Weekly Update - Cleveland Chapter

American Guild of Organists

November 14, 2013

From the Dean

Fern Jennings

Once when leaving the church after an event I noticed a woman in the parking lot carrying a familiar gray book. "Excuse me", I said. "Is that one of our Hymnals?" "Oh, yes," the woman replied. "This is my first time at your church and I find that I can find out a lot about a church by reading their hymnal. But," she continued, noting my expression, I am sure, "if you are not comfortable with that..." I already had my hand out to retrieve the book. Well, it is not a good idea to lift hymnals from church pew racks, but, I do agree that you can learn a lot about a church from the hymnal. I love hymnals and have inherited a shelf full of them (not I hope from other church's pews). Some are quite old and some newer. I like to see the changes in hymns in subsequent iterations- gender neutrality, verses dropped, new hymns added. I like the to feel the weight of them and enjoy thumbing through them for gems old and new. I do not care for the current fashion of projecting words on a screen. My church has not gone there yet but that may be as much to do with not having a proper wall space as any kind of actual position on the practice. I am told that people sing better when they look up rather than down at a hymnal but I think that it is a dumbing down of our congregations musical ability when only texts are displayed. When singers look at a hymn in a book they are looking at a musical score. Even if they have never learned to read music, some of the aspects of musical notation are bound to rub off on them. And there are those throw-backs who actually do read music and might even sing parts if they are notated. I look forward to the time when some young people will rediscover four-part hymn singing and people will gather excitedly to sing in parts- just because it is fun!

Let the People say, Amen!

Fern

CHAPTER NOVEMBER PROGRAM

Collaboration, cooperation, creativity - important concepts that are bringing a major European artist to perform in Cleveland this month. Acclaimed British concert organist, Thomas Trotter will play the 72-rank Holtkamp pipe organ at St. John's Cathedral in a program featuring organ masterworks and virtuosic transcriptions. The performer will be seen on video screen as well as heard in this magnificent space. This concert evolved from the collaboration and co-sponsorship of three institutions: the Cathedral of St. John, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, and Cleveland Chapter AGO. In addition, the Cleveland Institute of Music is sponsoring an Organ Master Class with CIM students performing for Trotter at Fairmount Presbyterian Church. Guests are welcome to both events.

Be sure to get these dates on your calendar!

Organ Artist Recital - Thomas Trotter, UK
Tuesday, November 19, 2013 - 7:30 pm
Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
1007 Superior Ave. Downtown Cleveland

FREE ADMISSION - Free secure parking in the surface lot on Rockwell Ave or the Cathedral Plaza Garage on Rockwell Ave at E 9th St.

Thomas Trotter is the Birmingham England City Organist and has had a huge international performing career for many years.

He was named the 2012 International Performer of the Year by the New York City Chapter AGO.

Click on the links below to see and hear Thomas Trotter:

http://concertorganists.com/artists/Thomas-Trotter

Thomas Trotter - The Town Hall Tradition

PROGRAM

J.S. Bach	Prelude & Fugue in G, BWV 541
Robert Schumann	Three Studies in canonic form
Judith Weir	The Wild Reeds (2013)
Richard Wagner	Romance to the Evening Star (Tannhäuser) arr. E.H. Lemare
	The Ride of the Valkyries (The Valkyrie) arr. E.H. Lemare
Eric Coates	Knightsbridge March arr. Trotter
Julius Reubke	Sonata: The 94th Psalm

Organ Master Class with Thomas Trotter

Monday, November 18, 2013, 7:30 - 9:00 pm
Fairmount Presbyterian Church
2757 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland Heights
Cleveland Institute of Music organ students perform.

Chapter members are invited to attend this free Master Class.

NEXT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING

Monday, February 3, 2014, 7:30 pm, Place TBD

THIRD ANNUAL HIGH SCHOOL ORGAN FESTIVAL & COMPETITION -

WINSTON-SALEM, NC

With prizes guaranteed to be at least $3500 and potentially over $10,000, UNC School of the Arts, Salem College, and the Winston-Salem Chapter of the AGO are pleased to announce the Third Annual High School Organ Festival & Competition the weekend of January 24-26, 2014. The festival and competition is open to any High School Senior or younger. The competition will be held at First Baptist Church of Winston-Salem (First Baptist Church Grooms & Payne Organ), and the Festival portion will be held on the campuses of UNCSA (UNCSA Fisk, Op. 75) & Salem College (Salem College Flentrop Organ).

This year's competition application requires a CD submitted with letters of reference by December 13, 2013. Included during the weekend in addition to the competition is a masterclass with world-renowned Injury-Preventive Keyboard Technique pedagogue, Barbara Lister-Sink; an introduction to Alexander Technique; and a masterclass and individual lessons with UNCSA & Salem College organ professor, Dr. Timothy Olsen, all of which are included in the application fee. Eight finalists will be chosen from the application pool, and will be notified by December 20, 2013.

For more information and application form, please visit http://www.timothyolsenorganist.com/OrganCompetition.html, or contact Professor Timothy Olsen: olsent@uncsa.edu

TODAY IN CLASSICAL MUSIC HISTORY

The first performance of Johann Sebastian Bach's Sacred Cantata No. 90 Es reisset euch ein schrecklich Ende (To ruin you an end of terror) was on this date in 1723. It was performed on the 25th Sunday following Trinity as part of Bach's first annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig, 1723-24. Here is an exhilarating performance of the third movement (aria, basso) from the cantata performed by the J. S. Bach Foundation of St Gallen under Rudolf Lutz. Soloists: Klaus Häger, bass, and Patrick Henrichs, trumpet. The natural trumpet performer is amazing!

J. S. Bach - Cantata BWV 90 - Es reisset euch ein schrecklich Ende - Aria (J. S. Bach Foundation)

Concerts and Events of Interest

Remember to send us your concert listings for our Google calendar and weekly updates. Send them to newsletter@agocleveland.org. Some of our concert listings have been gleaned from ClevelandClassical. For a complete list of concerts plus previews, reviews and more from Cleveland's classical music scene click the link www.clevelandclassical.com.

Nicole Keller, Organ. Saturday, November 16 , 7:30 pm. The program will feature works of Buxtehude, Mendelssohn, Vierne, and Messiaen on the recently renovated Casavant organ. Brecksville United Methodist Church, 65 Public Square, Brecksville. Free will offering.

Bowling Green Collegiate Chorale. Sunday, November 17, 4:00pm - 5:30pm. The Collegiate Chorale is the premiere choral ensemble in the College of Musical Arts at Bowling Green State University and part of a five-choir program in a college comprising over 600 music majors. Fairlawn Lutheran Church 3415 Market St Fairlawn OH

Nathan Laube, Organ. Sunday, November 17, 4:00 pm Widor's Allegro Vivace (Symphony No. 5), Mendelssohn's Variations Sérieuses (tr. Laube), Rossini's William Tell Overture (tr. Laube) & Liszt's Phantasia und Fuge über den Choral "Ad nos, ad salutarem undam." E.M. Skinner organ. Stambaugh Auditorium, 1000 5th Avenue, Youngstown. Tickets: $10, $5 students.

Organ Master Class with Thomas Trotter. Monday, Nov 18, 7:30 to 9 pm. Cleveland Institute of Music organ students perform. Fairmount Presbyterian Church 2757 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland Heights.

Jonathan Moyer, organ. Tuesday, November 19, 12:15 pm Program to be announced. 12 Noon carillon recital by George Leggiero. Newberry (Richards, Fowkes & Co.) and Skinner/Holtkamp organs.Lunches welcome. Church of the Covenant, 11205 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Free.

Thomas Trotter, organ (Birmingham, U.K.). Tuesday, November 19, 7:30 pm. Schumann's Three Studies in Chromatic Form, Judith Weir's The Wild Reeds (2013), Wagner's Romance to the Evening Star (Tannhäuser) & Ride of the Valkyries (Die Walküre), arr. E.H. Lemare, Eric Coates's Knightsbridge March, arr. Trotter, & Reubke's Sonata: The 94th Psalm. Holtkamp organ. Helen D. Schubert Concert Series, co-sponsored by St. John's, Music & Art at Trinity & Cleveland Chapter, American Guild of Organists. Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, E. 9 & Superior, Cleveland. Freewill offering.

Happy 100th Birthday, Benjamin Britten! Wednesday, November 20, 12:10 pm Tenor JR Fralick, countertenor John McElliott, and pianist Todd Wilson perform three of Britten's magnificent Canticles, including the dramatic Abraham and Isaac. Trinity Cathedral, 2230 Euclid Ave., Cleveland

Robert Myers, organ. "Ending the church year," featuring music by Scheidt, Walther, and Bach. Trinity Lutheran Church, West 30th Street at Lorain Avenue, Cleveland.

Happy 100th Birthday, Benjamin Britten! Friday, November 22, 7:30 p.m. Benjamin Britten 100th Anniversary, with the Trinity Cathedral Choir, Trinity Chamber Singers, John McElliott, countertenor, JR Fralick, tenor & Trinity Chamber Orchestra, Todd Wilson, conducting. Britten's Hymn to St. Cecilia, Canticle II "Abraham and Isaac" & Rejoice in the Lamb & J.S. Bach's Cantata, "Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen", BWV 11. Trinity Cathedral, 2230 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Freewill offering.

Karel Paukert, Organ. November 24, 2013, 3:00 p.m. With Sandra Simon, Soprano, and John Rautenburg, flute. Works by: Johann Sebastian Bach, Jehan Alain, Greg D'Alessio, Charles-Marie Widor, Jean Langlais, Eugene Bozza, Norbert Rosseau, John Corigliano. Gesu Church, 2470 Miramar Blvd., University Heights

Messiah - 91st annual performance. November 24, 4:00 pm. Cleveland Messiah Chorus, Virginia Wieland-Mast, director, with Christopher Toth, organ, Janine Porter, soprano, Andrew Lipian, countertenor, Jason Fuh, bass & Traci Nelson, trumpet. Handel's Grace Lutheran Church, 13001 Cedar Rd., Cleveland Heights. Freewill offering.

John Schwandt, organ. Sunday, November 24, 4:00pm. Dr. John D. Schwandt, University of Oklahoma Works of: Bach (arr. Fox), Manz, Proulx, Rachmaninoff, Reger, Schwandt and Vierne. The console will be visible via video screen. Basilica of Saint John the Baptist 627 McKinley Avenue NW Canton.

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Gerry Mass, our Cleveland Chapter Placement Officer collects and updates job openings in the area. Although they are not listed in the weekly updates, there is a link in the "Quick Links" section every week that will take you to the updated list on the chapter website. Questions or need help finding a position? Email: placement@agocleveland.org

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American Guild of Organists Cleveland Chapter
21600 Shaker Blvd
Shaker Heights, Ohio 44122
216-751-2320

About Us

The 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 mutual support, inspiration, education, and certification of Guild members.