Cathedral (Episcopal), just a short walk from the headquarters hotel, was the locale for the evening events—a choral evensong and an organ recital. The evensong featured the Men and Girls of the Cathedral Choirs under the direction of its recently appointed organist-choirmaster, Andrew Cantrill, with Andrew Scanlon, assistant organist-choirmaster, providing the accompaniments. After a short interval, Scanlon played the following program of three sonatas: Sonata No. 3 in A (op. 65, no. 3), Mendelssohn; Sonata II (1937), Hindemith; and Sonata Eroïca (op. 94, 1930), Jongen. The organ is an interesting one in that the chancel portion was built by Schlicker in the 1950s with more recent rebuilding by Ralph Richards and Bruce Fowkes. The gallery division’s magnificent case, originally by Hope-Jones, houses the remains of a 1908 Hope-Jones unit as the Solo. Over the years, further work was done by Wurlitzer to the gallery and chancel divisions, both of which had been of Hope-Jones design. It is a rarity to find vintage Hope-Jones pipes and unit chests existing together with Wurlitzer and Schlicker and later tonal and mechanical material all available in a single effective instrument.