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Spartanburg Chapter (South Carolina) |
| Last updated: June 21, 2009 |
Message from the Dean |
| The American Guild of Organists (AGO) founded in 1896 is the national professional association serving the organ and choral fields. Ths Guild's membership numbers approximately 20,000 in 330 chapters throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Beginning its fifty-fourth year the Spartanburg Chapter was chartered in 1954, the third oldest of the six chapters in South Carolina.
The Spartanburg Chapter has scheduled programs and events to celebrate The International Year of the Organ (IYO), 2008-2009. The monthly meetings, special recitals and concerts, and educational events exemplify the Chapter's dedication to promoting the highest standards of secular and sacred organ playing and the performance of choral and instrumentsl music. This year's programs reflect the members' goals for education, excellence, and performance in music in such areas as these: an anthem reading and singing session, the members' annual recital, a presentation on the management of a music program in a small church setting, a multi-hands organ/piano keyboards program (courtesy of Case Music of Spartanburg), a Christmas holiday dinner with impromptu music by the members, a progressive dinner with mini-recitals at each venue, a "Pedals, Pipes and Pizza" (PPP) event for young musicians, and a program to celebrate Mendelssohn's 200th birthday (2009). The IYO celebrations include a multimedia presentation entitled "From Sea to Shining Sea" at the Episcopal Church of the Advent in November and the "World's Largest Organ Recital" on October 19, 2008, featuring guest artist and master-class clinician Dr. Gail Archer, co-sponsored with Converse College, showcasing Twichell Auditorium's 57-rank Casavant Freres organ. Membership of the Spartanburg Chapter includes full/part-time church musicians, music teachers, the clergy, and non-musician organ enthusiasts, people who appreciate and promote the goals and purpose of the Guild. This year the chapter's goals include recruitment of new members, initiating and awarding the first of three new organ scholarships in the chapter's history, and educating young musicians through events such as "Pedals, Pipes and Pizza." Thanks to all of you for the great 2008-2009 AGO programs, events, and recitals! This past year we all have been musically entertained and educated, while participating in or observing a variety of wonderfully interesting programs. However, the enjoyment of sharing fun, food, and fellowship was the greatest! Thanks, everyone, and especially Justin, for his creative expertise and organizational skills! After the May program during the business meeting the membership unanimously voted to give the Executive Committee the authority to draft a letter to the Converse College President and Board of Trustees, addressing the issue of their decision to terminate the Organ Performance degree and Organ Professorship. After many emails to and from the committee, some editing, copying and collating, I felt that the “weight of the world had been lifted” when I finally had them mailed! The entire Executive Committee (Justin, Brennan, Bill Burns, Fran, Therlon, and me) signed the letter. Read the letter, published in this Newsletter! I read an interesting article in the May issue of The American Organist (TAO). What is an Organ Haptics Conference? There was one last February at the University of Rochester - Eastman School of Music. Read more about it on page #51! As Dean one of my goals has been to conduct a major membership recruitment campaign. Joan Kotrady (membership) and I are planning to begin preparations and we could certainly use some AGO members to help with compiling, collating, and stuffing envelopes. If anyone has any free time this summer, please, email or write me. Thanks. Have a great summer! Keep me posted on events, concerts, programs, and family happenings, etc. Gloria in excelsis Deo! Diane |
Local Events |
| LOOKING FORWARD TO SUMMER EVENTS!
June: Sunday June 21, Lee Couch will play a recital in Covenant Presbyterian Church, Charlotte at 7 pm. Lake Junaluska in North Carolina will be presenting a workshop on Music and Liturgical Arts June 21-26. 800-952-8977 Brennan Szafron will travel to Los Angeles to attend the Anglican Association of Musicians conference. July Lee Couch is traveling to Croatia to give a paper on Buxtehude's fugues Wednesday July 29, Brennan Szafron will play a recital at Trinity Lutheran, Greenville at 12:10 pm. August 9, Brennan will play a recital at First Presbyterian, Gastonia at 7:30 pm. Winthrop College, after restoration of its 1955 Aeolian Skinner Organ, by Letourneau Pipe Organ Company, is sponsoring an Organ Festival. August 13 to 16 |
Newsletter |
| Last month, in the “jewel box” chapel of First Presbyterian Church, Holt and Marcia Andrews with the Madrigal Singers, performed Mendelssohn's “Lauda Sion”. It was a beautiful conclusion to a year of fine programming in celebration of The International Year of the Organ.
Prior to the program, Dr. Siegwart Reichwald, Musician Historian at Converse, gave short introduction to Mendelssohn’s work. Titled “Incense, Bishops, and Transubstantiation: How Catholic is Mendelssohn’s Lauda Sion?” The work, completed in February 10, 1846, was premiered in Liege, Belgium on June 11, 1846. It was composed for the six hundredth anniversary of the feast of Corpus Christi. Based on the sequence text by St. Thomas Aquinas. Accompanied by Marcia Andrews, the Singers, true to their reputation, blended in beautiful harmony. Holt also treated us to three encores! Copy of letter sent the Trustees and President of Converse College: May 28, 2009 To President Elizabeth Fleming, and the Board of Trustees of Converse College: The American Guild of Organists (AGO) is the national professional association serving the organ and choral music fields. The Guild is an educational and service organization, which seeks to set and maintain high musical standards and promotes understanding and appreciation of all aspects of organ and choral music. The Spartanburg Chapter of the American Guild of Organists upholds and abides by the goals, purposes, and by-laws of the national association. Therefore, the objective of this letter is to present the President and Trustees of Converse College with facts, history, statistics, and other pertinent information concerning the termination of the organ performance degree and the organ professorship. The Spartanburg Chapter of the AGO supports the preservation of the Converse organ program and college organist, Dr. Leon Couch. The Guild’s concerns will be addressed and explained in further detail, as follows: Musically gifted students who study organ are rare and few in numbers. Unfortunately, this is due to the lack of institutions available for specialized teaching, teachers/professors educated in the traditional and classical style, and students dedicated to the rigorous educational and academic requirements. Because of the shortage of organists, churches are begging for well-trained musicians, able to play the organ. Converse is the only college in the Spartanburg area that offers organ study and degrees: Converse College – 775 undergraduates with three (3) organ majors fall semester (one student changed degrees to Music Theory with Professor Couch) and five (5) organ elective students per semester Two universities in the Greenville area provide organ performance and church music degrees: Furman University - 3600 undergraduates with three (3) organ majors presently Bob Jones University – 4500 undergraduates and graduates with five (5) organ majors/minors presently Approximately ten years ago the estimated number of organ majors studying in the United States was around 600. When the Converse administration hired Dr. Couch three years ago, there were no organ majors. The implementation and execution of a recruitment plan, currently in the embryonic stage of development, resulted in organ students attending Converse. The news of the deletion of the organ program has been shocking, considering its rise to prominence in the community and the impressive growth. Converse College has received national and international recognition through the marketing of Dr. Couch (see enclosures): CD recordings: Buxtehude’s Works Rhetorically and Hamburger Concertizing and lecturing Promotions/advertisements in The American Organist (TAO) - Concert Artist Cooperative, a multi-media management co-op Pedals, Pipes, and Pizza, a one-day AGO seminar promoted and/or introduced organ playing to Junior/Middle/High School piano and/or organ students. The outstanding facilities at Converse were the perfect venue for this year’s event. Dr. Couch coordinated and implemented an excellent seminar, which involved approximately 50 AGO members/organists/choral directors, professors/teachers from other colleges/universities, organ builders/technicians and students. The event was a major success, ending with a grand finale recital, highlighting students who performed on Twichell’s Casavant-Frčres organ. The Guild reached its goal: growing young organists! Music theory courses are required of all music majors, very necessary and important for a high-quality, superior music degree. With the termination of Dr. Couch, Professor of Organ and Music Theory, the theory courses would be taught by other professors, who may not have the expertise in musicology for teaching theory classes, thus, diluting the quality of Converse’s Petrie School of Music degrees. Traditionally, Converse College has had an organ professor of for many decades. With no college organist, will the magnificent Twichell Auditorium Casavant-Frčres organ be silenced? The nation’s economic decline has certainly affected Converse College’s Board of Trustees’ decision to reorganize and restructure the school’s educational system. This is understandable. The Trustees’ responsibility to efficiently and wisely oversee the operations of Converse’s first-class educational system is paramount. The Spartanburg Chapter of the AGO has experienced the economy’s deterioration. The Organ Scholarship Program monies are invested with the Spartanburg County Foundation, and unfortunately, the plummeting stock market postponed the awarding of three scholarships for the 2008-2009 academic year. Yes, we all have experienced the pain of the uncertain economy. The Spartanburg Chapter of the American Guild of Organists appreciates the opportunity to voice its concerns, interests, and distress over the deletion of the organ program at Converse. It is the responsibility and mission of the membership to encourage excellence in organ and choral performance, to provide a forum of support, inspiration, and education to fellow Guild members, and to share their education and knowledge with future organists and choral directors. The Guild proposes to the Converse Trustees that further research and deliberation of the decision to eliminate the organ program be considered. Sincerely, Spartanburg Chapter of the American Guild of Organists Executive Committee |
Membership |
| Membership in the Guild is open to all music lovers, not just organists. The benefits of membership are many, including the very important local network and the monthly journal, THE AMERICAN ORGANIST, which contains outstanding articles, music reviews, new organ notices, and more. Contact; Joan E. Kotrady (membership chairman), 864-895-9081. |
Placement |
| AVAILABLE TO SUBSTITUTE (All telephone numbers Area Code 864 unless otherwise noted. List includes chapter members and others.):
SUNDAYS AND OTHER DAYS: John Bullard - 582-8589, bullardjm@wofford.edu Thea Coleman - 574-4747, W:562-5214, tcoleman@srhs.com Sylvia Jennings - 579-7887, sylvia@wilffind.com John Sinila - 481-9481, C:650-7721 Vergene Colloms - 583-2149, muscolloms@webtv.net Leon Couch - 585-3284, musicman14@music.org Susan Lyle - 595-9173, 595-0241, ladyprofessor@charter.net, susan.lyle@converse.edu OTHER THAN SUNDAYS Richard Cribb - 576-8807, orgrichard@aol.com Mary Lou Miller - 576-2818, C:680-2800, info@centralumcspartnburg.org Charles Owings - 862-1393, maestrocto@charter.net Gayle Wade - 582-6222, gaylewwade@charter.net Leigh Fleury - 833-6530, wlfleury@juno.com Rusty Keesler - 342-9240, keesler_r@hotmail.com Diane Pickens - 583-1193, dvpickens@yahoo.com Kaylene Wilbur - 573-6312, wesleywilbur@charter.net SUNDAYS ONLY Jennifer Zoellner - 704-974-4898, 803-924-6030, zoellner2@mindspring.com, jzoellner@gardner-webb.edu HANDBELLS Fran Bagwell - 582-8388 [Further information regarding chapter members available to substitute (organ or handbells) may be obtained by contacting Gayle Wade (864-582-6222, e-mail gaylewwade@aol.com) Employers and job seekers are invited to post and search listings of available positions on the Guild's National Website. |
Certification |
| Contact the chapter Dean regarding the process for pursiung AGO certification. |
Contact Us |
| DEAN: Diane V. Pickens (H: 864-583-1193; C: 864621-5033; e-mail = dvpickens@yahoo.com )
SUB-DEAN: Justin L. Addington (H: 864-463-4660; e-mail = jladdington07 @yahoo.com) SECRETARY: William W. Burns (H: 864-579-8617); e-mail = burnsww@hotmail.com) TREASURER: Frances J. Bagwell (H: 864-582-8388; e-mail = fjbagwell@yahoo.com) CHAPLAIN: Therlon W. Joyner (864-585-4461; e-mail = therlon@bellsouth.net) IMMEDIATE PAST DEAN: Brennan Szafron (C: 864-585-9090, ext 237; e-mail = bdsorg@aol.com) MEMBERSHIP: Joan Kotrady (H: 8864-895-9081; e-mail = kotradyj@bellsouth.net) WEB PAGE: William J. Hunter(864-921-4740; e-mail = aeolian1@bellsouth.net) COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN: History - John Bullard Publicity - Bill Hunter Program - Justin Addington Professional Concerns - Tommy Bishop Membership - Joan Kotrady Communications - Richard Cribb & Frankie Deal Hospitality - Rita Medley & Nancy McCarter Publications - Bill Hunter Placement (Web Page) - William W. Burns Scholarship - Gayle W. Wade APPOINTIVE POSITIONS: Newsletter Editor - Bill Hunter Parliamentarian - Pamela Smithey Coordinator for Pedals, Pipes, and Pizza - Leon Couch |
Links |
| The Arts in Spartanburg = http://www.spartanarts.org
Sparklenet (cultural organizations in Spartanburg)= www.sparklenet.com South Carolina Arts Daily = www.state.sc.us/arts/daily South Carolina Educational Radio (ETV Radio) = www.etvradio.org Charlotte (N.C.) AGO Chapter = www.charlotteago.org Western N.C. AGO Chapter = www.wnc-ago.org Greater Columbia (S.C.) AGO Chapter = www.columbiaago.org Organ Historical Society (organ recordings, books, and printed music) = www.organsociety.org (for orders: www.ohscatalog.org) Zarex (Pro Organo audio & video recordings) = www.zarex.com Gothic Catalog (organ recordings) = www.gothicrecords.com University Music House = www.universitymusichouse.com (printed music) Case Brothers of Spartanburg (musical instruments and sheet music) = www.casebrothers.com National web site for Sacred Harp shape-note singing = www.fasola.org National website for Christian Harmony shape-note singing = www.christianharmony.org Musical-arts.net -- Articles, resources, and fetures designed exclusively for organists, choral directors, clergy, and those who appreciate music = www.musical-arts.net Regioinal website for Christian Harmony shape-note singings = http://buncombe.main.nc.us/~mbbweb/harmony.html Musical events in Columbia (SC): ColumbiaConcerts@aol.com. Robert I. Coulter, organbuilder. 2233 Faulkner Road, Atlanta, GA 30324. Telphone 404-931-3103. http://coulterorgans.com. Stuart Organ Company. 44 Saint John Avenue, Binghamtom, NY 13905. 607-237-0125 (VOX and FAX). www.stuartorgan.com. Pedals!Pipes!Pizza! http://profcouch.us/Courses/Fall2008/PipesPedalPizza_SpartanburgAGO_020709.pdf |
| Visit the AGO National website |