Stanford University Archives receives Richard Purvis library and papers

Richard Webb, lauded by the Bristol Herald-Courier as “a musician foremost,” concert organist, recitalist, lecturer, church musician, clinician/adjudicator and administrator, has performed solo concerts and appeared as guest artist with orchestras and ensembles throughout the United States, England, and Spain.  His informative and entertaining workshops and practical master classes in various performance practices have been particularly well received as a complement to his concert appearances. Highly regarded as a facile, sensitive and uniquely synchronous accompanist on all keyboard instruments, he is in significant demand as a collaborative partner for singers and instrumentalists.

 "...elevated the marriage of organ and brass to high art." (San Francisco Chronicle)

Milestone appearances have included the Inaugural Recital for the 50th Anniversary Season of the Central New Jersey AGO Chapter, a joint concert with the Echo Ringers of Japan by invitation of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights and the Inaugural Series for, at the time, the largest concert hall organ in North America at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco.  

“Particularly outstanding...Richard Webb's virtuoso bash in Julius Reubke's Wagnerian Sonata, the great organ masterpiece of the 19th century for my ear." (San Francisco Chronicle)

His imaginative programing interests have led him to premiere the works of such noted contemporary composers as Daniel Lentz, Lewis Songer, Meyer Kupfermann, John Haussermann, Jan Hanus, Gertrude Martin Rohrer, Robert Copeland, Alvin Batiste, James Hanna, Dennis Johnson, Dinos Constantinides, Charles Lloyd, and William Grimes.  He has presented thematic recitals and workshops on the organ music of America, Asia, Russia, and Spain (including a New York recital for the Quincentenary of Christopher Columbus at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue), the organ and choral works of Siegfried Reda, the Church Music Renewal Movement and his passion, the life and works of Sigfrid Karg-Elert. Introduced recently at one of his all Karg-Elert recitals in New York as “an Evangelist for the music of  Karg-Elert,” he is a Life Member of the former Karg-Elert Archive in the United Kingdom and was a contributor to its publications.  

"The performance of the music of Karg- Elert by Dr. Richard Webb was inspirational. The lecture was excellent and the master class one of the best I have seen." (Rollins College/Central Florida AGO Inaugural Romantic Organ Music Conference)

"This was a most enterprising all-Karg-Elert program on the 151-rank Aeolian- Skinner organ at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City.   In Dick Webb's skilled hands, this historic instrument demonstrated ideally the wide variety of styles comprising Karg-Elert's compositions, while avoiding the obvious.  A most appreciative audience heard some important later works, such as Legend, Voices of the Night and Preambulo from Music for Organ. (International Newsletter of the Karg-Elert Archive Issue 75 – January 2014)

"In a balanced, well-constructed program, Dr. Webb delighted the audience with technically brilliant, musically satisfying performances of a wide variety of organ works.  A clear aesthetic vision and confident command of both technical and musical demands were evident throughout.  His program was a clear indication of his stature both as an artist and educator.  The recital he offered was beautifully performed and both the instrument and the audience were very well served by this significant American organist." (Piccolo Spoleto Festival L’Organo, website - review by Roy Stewart)

"Master organist Richard Webb ran the gamut, musically speaking, from the Baroque to the present day. The fact that he is a noted and devoted educator comes through clearly in his programing ...featuring high-quality performances vastly different from each other in style and scope." (The Pacific Grove Monarch)

"His programs are a treat for people who wish to hear the gamut of the organ's effects. More important, however, is his ability to interpret so correctly and compellingly the organ literature from many periods of musical history.  Webb's love of music and of performance clearly impress the listener." (Kingsport Times-News)

Dr. Webb is Professor and Dean Emeritus of the College of Arts and Humanities at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, having served previously as Dean of the College and Chief Academic Officer at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey as well as Professor and Chair of the Departments of Music at San Francisco State University and East Tennessee State University.  He is a past Dean of the San Francisco, Franklin and Baton Rouge Chapters of the American Guild of Organists, a designee of the Louisiana Artist Roster and a recipient of the coveted Louisiana Artist Fellowship for excellence in the arts, Organist Emeritus at First United Methodist Church of Baton Rouge, LA and Organ/Harpsichord Principal of the Baton Rouge Symphony. He performs as a member of the Louisiana Touring Directory, appears as a collaborative artist and chamber musician under the auspices of Bach's Five Productions, is a featured artist on both www.Organiste.net and The Diapason Artist Spotlights and is pleased to be represented as a concert organist by Concert Artist Cooperative, https://www.concertartistcooperative.com/.

See his video with harpist Rebecca Todaro, playing Variations Pastorales by Marcel Samuel Rousseau. 

Mailing Address:  9155 Goodwood Boulevard – Baton Rouge, LA 70815-3140 
E-Mail:  [email protected]  - Cell Phone: (225) 235-6765 
Webb-Site:  www.richardwebb.org

Princeton, New Jersey, April 23-27, 2003

Stephen Leist holds degrees in history from Furman University, where he studied organ with W. Lindsay Smith, Jr., and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has served on the faculties of Furman University and Georgetown College, and is currently on the library staff of Transylvania University.

The second symposium to be held at the American Organ
Archives attracted organists, organ builders and organ historians from across
the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany and Australia. Organized
by Stephen L. Pinel, Director of the American Organ Archives, and James L.
Wallmann, the five-day gathering of lectures, papers and panel discussions with
generous time to explore the archives was sponsored jointly by Westminster
Choir College of Rider University and the Organ Historical Society.

Thursday

Those who arrived early to the symposium were rewarded with
extra time to browse the American Organ Archives, the world's largest
repository of organ research materials, or to conduct research on individual
projects. The real opening of the symposium began with a marvelous afternoon
reception in the archive reading room on Thursday, April 24. The reception was
a great opportunity to see old acquaintances and to make new contacts. After
the reception and dinner, participants were transported to Christ Church, New
Brunswick, to hear a recital by Lynn Edwards Butler on the 2001 Richards,
Fowkes & Co. organ of two manuals and 24 ranks. The all-Bach program,
perfectly suited for this organ, was entitled "Hymns for the Seasons"
and featured chorale preludes for the Easter season through Trinity. This
outstanding performance was framed by Bach's Fantasia in c
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Friday morning

Lectures and panel discussions for the symposium were held
at Christ Congregation Church located across the street from the Westminster
campus. The commodious meeting space was ideal, both for location and
acoustics, as no amplification was needed, and speakers did not need to
significantly raise their voices to be heard. Friday morning, April 25, began
with a brief welcome by Allison Alcorn-Oppedahl, Chair of the Governing Board
of the American Organ Archives. The Keynote Address, delivered by Uwe Pape of
Berlin, followed with the topic, "Research on North German Organs and
Organbuilding--History and Current Perspectives." Prof. Dr. Pape, who
manages Pape Verlag and the Organ Databank, gave a detailed presentation on the
beginnings of organ history research in the 1920s and its progress to date,
making thorough mention of a variety of scholars and their work. He also
outlined his own work over the last forty years and his efforts to document
organs in northern Germany and make the information available through his
publications and those of others. The abstract provided in the symposium
handbook is a wealth of information regarding these themes, as well as the
mention of various archives in Germany that serve as necessary finding aids.
One of the continuing problems cited by Prof. Dr. Pape regarding organ research
was the shortage of funds for scholarly work. Much of this has to be done out
of one's own pocket during free time. An additional problem is that fewer
younger scholars in Germany are taking up an interest in the organ. Despite
these trends, the six states of eastern Germany are fertile ground for organ research.

Following the Keynote Address, Stephen L. Pinel presented a
brief report on "Current Developments at the Archives." This report
made mention of the three goals of the American Organ Archives and its
Governing Board, which are acquisitions, processing and maintenance, and
outreach, and what the archive is doing to meet these goals. The archive is
regularly in touch with scholars around the world to acquire publications, and
the use of Internet search engines and the production of a want list have greatly
added to the archive's holdings. Recent acquisitions include Hallens' 1779
treatise Die Kunst des Orgelbaues and
the archives of the Virgil Fox Society (summer 2003). Much of the processing
and maintenance is done by volunteers, but cataloging has been greatly
facilitated by outsourcing to Joni Cassidy of Cassidy Catologing, Inc. Outreach
has been improved with the website and online catalog, the use of Interlibrary
Loan, and frequent reports of activities and news. Stephen Pinel stressed the
importance of protection and stewardship of this collection for future
generations of scholars. 

The final presentation of the morning before breaking for
lunch was a panel discussion on "Current Trends in Organ
Scholarship." Chaired by James Wallmann, the panel featured Prof. Dr. Uwe
Pape, Paul Peeters of the Göteborg Organ Art Center in Göteborg,
Sweden, Rollin Smith, and Andrew Unsworth. This discussion focused on research
activities in the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia, France and the United States.
Bibliographies of important monographs and other resources were provided in the
handbook, thereby making the handbook a valuable tool to take away from the
symposium. All agreed that the degree of quality was uneven, due in large part
to funding and the organization of societies for investigating and documenting
organs. The most consistent work is probably being done in the Netherlands,
where organists in general seem to be well-educated about the instrument beyond
the repertoire, and government support for restorations includes reports which
are often published. This has served to maintain an active interest in the
organ in society at large, despite very low church attendance. Andrew Unsworth
pointed out that organ scholarship in the United States is steady, but slow,
with the most significant work being done by Orpha Ochse and Barbara Owen. Paul
Peeters explained the interdisciplinary nature of the GOArt Academy by pointing
out their goal of not separating the organ building, research, and music.
Rollin Smith demonstrated that scholarship in France has been predominantly on
French classicism to offset German influence in Baroque music, but that French
scholars are beginning to show new interest in the 19th century. Societies have
been instrumental in producing local and regional inventories of historic
instruments. Much work on the French organ, however, continues to be done by
scholars from other countries.

Friday afternoon

The afternoon session began with a paper presentation by
John Buschman, Acting Dean of University Libraries, Rider University, on
"The Changing Roles of Libraries and Archives in the New Millennium, Or,
Why Is It So Hard to Get Money These Days?" Likening libraries and
archives to museums and symphony orchestras, Buschman pointed out that these institutions
share a commonality in that they can trace their beginnings and support for
acting in the common good by educating society in individual and democratic
values. In recent years, this has changed as these institutions have become
more market driven to educate individuals for a workforce in an increasingly
technological age. Combined with the new emphasis on technology is a desire for
lower taxes and public spending. The impact on libraries and archives is that
they have had to move away from public funding to other sources of support.
Collection development has been cut with funds being redirected toward
technology. Even proposals for federal funding must emphasize technological
projects. Technological resources have redefined the library as a place of
study. Buschman believes that libraries and archives have inappropriately
followed the marketing model by viewing patrons as customers, with web traffic
becoming justification for more support. Buschman stated that it is essential
for librarians to emphasize public services and service to scholarship, as a
library's effects cannot be quantified, in order to recapture the original
purpose of libraries and reduce suspicion of public motives.

The second session of the afternoon was taken up with the
topic, "Organ Libraries Around the World," featuring Paul Peeters of
GOArt, David Baker of the Royal College of Organists/British Institute of Organ
Studies, and Barbara Owen of the AGO Organ Library at Boston University. Each
panelist explained the particular structure of their institutions and along
with recent activities and needs. Paul Peeters presented a diagram of GOArt's
interdisciplinary approach to research as exemplified by their recent North
German Organ Research Project. He further explained that their current library
needs are primarily books on materials and tools. David Baker's presentation
focused on the RCO/BIOS move to a new home in Birmingham, England, in
partnership with the University of Central England. The new library is tied to
inner-city regeneration by refitting an early 19th-century railroad station and
the "out-of-London" initiative. We were treated to a comprehensive
presentation on collection development policies, accessibility to services and
outreach programs. Barbara Owen explained the origins of the AGO Organ Library
as starting with the gift of a personal library. The collection has since been
expanded by more donations, although its collection has more to do with
organists than organ building. Much of the work is done by volunteers and
work-study students, and the library is currently unable to handle Interlibrary
Loan due to lack of staff. Boston University provides space and Internet
access, which has enabled the library to provide worldwide service. The library
is now occupied with developing an online catalog.

Friday evening

Following the mid-afternoon break, the final panel
discussion of the day was held on the subject of "What Organbuilders Learn
(and Don't Learn) in the Library." Moderated by Jonathan Ambrosino, the
panel featured Jack Bethards (Schoenstein), Bruce Fowkes (Richards, Fowkes
& Co.), Paul Fritts (Paul Fritts & Co.), and Scot L. Huntington (S. L.
Huntington & Co.). The panelists largely agreed that a library does not
teach one how to build an organ, that much still depends on experience.
Documentation helps answer questions about approach and resolve problems with
informed decisions. Printed materials and recordings are a start, but
ultimately, one has to visit the instrument. Printed information can also provide
important technical details. 

We were once again treated in the evening to a fine recital,
this time Joan Lippincott performing on the Joe R. Engle Organ, built by Paul
Fritts & Co. (Op. 20, 2001), in the Miller Chapel at Princeton Theological
Seminary. Another all-Bach program, this recital featured the catechism
chorales of the Clavierübung, Part
III framed by the Prelude and Fugue in E-flat. A stunning program from start to
finish, the Fritts organ was ideally suited to the music and space of the chapel.
Opening remarks were made by Martin Tel, the chapel organist, and Paul Fritts.
At Joan Lippincott's request, Martin Tel finished the evening accompanying a
setting of Vater unser im Himmelreich found in the Presbyterian
hymnal, which was rousingly sung by the assembled audience
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Saturday morning

The final day, Saturday, April 26, began with a paper
presented by Kelvin Hastie, Secretary of the Organ Historical Trust of
Australia, on "Organ Research, Documentation and Conservation in
Australia: An Overview of the Work of the Organ Historical Trust of Australia,
1977-2003." Dr. Hastie began his talk with a brief history of the organ
culture of Australia, explaining the influence of the 19th-century English
organ builders and their influence on the first Australian builders. Most of
the historic organs in Australia represent this period and style and are modest
instruments, with a few rare examples of large organs among the town halls,
most notably the 1890 William Hill organ in the Sydney Town Hall. Very few
organs came from continental Europe. Dr. Hastie further pointed out that the
first stylistic shift away from the English late Romantic organ came after 1945
when the influence of the organ reform movement appeared in Australia,
particularly represented by the work of Robert Sharp. More imports were coming
from Europe as well. The historic preservation movement came to Australia in
the 1960s, and the following decade saw the establishment of local societies
and a national trust. The OHTA was also established at this time and began a
Gazetteer project to raise awareness of historic organs. Today, about 50% of
19th-century organs survive in Australia, and the percentage is higher in rural
areas. The joining of congregations and church closures continue to threaten
the loss of instruments, but the rate has been low due to successful
relocation. Current documentation projects of the OHTA are the acquisition of
the shop records of Hill, Norman & Beard of Australia and Whitehouse
Brothers, in addition to notebooks and letter collections. A database is being
prepared with the goal of making it available on CD-ROM, though there is no
central holding library. The OHTA has established guidelines for conservation
standards and issues, and conservation and documentation projects now receive
government grants, as organs are classified as cultural monuments. Despite
this, Hastie pointed out, the saving of historic organs "still requires
constant energy and vigilance."

Scot Huntington, a member of the OHS publications committee,
made a brief report on "Current Publishing Activities of the OHS." He
announced that the committee was in the process of hiring a Director of
Publications and an oversight committee has been formed. In the meantime, book
proposals have been received. The goal of the publications committee is better
documentation of American organs through an opus series, a monograph series,
and American works on other organ traditions. Publications currently in
preparation are works on Hinners, Lawrence Phelps, Murray Harris, and Susan
Tattershall's work on Spanish organs. A special 50th Anniversary edition of The
Tracker is being planned along with a history of the OHS. An ongoing project is
the Möller opus list, and a reprint of Eugene Thayer's Organist's
Quarterly Review is almost at the printers.

Closing panel

The closing panel of the symposium was moderated by Laurence
Libin, Curator of Musical Instruments at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
The panel was made up of all previous panelists and speakers. Libin began by
observing that there was general agreement that documentation of instruments is
a great concern, but there had not been much discussion about what kinds of
information should be preserved and how. One example he mentioned was the
importance of oral histories. Kelvin Hastie stated that the problem in the
United States in terms of documentation was the absence of a methodology. Jack
Bethards raised the issue of going beyond academic work and doing organ
research simply for the fun of it, that there is a joy by itself in reading
older documents. Barbara Owen asked the question, "What does the
instrument itself tell?" The approach of visiting the instrument and then
following the paper trail in her view is a mutually supportive research
process. Paul Peeters and David Baker stressed the interdisciplinary nature of
organ research and the importance of research networks. Peeters specifically
drew the example of the North German Research Project, in which archival
information was very important to understanding the issues of sandcasting pipe
metal and winding systems. Libin suggested the importance of economic and
social issues, such as the function of guilds in stifling or encouraging
development. Baker also added the need for continuous vigilance to protect
archival assets. Scot Huntington added to this theme his own experience in
working with the Möller records, which represented a great deal of
technological change and invention. Jonathan Ambrosino also agreed with the
need to share information, stating that "not to share is to die." The
discussion was then opened to the floor, with symposium participants given an
opportunity to ask questions and raise additional issues. Among the topics
covered were conservation/preservation issues, professionalizing organ
research, and more effective means of disseminating information.

Archive

After lunch, the American Organ Archive was open for
participants to browse the collection or conduct research. Interest in the
archive was such that it was difficult to find a seat, and Stephen Pinel was
cheerfully busy providing assistance. I had the opportunity to conduct a little
research of my own, locating some photos for a forthcoming article, and then do
some browsing to while away the afternoon. The archive was again open on Sunday
for those who remained. I came away from this conference excited and refreshed,
not to mention with a host of more questions than when I arrived, which is the
kind of activity a quality conference stimulates. We will all be eagerly
awaiting the next symposium offering.

In closing, it should be mentioned that the American Organ
Archive is a wonderful resource for conducting research, not only on American
organs and builders, but traditions in other countries, due to the
comprehensive nature of the collection. It is significant also for music
history research not necessarily restricted to the organ, as many of the great
composers worked with other media besides the organ. Stephen Pinel and James
Wallmann are to be congratulated for brilliantly organizing a successful
symposium. Hearty thanks are also due to the members of the archive Governing
Board, the sponsors, and all those who assisted with the reception and break
time refreshments, especially Mary Jane Kress and James S. Palmer.
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William Carey University, Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Donald E. (Gene) Winters is in his 29th year of teaching at William Carey University, Hattiesburg, MS. He holds the B.M., B.A., and M.M. in church music and music education from William Carey (College) and the Ph.D. in music education from Florida State University. He serves as professor of church music and voice at the university, and his particular association with the Clarence Dickinson Collection stems from the fact that his father and mother, Donald and Frances Winters (founders of the Winters School of Music at WCU), were responsible for the collection being housed at William Carey. Their inquiry to Dr. Dickinson’s second wife, Lois Stice Dickinson, after Clarence’s death (concerning the possibility of WCU purchasing some of Dickinson’s books) met with favorable response from Lois and long-time family friend, George Litch Knight, a former student of Dickinson. Dr. Knight and Mrs. Dickinson had hoped that the entire collection could be kept intact and serve as a memorial to the Dickinsons’ life and work. After Dr. and Mrs. Winters visited Mrs. Dickinson and Dr. Knight in New York, the determination was made that William Carey (College) should house the entire collection. Dr. Gene Winters has worked behind the scenes to raise monies for the preservation and electronic cataloging of the collection (work recently completed by Dr. Paul Powell, library archivist and preservationist) and for the showcasing of the collection. In addition, he coordinated the fund-raising campaign to purchase an Allen organ for Smith Auditorium, Thomas Fine Arts Center, on the Carey campus.
All of the photos (except that of Dr. McLelland) were taken by Gene Winters.

In the early 1970s, William Carey College became the new home of the books, manuscript papers, artwork, antique piano, and hymn memorabilia of renowned organist Clarence Dickinson after the death of his second wife, Lois Stice Dickinson. A recent renovation of the room that houses the historic items in the Clarence Dickinson Special Collection has created renewed interest in the collection, in the life of Clarence Dickinson, which it illustrates, and in the art of organ performance. The first Clarence Dickinson Memorial Organ Festival, which was held in January 2007, featured a lecture about the life and work of Clarence Dickinson and his first wife, Helen Adell Dickinson. Stephen Garner, an alumnus of William Carey College and assistant professor of music at Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas, was the featured scholar. Dr. Garner is writing a biography of Dr. Dickinson, and he is utilizing materials from the collection and numerous recordings of personal interviews taken with former students, colleagues, and friends of Dickinson in New York City and elsewhere. In conjunction with that first event, the Dumas L. Smith/I. E. Rouse Library on the William Cary University campus (which houses the collection) hosted an open house to showcase the collection.
The second annual Clarence Dickinson Memorial Organ Festival was held on January 17–19, 2008, at the Winters School of Music on the Hattiesburg campus. The event featured an organ recital and masterclass by Dr. Jeff R. McLelland, organist/choirmaster at Independent Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama, as well as the event’s first organ competition, with divisions for beginners and for advanced players. The beginners were required to play a Bach prelude and fugue or a contrasting piece and a hymn; the advanced players were required to play a Bach prelude and fugue, a contrasting piece, and a hymn/hymn arrangement. Representatives from both divisions participated in the masterclass. Judges for the competition were Jane Butler, organist of Trinity Episcopal Church, Hattiesburg, and Lorenz Maycher, organist/choirmaster at First Trinity Presbyterian Church, Laurel, Mississippi.
Six entrants participated in this initial competition. Playing in the beginner division were Pearl Choi, sophomore music therapy major at WCU from South Korea; David Harrison, high school junior from Ocean Springs, MS; Marissa Hipp, high school junior from Grenada, MS; and Carlena Speed, senior piano performance major at WCU from Seminary, MS. David Harrison was the winner of the beginner’s division and received the cash prize and a certificate, and will be presented a Clarence Dickinson medallion for his performance in May.
Playing in the advanced division were Christopher Ray, a freshman music major at Mississippi College, Clinton, MS, and Patrick Scott, a senior organ major at Birmingham Southern College, Birmingham, AL. Scott and Ray, both judged as outstanding entrants, tied for first place in the advanced division, and each received an equal share of the cash prize and a certificate. They, too, will each receive a Clarence Dickinson medallion.
The medallions, which feature Dr. Dickinson’s image on one side and the seal of the university on the other, will be presented to the winning competitors in May by one of Dickinson’s students and current AGO president, Frederick Swann. Swann will present a lecture/recital on May 2 at 7:30 pm. (Full details are listed in the “Here & There” column of this issue.) All of the winners have been invited to play next season in a joint organ recital as part of the Laurel, MS First Trinity Presbyterian Church’s Concert Series.
Coordinating the festival and this event are Kathy Vail, assistant professor of Music, WCU; Patricia Furr, director of libraries, WCU; and Gene Winters, professor of church music and voice, WCU. For further information about future festivals, competitions, and events please contact the Winters School of Music, William Carey University, 498 Tuscan Avenue, Campus Box 14, Hattiesburg, MS 39401. Those interested in next year’s competition should write or call (601/318-6175) the Winters School of Music and ask to be added to the competition’s mailing list; or e-mail: <[email protected]> or <[email protected]>. For information about visiting the newly reopened Clarence Dickinson Special Collection at Carey University Libraries, contact director of libraries, Patricia Furr at <[email protected]>.