Dean’s Corner

September 2019 Dean’s Corner

Dear Members and Friends of the Central North Carolina American Guild of Organists,

As we begin a new season, I would like to say thank you to the nominating committee, and to each one of you who has entrusted me as your new Dean. I would also like to officially thank Dr. William Weisser for his many years of service in this position. It was my pleasure serving as Sub-Dean under Dr. Weisser, and I know that he leaves big shoes to fill. I will do my best to serve you well.

I would start by encouraging any of you, who have not yet renewed your membership through the ONCARD system online, to visit the renewal page, www.agohq.org, and click on “Membership,” so that you can remain active members. As we make plans for the year ahead, I’m hoping that you will find many reasons to be excited about AGO this coming season.

I began my post as your Dean by updating my own membership in the Guild to a Life Member. I highly encourage you to consider this option as well. Our support of the Guild is most important at this time, in which the use of organs in worship needs encouragement. For those of us who love the instrument, there is a need to foster youth and excitement in our organization, and expand our reach to others who love the instrument, but who may not play themselves. There are also several opportunities being made available to join AGO at a reduced rate, if you are a student, or if you are a “Volunteer” organist (or an employed organist with smaller salaries). I’ll be writing more about these programs in future newsletters.

Our new Board of Directors is working diligently on preparing a fine year of activities ahead, and you will be receiving news as those plans come to fruition, as planned by our new Sub-Dean, Dr. David Danielson Eaton and his planning committee. I wanted to give you a “heads up” to save the date for two soon arriving events: One in September, and one in October. We are joining with the Durham-Chapel Hill Chapter for both events. Both dates will give us an opportunity to see, hear, and play the magnificent new CB Fisk pipe organ in the recently finished Raleigh Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral. Those two dates are:

Friday, September 27th, 7:00 pm

Dr. David Eaton, Principal Organist, has arranged especially for Triangle area AGO members, and guests, to demonstrate the grand CB Fisk organ in the new Raleigh Cathedral. We will gather in the choir loft at the console to hear a variety of selections, as well as discussion of approaches to registration in this massive space. Several of our members will have the opportunity to play.

Sunday, October 13th, 3:30 pm

Dr. David Eaton will provide a demonstration of the organ. We will hear selections for solo organ, featuring young organists, organ and voice, with Margaret Pate, Soprano, and organ/handbell with Lynn Andersen, renowned English Handbell soloist.

Please watch for further details as our planning committee firms things up.

Best wishes for a wonderful year ahead.

Mark Andersen

May 2017 Dean’s Corner

It’s really hard to believe that Easter has come and gone! Although, we are Easter people and really celebrate the resurrection continually throughout our lives, we look to the Resurrection as a sign of hope which gives meaning to the living of our lives daily!

Musically I know that Easter was a day full of celebration, too! Easter is the culmination of our year’s hard work with our choirs and instrumentalists! Sometimes Easter signals the end of another musical season is nearing. However, we all know that the month of May can be even more full of musical “endings” than the month of December!!! Let’s all celebrate the good work everyone has done. Summer is coming!!

Last Saturday we gathered at White Memorial Presbyterian Church in Raleigh for the 5th Annual Smorgansbord. One of the highlights of the event was interviewing and interacting with Joshua Sobel, our 2017 Cooper-Miller Scholarship Winner. As a ninth grader it was a joy to hear him play a Bach Little Prelude and Fugue and the Gordon Young “Prelude in Classic Style” ALL FROM MEMORY!! Joshua will attend the Hartford POE. He was given a $1000 Scholarship and a two year membership in the Central NC Chapter. We know Joshua will be one of the “Rising Stars” in a couple of years!! Lorraine Magnuson, Chair of the Scholarship Committee, presented the Certificate to Joshua.

There was a table of used music that attendees could swap or purchase by donation that the proceeds will benefit the Cooper-Miller Scholarship. Lots of good stuff was available!

Leonard Smith shared a portion of his very large collection of Hymnals from various denominations and eras. It was fascinating to look through and even touch some of these very early hymnals.

Lee Harris, Chapter Treasurer always amazes us with her dazzling pedal technique. She presented several solutions to playing difficult pedal passages. She also performed impromptu the Wilhelm Middleschute pedal solo made famous by Virgil Fox!!

We were informed by Kelly Groom about what to discuss with your Organ Tuner and also how to use the new digital gadgets being installed with most new organs (as well as on even older instruments).

Another highlight was viewing a video of Marcel Dupré playing at St. Sulpice at various ages in his life. To watch a Master improvise a Prelude and Double Fugue was amaz- ing! But, also to hear him play several of his own composition while watching his hands made the pieces even more meaningful. Mark Andersen,

Sub-Dean, studied personally with Dupré in France back in the late 60’s. We listened to Mark talk about his personal relationship with Dupré; about his experience playing at Meudon (Dupré’s home organ) and St. Sulpice, and how to improvise! What a day!

Many thanks to Karl Zinsmeister for hosting the event! Many thanks to Andy Liepins for developing the Webpage and Lyn Francisco for updating the Facebook page regularly!

Please check these resources. They are valuable tools! Many thanks to Tamara Lewis (and her husband, Todd!) for producing the Newsletter each month, too!

One of the things we’re trying to do is to become good stewards of our resources. By sending out the Newsletter electronically and by uploading it to the website we are saving not only financially but saving the environment by using less paper and other natural resources. You can read the Newsletter online or print out your own copy if you wish. For those who still do not have a computer, you will continue to receive a print copy in the mail.

The Board will meet on Thursday, May 4th at 10:30 am at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church on Canterbury Road in Raleigh. All Board meetings are open to anyone. If you would like to become involved with the Chapter as an officer or committee member please let me know.

Peace to all!

March 2017 Dean’s Corner

Greetings!

Can you believe the weather! What a roller coaster ride – Spring has come early to Central NC!!

It’s hard to believe but Lent will begin on Wednesday, March 1. For 40 days (not counting Sundays) we go from ashes to butterflies! As we begin the journey let us use this time to reflect on the meaning of mortality.

From the words “From dust you came, to dust you shall return” to the glorious day of Resurrection on Easter Sunday…the journey helps us to fulfill our calling to serve the Church leading her people to know the love and grace God has for each one of us!

Please put Saturday, April 22 on your calendars now! This year’s Smorgansbord is going to be one of the best ever. Please invite your friends and colleagues to join us.

We’ll be celebrating our Cooper-Miller Scholarship Winner, Joshua Sobel. Joshua will play several pieces and receive his award certificate. We’ll welcome Joshua into our Chapter, too!

As we begin the new cycle of renewals, etc. please check your ONCARD information. Also be aware of the new dues amounts to begin with the next renewal cycle.

I’ll look forward to seeing many of you in April!

Peace,

DR. WILLIAM J. WEISSER, DEAN

October 2016 Dean’s Corner

Greetings! Members of the Central NC Chapter, AGO.  It is hard to believe but September is almost gone….where did the month go!!!??

Children and youth are back in school and most choir programs have already begun the fall schedule.

I bet most of you have already begun rehearsing Christmas Music, too!!?? It’s only three months away!!

Last Friday, September 23 about 19 of us gathered at the home of Geoff Simon. Geoff was a Professor of Church Music at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC.

He and his wife have retired to this area. They have built a beautiful music studio that houses three grand pianos and the Allen organ originally owned by Carlo Curley.

He assisted Roger Petrich, one of our own members, in giving some personal anecdotes about the life of Leo Sowerby. Both Roger and Geoff studied with Sowerby as Fellows of the College of Church Musicians at the Washington National Cathedral. I personally had the opportunity to hear Leo Sowerby play the premiere of his own Symphonia Brevis at the National Cathedral when I was a high school student in York, PA. in 1965.

The evening ended with a wonderful time of fellowship and food (wine, too!)

I hope many more of our members can take advantage of the varied programs our chapter is planning. Don’t forget the recital at St. Michael’s Episcopal on Sunday, October 2nd presented by Matthew Brown from Salisbury.

If you have already volunteered to serve on a committee please contact me or Ruth Hoffmann. We particularly need persons to serve on the program committee, especially to help plan and design the 2017 Smorgansbord.

If you are interested in helping to develop membership coordination and assimilation please contact Janet Cherry, Chair. I’m sure Tamara Lewis could use some help with the Newsletter.

(Drum roll!!!) The Chapter Website is about to go online….the first items are ready to go! Check www.cnccago.org by the end of September. The Members Only section is not ready, but the site should be live by the end of the month. Thank you to Andy Liepins and the Technology Committee for making this happen. If you would like to serve on this committee please give Andy a shout!

Here’s wishing you all the best for a successful fall season.

Dr. William J. Weisser, Dean

September 2016 Dean’s Corner

Greetings members and friends of the Central NC Chapter!

It’s exciting to see that more and more members of the chapter are becoming involved with the activities and programs of the chapter.

With this newsletter we welcome Tamara Lewis as our new Newsletter Editor and Chair. She has many wonderful ideas about the newsletter and how to improve communication between members. Please submit your articles and calendar at least a month before the activity date to her via email.

Please check in with ONCARD. We are aware that several members have been invoiced for their dues but have not paid. Please check your records on ONCARD and make sure you are up to date!

The Website is still under construction but it is getting closer to going LIVE!! Andy Liepins is working with new software to develop the new webpage. Please submit what you would like to include on the webpage. The Members Only area will include membership roster, and any other members only information. Once the site goes live we will give you the password to be able to access the Members Only section.

We would like to publish a database of Organs/Instruments in the Raleigh area and then, perhaps, extend the database to include information about your organ/instrument to me and I will compile the database. Pictures always make webpages more interesting. Please submit pictures you want to share with others to Andy.

Lyn Francisco is the administrator of the Facebook page. If you have not “liked” the Central NC Page, please do so and begin to submit program information to Lyn or write in the comments. Facebook is a great way to “advertise” your upcoming programs and/or keep people up to date with your happenings!!

The next meeting of the officers will be on Thursday September 8th at 10:30 in the choir room at St. Michaels Episcopal Church. As always the meetings are open to the membership.

Don’t forget the September 23rd program “An Evening with Leo Sowerby” being presented by Roger Petrich. I know it will be a fabulous program you won’t want to miss!

Growing pains are wonderful. Isn’t it exciting to see the chapter begin to blossom and flourish!

See you in September!