april/may ago newsletter
TRANSCRIPT
The Ann Arbor Chapter of the American Guild of Organists
ANN ARBOR PIPINGSApril 2014 annarborago.org
A Letter from the Dean Greetings members and friends of Ann Arbor AGO I have long been interested in shamanic traditions as well as the Christian mystics. The roles of these people in their community is one of service, leadership, vision, healing. As Organists our gifts carry us into lands very deep in the human psyche, body and soul. This is the landscape of the healer, shaman, priest, myth maker and magic maker, and for us, the troubadour, trouvere, monk and nun, composer, performer, artist, servant. The organ has been heard and felt by millions of people each week of each year for hundreds of years, be it in concert or church--this instrument which breathes the same air as we do and made of materials of the earth.
As your Dean I am overwhelmed and overjoyed when I experience such talent in our midst. Just this past Friday I heard Aaron Tan on the Steinway (AGO Lenten Sunset Concert) playing with such nuance and style, then an hour and a half later I was in the beautiful First Presbyterian Church of Ypsilanti thoroughly enjoying Colin Knapp's recital for his Bachelor's degree. And this past sunday the Ott/Jardine organ sang away at Palm Sunday services to be fired up again for the Ypsilanti Pipe Organ Festival presenting Students of the University of Michigan!
So, in closing, dear friends blessed joyful happy Eastertide. "...show forth your work to your servants, let your glory shine on your children, let the favor of the Lord be upon us: give success to the work of our hands, give success to the work of our hands." (ps 90)
Please note: --We will have some Board openings; if you feel called to explore this, please contact Gale Kramer who is on the nominating committee. --Please review your newsletter carefully as we have such a plethora of events upcoming, and our POEA is cooking along. --Next year's Calendar events are being assembled; after the next Board meeting we'll send it out. --I hope to see more and more members at concerts and events! It is always good to commune over organ music.
Peace and all good thingsTimothy Huth
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Article Two: What we have in store
for our campers!
Last month, you met the Planning Team of the Pipe Organ Encounters Advanced (POEA). This month, you will receive some teaser highlights of the schedule for the week. Next month, you will meet the faculty and receive a more detailed schedule.
But first, we would like to invite you to spread the word of this wonderful opportunity to every qualified high school student you know. Our web site contains all the registration i n f o r m a t i o n t h e y n e e d : h t t p : / /www.annarborago.org/AnnArborAGO/POEA.html Our registration deadline is April 30, so this is a crucial time for us to receive the number of participants we need to make this event a success. Continued on page 3
POEA Ann Arbor June 29–July 4, 2014
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Please plan to attend some or all of the wonderful events that are free and open to the public during the POEA. The students will each receive individual daily lessons and practice time. Interspersed between their lessons are the following open events:
Sunday, June 297:30 p.m. Faculty Recital: Fireworks! James
Kibbie, Gale Kramer, & Timothy Tikker (Hill)
Monday, June 309:00 a.m.: U of M Student Recital (Hill)12 noon: Burton Carillon Concert4:30: Organ Playing Ergonomics with
Timothy Huth (Hill)7:30 p.m.: Improvisation Hymn Festival with
Jo se ph Ba l i s t r i e r i , Michae l Burkhardt, and Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra (First Congregational)
Tuesday, July 19:00 a.m: Improvisation Workshop with
Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra (First Congregational)
10:30 a.m.: Composers’ Forum with free organ music (First Congregational)
4:30 p.m.: Organ Plus with Joshua Boyd and friends (Hill)
7:30 p.m.: Faculty Recital with Huw Lewis and others (Hill)
Wednesday, July 2DETROIT DAY! Drivers and chaperones are needed
to transport students to a fun-filled learning experience as they tour WRCJ with host David Wagner; receive hands-on instruction and organ maintenance tips from Stephen Wagner; enjoy a silent film with accompaniment by Stephen Wagner at the Senate Theater.
Thursday, July 37 p.m. Organ Prelude by Jonathan Moyer
followed by 7:30 Evensong led by Deborah Friauff and
others (St. Francis RCC)
Friday, July 411 a.m. POEA Student Recital Expect Sonic
Fireworks! (Bethlehem UCC)
As you can see, the POEA week is rich with offerings that appeal to organists and friends of the organ of every age. If you can help during the POEA week by volunteering as drivers or chaperones: please contact the P O E A D i r e c t o r s , [email protected] or [email protected]. Thanks for your support!
Respectfully submitted,Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra
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This Friday! A Service of Uneven Song8 p.m. BAM Organ Hall, UM School of Music
Spoken word and music saying thank you to Dr. Johns for her years of service, thank you to Dr. Schrock for filling in this year, and “Auf Weiedersehen!” to BAM as it closes for construction of the
new music school addition!
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Member NewsFrom Cary Dumas
In March, I was appointed Interim Director of Music at Our Lady of Good Counsel church in Plymouth, where I'm keeping the organ bench warm and
directing the adult choir and schola for the next few months.
Send us what you’ve been up to!
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Upcoming Concerts
Aram Basmadjian in ConcertSponsored by the Lansing AGO Sunday, April 27, 4:00 P.M.
Plymouth Congregational Church in Lansing ___________________________
Frederick Swann in ConcertFriday, May 9, 7:30 p.m.
First Congregational Church in Saginaw
Fred Swann, internationally renown organist, will be performing the inaugural concert of Scott Smith Pipe Organs Opus 3 on May 9th at 7:30pm at the First Congregational Church in Saginaw, Michigan. The Lansing firm is nearing completion of the organ
which began life as the 1929 E. M. Skinner #751, a 3 manual 42 rank organ. A renovation took place in 1965 dramatically altered the instrument, in which over half of
the organ was either discarded or drastically altered. Scott Smith Pipe Organs was contracted to return the organ to the 1928 contract spec, with 4 additional stops
including a French Horn, 4 rank Mixture, a Stentorphone, and a Tuba en Chamade, bringing the new organ to 4 manuals and 48 ranks. The organ will be formally
dedicated to the Glory of God on May 18th at 4pm by Dr. Steven Egler, Artist in Residence and Professor of Organ at Central Michigan University. A detailed photo
journal of the building and restoration process can be found at skinner751.tumblr.com and contains over 100 detailed photos and the specifications of all 3 incarnations of the
organ; 1928, 1965, and 2014.
Continued on page 7
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In May, the Community Chorus of Detroit (CCD), with three outstanding guest choirs, full orchestra, and world-class soloists, with Dr. Edward Maki-Schramm conducting, will present the great Verdi Requiem.
The concert is on Sunday, May 18, at 4:30, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, 9844 Woodward Ave. (at Boston Blvd.), Detroit, MI 48202, and it will commemorate the 16 performances of the Requiem by the prisoners of the Terezin concentration camp in WWII. With 175 voices and full orchestra, and featuring Metropolitan Opera-affiliated soloists Irina Mishura mezzo soprano, Jennifer Barnickel-Fitch soprano, Dustin Scott tenor, and Stephen West bass, Dr. Edward Maki-Schramm will conduct one of Detroit’s greatest musical offerings of the year, set in one of the city’s most magnificent historic venues. Sponsored by the Community Chorus of Detroit, the concert includes eminent guest choirs – the Archdiocesan Chorus of Detroit, the Cantata Academy Chorale, and the Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir. General admission tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door, and tickets may be purchased starting in mid-April at the chorus website, below, where there is also information about mail-in options, concert patronages, and program ads. Secure parking is available.
The Community Chorus of Detroit was founded in 2010 to bring community members from both the city and the suburbs together through music. Chorus members represent more than 40 zip codes in the Metro Detroit area. Rapidly becoming known in the city for its musical excellence and exciting programming, the chorus welcomes new members in August for its fall, 2014 season, which will culminate in three exciting holiday concerts.
For more information about the chorus and the Verdi Requiem concert, visit www.communitychorusofdetroit.com or contact [email protected].
How to get in:For submissions to the newsletter, please send articles in publishable form (Microsoft Word or Pages documents preferred) to [email protected]. Classified ads, calendar events, and other announcements will also be featured on the chapter website. Submissions are subject to editing. Summer editions will be abbreviated or curtailed.
Deadline for submissions for the next issue is: Sunday, May 25th.
Substitute List
Need a sub? Please see our website for an updated list: www.annarborago.org
ANN ARBOR PIPINGS • APRIL 2014! PAGE8
Marilyn Mason Young Musician’s Scholarship THE AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS
ANN ARBOR CHAPTER The Ann Arbor Chapter of the American Guild of Organists established a scholarship fund in 2008 in honor of Professor Marilyn Mason in recognition of her 60 years on the faculty of the University of Michigan. Each year a scholarship of $400 is made available to a young person between the ages of 13 and 18 toward the cost of attending a Pipe Organ Encounter (POE) sponsored by the American Guild of Organists in our region. Held in the summer months, a POE is an introduction for young persons who have had little or no previous experience with the pipe organ. The event includes lessons with renowned teachers, recitals by faculty and participants, workshops and visits to area pipe organs and organ builders. The scholarship is paid directly to the sponsoring AGO chapter. This year the scholarship will be awarded to an attendee of the Pipe Organ Encounter (Advanced) to be held in Ann Arbor June 20 – July 4, 2014. An application for the Marilyn Mason Young Musician’s Scholarship is not an application to attend the POEA and does not guarantee acceptance into it. For information about this summer’s POEA, consult the website of the American Guild of Organists: http://www.agohq.org/education/indexpoe.html or the Ann Arbor Chapter of the American Guild of Organists: www.AnnArborAGO.org. Applicants for the Marilyn Mason Young Musician’s Scholarship may download the Award Guidelines and Application for 2014 at the website of the Ann Arbor Chapter of the AGO: www.AnnArborAGO.org. For more information about the Marilyn Mason Young Musician’s Scholarship contact Gale Kramer by telephone 734.769.1466 or by email [email protected].
Marilyn Mason Young Person’s Scholarship Winners 2008 - Reuben Seward 2009 – Emily Seward 2010 - Sarah Simko
2011 - Quinn Reichard 2012, 2013 – no award
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JOBS
St. Joseph Parish in WatervlietSt. Joseph Parish in Watervliet is looking for a part-time Music Director/Organist. The preferred candidate must be familiar with the Catholic Mass. Must be available to play for Saturday Vigil Mass and 2 Masses on Sunday mornings, play music for funerals, special Holy Days, and practice with the adult and small, youth choir. If interested, please contact the parish office at(269) 463-5470 or [email protected]. Start date is June 1, 2014.
Organist at Immanuel Lutheran Church (ELCA), Jackson, MI- service player for a moderately-sized, vibrant ELCA Lutheran Church (45mins west of Ann Arbor; 40mins south of East Lansing)- one service per Sunday (10:00a), one choir rehearsal per Wednesday (7:00p) (subject to change), plus Christmas Eve, Holy Week, and mid-week Lenten services (only during the season of Lent). - 6 services annually are covered by the assistant organist as paid leave.- accompany choir anthem(s) each Sunday. Difficulty level: easy to moderate- congregation and pastor appreciates a mixture of organ and piano, but proficiency on both is expected and organ is the primary instrument for the Sunday service.- 2 manual Wicks organ: original in 1956 (gallery), expanded in 2002 (chancel). Well-maintained and appropriately balanced for the space. - very kind and appreciative congregation. They enjoy good music at the service and make you feel as an integral part of their community. - the service is very musically involved. Prelude, offertory, postlude should be provided by the organist every Sunday. The ELCA service is typically formatted with 3 main hymns, 3 communion hymns, service music (changes seasonally, but expect 3-4 mass pieces or additional hymns). Improvisation is not required, though helpful during transitional times in the service.- annual salary of $11,700.00. You are paid extra for weddings, funerals, and other special services. - position available in August 2014. Interviews and Auditions will be held starting in late April,
2014 and will continue until position is filled. Please contact if interested.
Inquiries to Brian Locke ([email protected]) or Pastor David Eidson ([email protected]). Thank you!
Continued on page 10
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Choir Director & Organist Position St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Kalamazoo, MI is seeking a highly skilled, exciting & team oriented Choir Director/Organist.
• serve on a liturgical team with the priest and other leaders.
• accompany choir rehearsals, the Sunday 9:30 Holy Eucharist,
special liturgies such as those at Christmas, Holy Week and Easter,
as well as weddings and funerals as requested and available.
• recruit, select music for, and direct occasional guest musicians
(brass, drums, strings, etc.).
• demonstrate the ability to interpret and integrate a variety of
musical genres, from classical to contemporary.
• select Anglican music and a variety of other styles for preludes,
postludes, and choir performance.
• coordinate with the priest in the selection of hymns and liturgical
music for the congregation to sing.
• train, motivate and excite this choir which has members whose
musical skills range from the minimal to the advanced.
• understand that a significant experience of prayer in community is
of more value than technical musical perfection.
• demonstrate creativity, flexibility, and effective communication with
the priest, choir, staff, vestry, church school program and
congregation.
• arrange for organ and piano maintenance with a qualified organ and
piano repair person as needed.
• have master's level training, or equivalent, with studies in such areas
as organ, choral accompaniment, hymnody, vocal dynamics, choral
techniques, and conducting.
• Negotiable 18 to 20 hrs. per week, year round employment.
The St. Luke's Choir Director/Organist will . . .The Rev Dr. Randall R. Warren
269-345-8552
St. Luke's is blessed to have a Dobson
Opus 57 pipe organ with 29 stops and
43 ranks which was built in 1992. The
instrument features mechanical key
action and electric stop action with a
detached and reversed console. There
are 2 manuals (58 notes) and pedal (32
notes) along with an 8 level SSL memory.
More at: www.dobsonorgan.com/html/
instruments/op57_kalamazoo.html
Our Commitment to Our Children
The Episcopal Church is a leader in child
abuse prevention. Under our program
Safeguarding God's Children, our new
Organist must pass a criminal records
check and sex offenders registry check.
Our new Organist will also be required
to take the Safeguarding God's Children
training and comply with its policies.
This position begins August 4, 2014.
To apply, send résumé, cover letter
and 3 references to the
Musician Search Committee
St. Luke's Episcopal Church
247 W. Lovell Street
Kalamazoo, MI 49007