 |
AGO New London County Chapter |
| Last updated: April 10, 2012 |
Message from the Dean |
MAY EVENTSWORKSHOP on HYMN PLAYING & RECITAL by CHARLES CALLAHAN Workshop: Saturday, May 5, 2012, 9am-Noon "The Art of Hymn Playing" Central Baptist, Norwich, Connecticut Free to New London Chapter Members, $15 non-members Register in advance as attendance will be limited Sunday, May 6, 2012, 3pm Recital, Charles Callahan, Organist Co-sponsored by Central Baptist Concert Series Dean’s Decke for February I want to thank everyone who helped make the AGO Junior Choir Festival a great success. Jane Nolan, Michael Noonan and Nathan Bayreuther deserve special thanks for all their organizational and musical work which once again brought the result up to a very high level! The February event, an organ crawl through old churches of Middlesex County, provided us with an interesting, educational and fun time. It included historic, restored instruments, some beautiful country roads and towns, and a chance to meet with colleagues from the New Haven Chapter. --John Anthony PS: We also want to support the Mystic Area Ecumenical Council's 2012 Choir Festival Concert, to be held on Sunday, April 22, 4 pm, at St. Mary Mother of the Redeemer Church, 69 Groton Long Point Rd., Groton. The annual Mystic area event has often been led by internationally known choral directors and composers. This year's festival director will be composer, conductor and clinician Sally K. Albrecht of Alfred Publishing Company. 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 New London County Chapter of the American Guild of Organists is very pleased to sponsor the Roberta Bitgood Scholarship, which endeavors to assist pianists and beginning organists who would like to study the organ in depth and who intend to seek employment as a church musician. This year, $750 is to be awarded. The deadline for applications is Friday, May 4th; those received after may not be considered. Requirements for the applicant include: applicants must be Connecticut residents; the applicant must have some type of previous keyboard experience and an enthusiasm for the organ; he or she must demonstrate a degree of musical potential and commitment; the applicant must have an interview with the three scholarship judges and play two (2) pieces that differ in style in a live performance for the judges. These pieces may be for piano or organ, or both. Some terms of the award include: No cash will be given to the scholarship winner; the award is given on a per lesson basis directly to the organ teacher. The Chapter expects in good faith that the organ teacher will be reasonable in the fee charged for each lesson. We would expect that the recipient receive a minimum of 25-30 lessons. The recipient should realize that the award is for lessons only. Books and other sheet music are to be purchased at the student’s own expense. If the student decides to discontinue taking organ lessons, the teacher should notify the treasurer and the balance of the award will remain in the Roberta Bitgood Scholarship Fund. After one (1) year of study the recipient may choose to appear as a performer in the New London County Chapter Member’s Recital, date and time to be announced. It is a special joy for the chapter members to witness the progress and accomplishment of the student. The recipient has the right to reapply for the scholarship the following year, though no individual may receive the scholarship for more than two (2) years. For complete guidelines and application forms, please contact: Mr. Jesse N. Glaude, Director of Music Christ Episcopal Church 78 Washington St. Norwich, CT 06360 (860) 425-0663 ccsartsmail [at] yahoo [dot] com For more information about the history of the Roberta Bitgood Organ Scholarship, including the 2012 announcement and application form, and a list of past and current winners, please visit the Roberta Bitgood Commons. |
Local Events |
2011-2012 Program CalendarORGAN CRAWL & LUNCH Saturday, October 8, 2011 9:30 a.m. Meet at the Westbrook, Congregational Church, Route 1, Westbrook Old Lyme, Congregational Church, Old Lyme, Connecticut St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, Old Lyme, Connecticut Final Stop: Lunch at The Hideaway, Old Lyme, Connecticut WORKSHOPS (AND MUSIC SALE) FOR THE PART TIME ORGANIST Saturday, November 12, 2011 Our Lady of Lourdes 1640 Route 12, Gales Ferry, Connecticut Workshops presented by our colleagues (Free to AGO Chapter Members, $10 non-members) Register in advance 9:00 a.m. - Workshop 1: Easy to play music for the liturgical church 10:30 a.m. - Workshop 2: Anthems for the really small choir 12:00 - Lunch 1:00 p.m. - Workshop 3: Bells 101. How to start a bell choir, and how to proceed if you inherit one AGO CHILDREN’S CHOIR FESTIVAL Sunday, January 29, 2012 Second Congregational Church in New London 45 Broad St., New London 1:30 p.m. Rehearsal 4:00 p.m. Concert Michael Noonan, Director Nathan Bayreuther, Accompanist ORGAN CRAWL WITH THE NEW HAVEN CHAPTER Monday, February 20, 2012 9:00 a.m. Meet in Madison at the Church on the Green Madison, Killingworth and the Haddams ORGAN RECITAL KEN MILLER, ORGANIST March 14, 2012, 7:00 p.m., 2012 St. James Episcopal 45 Federal St., New London, Connecticut Co-sponsored by St. James Organ Series WORKSHOP on HYMN PLAYING & RECITAL by CHARLES CALLAHAN Saturday, May 5, 2012, 9am-Noon Central Baptist, Norwich, Connecticut Workshop “The Art of Hymn Playing” Free to New London Chapter Members, $15 non-members and other chapter members Register in advance as attendance will be limited Sunday, May 6, 2012, 3pm Recital, Charles Callahan, Organist Co-sponsored by Central Baptist Concert Series LUNCHEON, ANNUAL MEETING, AND MEMBER’S RECITAL Sunday, June 3, 2012 Calvary Episcopal Church, Stonington, Connecticut 1:00 p.m. Luncheon by Alison Holt Annual Meeting in the Sanctuary Members Recital |
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 publish a notice of your local musical event, or submit an article for publication in "Things Great & Swell," contact our Newsletter Editor Maryann McCary: maryann0320 [at] aol [dot] com TG&S is now distributed to members as an electronic document. We continue to mail the paper newsletter to those who still wish to receive it in paper format. If you would prefer not to receive the paper newsletter, contact one of our chapter officers. |
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 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.
|
Contact Us |
| New Chapter Officers for 2011-2012
Dean John P. Anthony jpant [at] conncoll [dot] edu Sub-Dean Allyn Donath mysticharpist [at] gmail [dot] com Secretary Jane Nolan janesjazz [at] comcast [dot] net Treasurer C.M. Banker bankerbuzz [at] sbcglobal [dot] net Members-At-Large Kathleen Bartkowski (2012) Maryann McCary (2013) maryann0320 [at] aol [dot] com Elizabeth Limkemann (2014) elim44 [at] 99main [dot] com 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 |
| Anglican Singers
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. Nathan Bayreuther Jazz buffs...Check out Chapter member Nathan Bayreuther's home page at: http://www.nbjazzcombo.com "Pipedreams" update! The broadcast is on the air again in Connecticut. Listen up on Sunday nights! Or, listen online to the current program, and download earlier ones, by visiting 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 |