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AGO New London County Chapter |
| Last updated: March 2, 2010 |
Message from the Dean |
Greetings and welcome to our home page!Dear Friends, What a success we had with the 2010 AGO Children’s Choir Festival! New London’s Second Congregational Church was filled with an enthusiastic audience of nearly three hundred people, while the chancel literally brimmed with nine participating choirs. Our free-will offering was the largest collected in recent memory, and a fresh enthusiasm from the audience, aswim with new faces and families, was palpable throughout the afternoon. It was an exciting and energizing event. If we’ve harbored any doubts, in this time of budget cuts and financial crises, about the importance of music in children’s lives, this festival made it quite clear that the mission of the Guild is still a vital and a necessary one. Once again, our thanks go to Allyn Donath and Mike Noonan for their hard work, outreach, and skill. Thanks also to the Rev. Edward Cornell and all the staff at Second Congregational Church for hosting and supporting us. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, thanks to all the choristers and their families, the choral directors and the congregations that sustain them, for making this year’s Festival a wonderful success. Lent is here already, and Passover is just around the corner. I wish everyone a modicum of respite before the Easter season bursts upon us with its usual force, and that everyone has a tranquil forty days and nights... All best, --Jesse About UsThe purpose of the American Guild of Organists is to promote the organ in its historic and evolving roles, to encourage excellence in the performance of organ and choral music, and to provide a forum for the mutual support, inspiration, education and certification of Guild members. Membership in the New London County AGO Chapter is open to all who support these ideals including working professionals, students, clergy, amateur musicians and friends. Likewise, our chapter members are full and part time musicians, musicians for large and small congregations, recitalists and people who love organ music but don't necessarily play. We have close to 100 members in our chapter. We maintain two library collections for our members' use: a selection of individual copies of choral music, which may be borrowed for study; and a collection of selected organ repertoire, also available for borrowing by members. Contact Doug Green for more information. About the Roberta Bitgood Organ ScholarshipThe Roberta Bitgood Organ Scholarship, offered each year by the New London County Chapter, endeavors to assist pianists and beginning organists who would like to study the organ in depth, regardless of their age, and who intend to seek employment as professional church musicians. Currently, the maximum amount of the award is $500. Requirements include: residence in the state of Connecticut, and previous keyboard experience. Enthusiasm for the organ must be demonstrated, along with musical potential and commitment. Applicants undergo a personal interview with the three scholarship judges, and play two pieces that differ in style in a live performance before the judges. These pieces may be either for piano or organ, or a combination of the two. The winning applicant will be asked to play his or her pieces for the Chapter membership at the its Annual Meeting, generally held in early June. Terms of the award include: No cash is given to the scholarship winner. The award is provided on a per lesson basis, directly to the selected organ teacher. The expectation is that the winner will receive a minimum of 15-20 lessons. The award is for lessons only. Books and other sheet music are to be purchased at the student's own expense. After one year's study under the award, the scholarship recipient may choose to appear as a performer in a members' recital held by the New London County AGO as part of its regular program. The recipient may reapply for the scholarship in a following year, but no individual may receive the scholarship for more than two years. For information about the history of the Roberta Bitgood Organ Scholarship, the 2010 announcement and application guidelines, and a list of past winners, please visit the Roberta Bitgood Commons. |
Local Events |
2009-2010 Program CalendarSunday, September 20, 2009, 4 PM Progressive Recital in Downtown Essex AGO members, joined by 2009 Bitgood Scholarship winner Mark Sorensen, play historic and new instruments at three local churches (First Baptist, First Congregational, and St. John’s Episcopal), followed by food & drink at Corinthian Yacht Club Sunday, October 25, 2009, 4 PM Car pooling to share pot luck dinner with New Haven Chapter members, then on to recital by organist Andrew Kotylo playing works of Karg-Elert, Wagner and Dupre Woolsey Hall, Yale University (recital is at 8:00) Sunday, November 22, 2009, 7:30 PM Bicentennial celebration of Felix Mendelssohn Members join Norwich Diocesan Choir & other local choirs in performance at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Norwich Sunday, January 31, 2010, 4 PM AGO Children’s Choir Festival 2nd Congregational, New London Sunday, February 21st, 2010, 7:30 PM Organ Recital by Adam Pajan St. John's Episcopal, Niantic Friday, April 16, 2010 (schedule TBA) Gregorian chant and anthem reading session St. Patrick's Cathedral, Norwich Sunday, June 06, 2010, 4 PM Handbell and choir festival, followed by chapter annual meeting Harkness Chapel, Connecticut College |
Newsletter |
| Our newsletter, "Things Great & Swell," is published monthly except for the months of July and August. Submission deadline is the 20th of each prior month.
To add your local musical event to our comprehensive calendar, check for calendar conflicts, or submit an article for publication in "Things Great & Swell," contact our Newsletter Editor Maryann McCary: mccarym [at] aol [dot] com TG&S is currently in transition to an electronic format. For the time being, we will continue to publish the paper newsletter for those who wish to receive it in paper format. If you would prefer not to receive the paper newsletter, contact Elma Frysinger via one of our chapter officers. Elma will remove you from the paper distribution and provide access to the electronic version. |
Membership |
| If you are an organist interested in local news about possible employment in or around New London County, be advised that one benefit of AGO membership is that you can receive regular e-mail updates on this topic as well as other timely chapter news. Why don't you join us!
Download our membership application form here |
Placement |
| You are welcome to contact the chapter's placement coordinator for information about current job openings in our area.
Linda Lozis llozis [at] att [dot] net Note that access to the National Positions Available job list has changed! As of Monday, December 15th, when you go to view the details of a Position Available online, you will be asked to fill in a User Name and Password. Your User Name and Password will be your unique AGO identification number. This number is located above your name on the address label that appears on your copy of TAO each month. When prompted to fill in the User Name and Password fields, please enter your ID number in both fields to gain access to the details of all job openings. Employers and job seekers are invited to post and search listings of available positions on the Guild's National Website. |
Certification |
| Our current Sub-Dean, Dr. John P. Anthony, also serves as chapter liaison for all AGO examinations. Contact him if you would like information about how to prepare for an AGO exam, or details on when and where a particular exam may be taken.
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Contact Us |
| Chapter Officers for 2009-2010
Dean Jesse N. Glaude jglaude [at] earthlink [dot] net Sub-Dean John P. Anthony jpant [at] conncoll [dot] edu Secretary Jane H. Nolan janesjazz [at] comcast [dot] net Treasurer C.M. Banker bankerbuzz [at] sbcglobal [dot] net Members-At-Large Linda J. Murno (2010) lindam1962 [at] juno [dot] com Douglas Green (2011) DGreen860 [at] aol [dot] com Allyn Donath (2012) allyn_b_donath [at] sbcglobal [dot] net Chapter Historian Elizabeth Limkemann elim44 [at] 99main [dot] com Professional Concerns Douglas Green DGreen860 [at] aol [dot] com Publicity Stephen Anderson stander5308 [at] gmail [dot] com |
Links |
| AGO Region I (New England)
Our Regional Councillor for New England, E. Lary Grossman, maintains the AGO Region I Web log (also known as a "blog"), which provides useful and important information, including up-to-date news about our national organization and a comprehensive calendar of AGO events, both national and regional. A great resource for us to learn from! Check it out at: http://www.agonewengland.blogspot.com Anglican Singers (Simon Holt,director; Andrew Howell, organist) A "local treasure" of Southeastern Connecticut, providing exemplary programs and training relevant to the interests of AGO members everywhere. For information about the Anglican Singers, detailed program information, announcements about auditions, and more, visit their home page. Charlotte Hoyt Bagnall Scholarship for Church Musicians Another scholarship is available nearby! Several members of the New London County AGO have been winners. Not generally for beginners. This year, the amount of the award has been increased from $1,500 to $2,500. For information and application forms, please visit the Charlotte Hoyt Bagnall Scholarship home page. Nathan Bayreuther Jazz buffs...Check out Chapter member Nathan Bayreuther's home page at: http://www.nbjazzcombo.com "Pipedreams"--sorry, no longer broadcast in Connecticut! To get current information about Pipedreams, listen to the latest program, or search for earlier programs (and download or listen to them online), you can visit the Pipedreams program archives at: http://pipedreams.publicradio.org/listings/ This page is updated monthly. Comments and suggestions are welcome. Contact the Webmaster: gwiersma [at] eclectronics [dot] net |
| Visit the AGO National website |