Third Baptist, St. Louis, recitals

David Spicer began as Minister of Music and the Arts at First Church of Christ in Wethersfield, Connecticut, in 1986. In 1996 he and Harold Robles founded the Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival. Spicer is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Alexander McCurdy, and is a graduate of the Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

It hardly seems possible that twelve years have gone by since we began the Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival! We have experienced outstanding applicants, who reflected wonderful, superb teaching, outstanding adjudicators, and a remarkable and consistently high level of music making.
Beautiful New England weather gave an idyllic setting for the festival. On Friday evening, September 10, our traditional opening concert was held. The service/choral portions were played by the writer:

Prelude: Benedictus, op. 59, no. 9, Max Reger (played also at the first annual festival)
Psalm 150, César Franck
Hymn: Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation (tune: Christ Church), Richard W. Dirksen
Kyrie (from Messe Solennelle, op. 16), Louis Vierne
He Comes to Us (text by Albert Schweitzer), Jane Marshall
Go Ye into All the World, Robert Wetzler
Hymn: Let Heaven Rejoice (tune: Rock Harbor) (text by Hal M. Helms), Alan MacMillan

The three judges were each invited to play a selection of their own choosing. The artists’ playing from the balcony was projected onto a screen downstairs in the historic Meetinghouse. Frederick Hohman played his arrangement of Arioso (Suite No. 3 in D) by J. S. Bach. Wilma Jensen played Méditation à Ste. Clothilde by Philip James. John Weaver then played Chorale Prelude on Ellers followed by Fantasy on Sine Nomine, both his own compositions.
Saturday morning, from 9 to noon, the three high school division finalists played the required repertoire. At 2 pm the young professional division finalists were heard. The combined repertoire of these six finalists included hymn tunes: St. Thomas (Williams), Coronation, Ein’ Feste Burg, Diademata, Slane, and Veni Creator; Bach: Fantasia and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 542, Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, BWV 543, Prelude and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 539, Trio Sonata No. 1 in E-flat Major, BWV 525, and Trio Sonata No. 5 in C Major, BWV 529; Widor: Cantabile (from Symphony No. 6 in G Minor), Andante Cantabile (from Symphony No. 4 in F), and Andante Sostenuto (from Symphonie Gothique); Franck: Choral No. 2 in B Minor and Choral No. 3 in A Minor; Eben: Moto Ostinato (from Sunday Music); Jongen: Sonata Eroïca, op. 94; Jehan Alain: Aria; Duruflé: Scherzo, op. 2; Messiaen: Dieu parmi nous (Nativité du Seigneur, IX).
Immediately afterwards, all finalists and judges had a chance for interaction and discussion over a delicious meal provided by Dana Spicer at Mainly Tea, directly across the street from the Meetinghouse.
On Sunday, September 12, all finalists played portions of the 8, 9:15, and 11 am worship services. At 1:30 pm, a masterclass with the three judges was held. Many important topics were covered, and awards were presented.

The judges’ decisions
High School Division: first place, Bryan Anderson from Stockbridge, Georgia, a student of Sarah L. Martin; second place, Deniz Uz from Longwood, Florida, a student of Terry Yount and currently with Thomas Bara at the Interlochen Arts Academy; third place, Clarence Chaisson from South Lancaster, Massachusetts, a student of Christa Rakich.
Young Professional Division: first place, Adam Pajan from New Haven, Connecticut, formerly a student of Charles Boyd Tompkins at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina and currently with Martin Jean at Yale University; second place, Clayton Roberts from Houston, Texas, a student of Robert Bates at the University of Houston; third place: Jonathan Hehn from South Bend, Indiana, a student of Craig Cramer at the University of Notre Dame.
We are very grateful to Charles Callahan for serving as the screening judge for initial recorded examples of these organists and other applicants.
We are also grateful to Leigh and Betty Standish for the $2000 award for first prize in the high school division. The young professional division first prize of $3500 was given by Robert Bausmith and Jill Peters-Gee, M.D. Thanks go to John Gorton and Richard Pilch for providing $750 for the David Spicer Hymn Playing Award, which was awarded to high school division finalist Bryan Anderson. Other prizes and gifts toward the festival—including the high school division second prize of $1000 and the young professional division second prize of $1500—came from Austin Organs, Inc., Marilyn Austin & the Austin family, and several individuals in the First Church family. We also thank Dr. Paul Bender for his gift to this festival.
Special thanks go to Bon Smith of Austin Organ Service Company of Avon, Connecticut, who was on hand throughout the Saturday competition to offer assistance, should the organ need it, as well as his gracious gift of tuning and maintenance for this festival. Austin Organ Service Company is the regular curator of this instrument, serviced by Alex Belair and Michael Tanguay.
Our thanks to William Dean, music committee chair; Andrea Volpe, ASOF chair; and Linda Henderson, assistant, for so ably performing the organizational work that made the festival run smoothly and efficiently.
Churches that allowed their instruments to be used for additional practice include Trinity Episcopal Church, Wethersfield, Bruce Henley, organist-choirmaster; St. John’s Episcopal Church, West Hartford, Ralph Valentine, organist-choirmaster; St. James’ Episcopal Church, also in West Hartford, Jason Roberts, organist-choirmaster; First Church of Christ, Glastonbury, Angela Salcedo, director of music ministries; Cathedral of St. Joseph, Hartford, Ezequiel Menéndez, music director; and Bethany Covenant Church, Berlin, Olga Ljungholm, minister of music.
The 2009 first-place winners, Bryan Anderson and Adam Pajan, will perform in recital on Sunday, June 13, 2010, at 7 pm at the First Church of Christ, Wethersfield, Connecticut.
The 2010 Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival will have the following judges for the competition: Joyce Jones, Charles Callahan, and Frederick Hohman. Plans are underway to feature these organists in the opening concert of the festival on Friday evening, September 10, at 7:30 pm. The ASOF committee is hoping to invite six qualified young organists to compete in the two divisions on Saturday, September 11. Information about the Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival and current requirements for the competition are available by telephone at 860/529-1575 ext. 209, by e-mail at [email protected], or by viewing the ASOF website: www.firstchurch.org/ASOF. 

David Spicer began as Minister of Music and the Arts at First Church of Christ in Wethersfield, Connecticut in 1986. In 1996 he and Dr. Harold Robles founded the Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival/USA. Spicer is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Dr. Alexander McCurdy, and of the Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

On Tuesday, September 6, 2005, six young organists began arriving in Wethersfield, Connecticut to participate in the eighth annual Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival/USA. This year the caliber of playing was especially high, and all who heard were greatly encouraged regarding the future of organ playing in our country.
We are grateful to the following churches for allowing these six finalists to practice on their organs: Trinity Episcopal Church, Wethersfield: Bruce Henley, organist-choirmaster; Asylum Hill Congregational Church, Hartford: Charles Miller, organist and associate minister of music; Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopal), Hartford: Canon James Barry, organist and choirmaster; and Bethany Covenant Church, Berlin: Olga Ljungholm, minister of music.
On Friday morning, September 9, the finalists were treated to a tour of St. Joseph’s Cathedral (Roman Catholic) in Hartford, conducted by Ezequiel Menendez, organist-choirmaster. The awesome architecture and the IV/141 Austin with its five seconds of reverberation were a thrill for all to experience.
On Friday evening a concert was held in the historic Meetinghouse of the First Church of Christ in Wethersfield, featuring music composed by organists. The Campanella Handbell Choir, directed by Linda Henderson, joined organist David Spicer in presenting Paean of Praise (based on Pasticcio) by Jean Langlais, arranged by Sue Mitchell-Wallace. Spicer then played Aria by Flor Peeters and led the Festival Choir in Chant Praises to God, an anthem heard for the first time at this festival, composed by Frederick Hohman and dedicated to the Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival/USA. The final triumphal chords of this anthem led into the hymntune Christ Church (“Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation”) by Richard Dirksen. The Festival Choir then sang Psalm 150 by César Franck.
The father and son team Abubaker and Babafemi (Generations of Drummers) led all present in some vigorous, interactive African drumming. Alvin Carter Sr. and Alvin Carter Jr. were dressed in African garb, a reminder of Dr. Albert Schweitzer’s great missionary work in Africa. Next, the three judges for the competition played on the Austin IV/62. Benjamin Dobey, from Kohler, Wisconsin, played the Paean (from Six Pieces for Organ) by Herbert Howells. This was followed by Cortège and Litany, op. 19, no. 2 by Marcel Dupré, played by Katharine Pardee, who traveled from Oxford, England to be at the festival. Finally, permanent adjudicator of the ASOF/USA, Frederick Hohman, from South Bend, Indiana, played the Allegro (Theme with Variations), the first movement of Symphony No. 6 in G by Widor.
Anthems He Comes to Us by Jane Marshall (with text by Albert Schweitzer) and Go Ye into All the World by Robert Wetzler were sung by the Festival Choir. The concluding hymn was “Let Heaven Rejoice” (Rock Harbor), tune by Alan MacMillan and text by Hal M. Helms, which has become a tradition at these opening concerts.
High School Division finalists were Samuel Kohei Gaskin, from Beaumont, Texas (third prize), who studies with Hugh E. Thompson; Kenneth Scott Miller from Conover, North Carolina (second prize), a student of Florence Jowers; and Jacob Michael Street from North Reading, Massachusetts (first prize), a student of John Shelton.
The Young Professional Division finalists were Scott A. Montgomery from Champaign, Illinois (third prize), a recent graduate of the University of Illinois, where he is continuing his studies with Dana Robinson; Monica Alexandra Harper, from Waco, Texas (second prize), where she is a graduate student of Joyce Jones at Baylor University; and Jason Noel Roberts from New York City (first prize), studying under McNeil Robinson at the Manhattan School of Music.
Saturday, September 10, the High School Division competition was held from 9 am to noon. The Young Professional Division finalists competed from 1–4 pm. Sunday morning, September 11, all finalists played portions of the 8, 9:15 and 11 am worship services. At 4 pm awards were presented, and first-place winners Jacob Michael Street and Jason Noel Roberts were heard in recital.
The total combined repertoire represented by these six finalists included Prelude and Fugue in D Major, BWV 532; Prelude and Fugue in a minor, BWV 543; Fantasia in G Major, BWV 572; and Trio Sonata No. 6 by Bach; Andante Sostenuto from Symphonie Gothique by Widor; Choral No. 1 in E Major, Choral No. 2 in b minor, and Choral No. 3 in a minor by Franck; Méditation by Duruflé; Prelude and Fugue in g minor by Dupré; “Lebhaft” (Sonate II) by Hindemith; Wondrous Love: Variations on a Shape-Note Hymn by Barber; and hymn tunes St. Thomas, Ein’ feste Burg, Ar Hyd y Nos, Coronation, Slane and Eventide.
Special thanks go to Gordon Auchincloss, who was on hand throughout the Saturday competition to offer assistance should the organ need it, and to Bon Smith of Austin Organ Service Company of Avon, Connecticut, who graciously gave the gift of tuning for this festival.
Our thanks to Nancy Andersen, festival manager; Karen Franzen, administrative assistant; Betty Standish, ASOF/USA chair, for the organizational work that made the festival run smoothly and efficiently. A special note of thanks to Dana Spicer and Mainly Tea of Wethersfield, for providing a reception for the three judges on Friday evening and a wonderful dinner for finalists and judges on Saturday evening.
The Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival committee is preparing for ASOF/USA 2006, to be held in Wethersfield, Connecticut, September 8–10. Organists Marilyn Mason and Thomas Heywood will join Frederick Hohman as this year’s guest artists/judges. Plans are underway to feature these organists in the opening concert of the festival on Friday evening, September 8 at 7:30 pm. The committee is hoping to invite six qualified young organists to compete in the two divisions on Saturday, September 8. Awards and requirements have been changed: the High School Division first-place award sponsored in part by Ahlborn-Galanti Organs has been raised to $2000. In addition to the first-place award of $3500, provided in part by J.H. & C.S. Odell Organ Builders, the Young Professional Division first-place award winner will have the opportunity to present an organ recital during the 2006–2007 First Church Concert Series. An additional award of $500 will be given from the Helen L. Reinfrank Music Fund for the most creative hymn playing.