Volume 69 Number 3 November 2018 John Bishop editor

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Dont miss events presented by your friends and colleagues Visit the Concert Calendar of the NYC Chapter

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Table of contents Deans Message

Program News

David Bower appointed to the Committee on the New organist

Quote of the Month

Wont you be my neighbor

Joke of the Month

From the Editor

Deans Message RESPECT I was speaking recently with a friend about Anne Midgetteand Peggy McGlonersquos powerful Washington Post articleexploring abusive and inappropriate behavior in ourmusical institutions If you havenrsquot read it you should ndash click here to access the online version The authors present a variety of claimsfrom performers from major organizations across the US including theMetropolitan Opera the Cleveland Orchestra the Nashville Symphony andseveral others I know of several colleagues who submitted with great braverytheir own experiences to Ms Midgette in preparation for this article It is a sad reality that many of us will have been subjected to inappropriate andabusive behavior at one time or another And itrsquos clear that these kinds ofabuses of power have become disarmingly normalized Fortunately the metooand related movements have given voice to thousands of people who wouldhave otherwise remained silent And yet most of the allegations reported in theWashington Post article are just that shy allegations Without the appropriate legalaction the accused are innocent until proven otherwise This is a very hardreality to come to terms with in a world where ldquorightrdquo and ldquowrongrdquo are becomingincreasingly disregarded by some in positions of power My friend asked me what we can do in a world where the situation at timesseems hopeless To answer I recalled the 1965 Otis Redding song RESPECTmade so famous by the brilliant Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin who died thispast August Franklin changed the aspect of the original song from that of adesperate man who pledges to give his lady whatever she wants to a confidentstrong woman demanding respect from her partner The song became ananthem of the feminist movement and much of the songrsquos power is in itssimplicity and directness We canrsquot prevent abuses of power and unwanted sexual advances but we canwork to encourage decency and openness in our communities In our places of

worship our schools practice rooms and offices in our homes on the subwayand on social media be sure to follow these basic principles Show Respect ndash Being respectful of the people we encounter Communicateyour ideas and observations in ways that respect other peoplersquos beliefs andfeelings Extend Genuine Welcome ndash Be hospitable and welcoming to all people tolongshytime colleagues and newcomers alike Respond donrsquot React ndash If you feel a strong sense of emotion or confusionfrom something that you have heard take a moment to reflect on the situationrather than expressing your feelings immediately You will be much betterprepared to respond in a helpful meaningful and clear way rather than reactbased solely on your emotional impulses in the moment The Beatles claimed that all we need is love Aretharsquos message is just asrelevant all we need is RESPECT Letrsquos all make sure to do our part to makethe environments in which we live and work a better safer more respectfulplace for all With my best wishes

James Kennerley Dean

Program NewsThe American Guild of Organists takes very seriously the professionaladvancement and continuing education of its members To that end theChapter Year always includes several educational events so please do takeadvantage of them

The AGO Certification Preparation Workshop our next event for thosepreparing to take AGO diploma certifications will be on Saturday November17 from 400shy600 PM at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church DavidEnlow Andrew Henderson and James Kennerley will lead workshops and givecoachings Participation in this educational workshop is free but you mustregister in advance here The event is open to all those of the Chapter who areconsidering taking an exam and for those who are confirmed to doso Directions to MAPC I am also thrilled to announce details for the 2019 Presidents DayConference On the Avenue on Monday February 18 At Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue 900 AM ndash Catered breakfast 1000 AM ndash Organ demonstration with John Panning of Dobson PipeOrgan Builders Ltd 1015 AM ndash Recital by the Organists of Saint Thomas 1115 PM ndash Tour of Saint Thomas Church 1200 Noon ndash Caring for organs presentation and discussion with JohnPanning 1245 PM ndash Lunch on your own 200 PM ndash Lecture on the musical history of Saint Patrickrsquos Cathedral bySalvatore Basile author of Fifth Avenue Famous The Extraordinary Story ofMusic at Saint Patricks Cathedral At Saint Patrickrsquos Cathedral 315 PM ndash Tour of Saint Patrickrsquos Cathedral 400 PM ndash Recital by the Organists of Saint Patricks 500 PM ndash Conference concludes Sincerely

The AGO Certification Preparation Workshop our next event for thosepreparing to take AGO diploma certifications will be on Saturday November17 from 400shy600 PM at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church DavidEnlow Andrew Henderson and James Kennerley will lead workshops and givecoachings Participation in this educational workshop is free but you mustregister in advance here The event is open to all those of the Chapter who areconsidering taking an exam and for those who are confirmed to doso Directions to MAPC I am also thrilled to announce details for the 2019 Presidents DayConference On the Avenue on Monday February 18 At Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue 900 AM ndash Catered breakfast 1000 AM ndash Organ demonstration with John Panning of Dobson PipeOrgan Builders Ltd 1015 AM ndash Recital by the Organists of Saint Thomas 1115 PM ndash Tour of Saint Thomas Church 1200 Noon ndash Caring for organs presentation and discussion with JohnPanning 1245 PM ndash Lunch on your own 200 PM ndash Lecture on the musical history of Saint Patrickrsquos Cathedral bySalvatore Basile author of Fifth Avenue Famous The Extraordinary Story ofMusic at Saint Patricks Cathedral At Saint Patrickrsquos Cathedral 315 PM ndash Tour of Saint Patrickrsquos Cathedral 400 PM ndash Recital by the Organists of Saint Patricks 500 PM ndash Conference concludes Sincerely

James D Wetzel SubDean

David Bower appointed to the Committee onthe New organistNYC chapter member David Bower PhD has been appointed to theCommittee on the New Organist (CONO) a national committee of the AGOThe purpose of the committee is to introduce nonshyorganists of all ages to theorgan and to further motivate and develop new organists The committeecreates ageshyappropriate means materials and programs for engaging themand for enabling their development as performers It oversees such programsand resources as The New Organist web page and PipeWorks It also assiststhe COPOE CCPE and other committees in projects involving new organistsDavid welcomes input from chapter members on the mission of CONO as hebegins his new term davidbowernyuedu

Dr Bower serves as Director of Sacred Music and Organist at Saint MichaelChurch in Cranford New Jersey

Quote of the Month There are no shortcuts to any place worth going shy Beverly Sills

Wont you be my neighborThe Small Town Pipe OrganWhen were not at our Island Home in Greenwich Village Wendy and I live inthe twin villages of Damariscotta and Newcastle Maine located at the rapids ofthe Damariscotta River about twelve miles up from the Gulf of Maine at thepoint where full ocean tides are restricted and the water becomes brackish The rapids change direction four times each day as driven by the tide and abridge crosses the the river there connecting the two villages We live on theNewcastle side of the river about three miles from town Newcastle was incorporated in 1753 with a population of just about a thousandpeople Damariscotta was incorporated in 1848 with a population of 1300 Thefirst pipe organ in the twin villages was purchased by the First Baptist Church ofDamariscotta built by WBD Simmons in 1854 The church is perched at thetop of the hill and is the most prominent structure in town Recently when thechurch was raising money to restore the steeple and clock I participated in afundshyraising recital telling the audience that if we cant save the steeple wellhave to change the postcards

St Andrews Episcopal Church inNewcastle dedicated in 1883 is the firstchurch building designed by HenryVaughan (His last was WashingtonDCs National Cathedral) There was nobudget for the ceiling frescoes thatVaughan called for so the 38shyyearshyoldVaughan painted it himself lying on hisback on scaffolding The 17shystopHutchings Organ was installed in 1888 St Andrews holds a special place inour hearts as we were married there in 2005 My father officiated and StuartForster and Michael Murray shared the organ bench just a few months beforetheir wedding The Second Congregational Church in Newcastle (I have no idea if there was aFirst) installed oneshymanual Hook organ in 1865 That was replaced in 1902with a twelveshystop HutchingsshyVotey organ rebuilt by the Andover OrganCompany in 1988 and more recently by David Wallace in about 2010 St Patricks in Newcastle isthe oldest Roman Catholicchurch building in NewEngland built in 1807 In2004 a large newsanctuary was added Newcastle resident JayZoller retired from theAndover Organ Companywas instrumental ininspiring the parish toacquire a pipe organ for thenew room Jay and Iworked together locatingan 11shystop organ built in1890 by Cole amp Woodberry It was likely the only opportunity for the OrganClearing House to bring a Cole to Newcastle Today the population of Newcastle is about 1750 and Damariscotta has around2150 numbers that swell dramatically in the summer months This makes afun comparison with our life in New York City where a tenshycar 6shyTrain carries1750 people and there are many buildings with populations far in excess of the

twin villages The three now four historic organs that grace the villages arelasting testaments to the strength of the community eloquent smallshytownreminders of whats beautiful in the world

Joke of the Month

From the EditorThe Church Works Just over four weeks ago many of us gatheredat the Church of the Heavenly Rest to celebratethe life of Steve Lawton I was deeply moved tobe seated among a throng of colleagues whohad come from far and wide because of theirlove for Steve and appreciation for his work andI was reminded of why we do what we do as wepractice rehearse tune repair study and giveof ourselves to the worship of the church Itseasy to think of it as work a job while forgettinghow much it brings to people who are sufferingafraid confused and joyful Church music is an integral part of worship withthe power to express and reveal the deepest of emotions In 2003 Gene Robinson was elected Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of NewHampshire a simple and usual enough event except for the fact that he isopenly gay For many it seemed as if the world turned upside down Congregations removed themselves from their Dioceses in protest and joinedconservative organizations in African churches Hatred and bigotry wereexposed in the name of Christ My father a liberal priest in the Diocese ofMassachusetts said Let them go We have a church to run On October 12 1998 Matthew Shepard a twentyshyoneshyyearshyold homosexualand former acolyte in his familys Episcopal Church was murdered in a hatecrime His family chose not to inter his ashes fearing that the site would bedesecrated until on Friday October 26 they were interred in the columbariumat the National Cathedral in Washington DC You can read rich storiespublished in The Washington Post here and here The Shepard family are longtime friends with Bishop Robinson who wasinstrumental in organizing the interment More than two thousand peopleattended and the Cathedral pulled out all the stops presenting a twoshyhourceremony full of scripture music meditations and starting just after 10000 ahomily by Bishop Robinson He shared the story of preparing for hisconsecration five years after Matthew Shepards death strapping on hisbulletshyproof vest and receiving a note from Matthews mother Judy whichsaid I know Matthew will be smiling down upon you

From the EditorThe Church Works Just over four weeks ago many of us gatheredat the Church of the Heavenly Rest to celebratethe life of Steve Lawton I was deeply moved tobe seated among a throng of colleagues whohad come from far and wide because of theirlove for Steve and appreciation for his work andI was reminded of why we do what we do as wepractice rehearse tune repair study and giveof ourselves to the worship of the church Itseasy to think of it as work a job while forgettinghow much it brings to people who are sufferingafraid confused and joyful Church music is an integral part of worship withthe power to express and reveal the deepest of emotions In 2003 Gene Robinson was elected Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of NewHampshire a simple and usual enough event except for the fact that he isopenly gay For many it seemed as if the world turned upside down Congregations removed themselves from their Dioceses in protest and joinedconservative organizations in African churches Hatred and bigotry wereexposed in the name of Christ My father a liberal priest in the Diocese ofMassachusetts said Let them go We have a church to run On October 12 1998 Matthew Shepard a twentyshyoneshyyearshyold homosexualand former acolyte in his familys Episcopal Church was murdered in a hatecrime His family chose not to inter his ashes fearing that the site would bedesecrated until on Friday October 26 they were interred in the columbariumat the National Cathedral in Washington DC You can read rich storiespublished in The Washington Post here and here The Shepard family are longtime friends with Bishop Robinson who wasinstrumental in organizing the interment More than two thousand peopleattended and the Cathedral pulled out all the stops presenting a twoshyhourceremony full of scripture music meditations and starting just after 10000 ahomily by Bishop Robinson He shared the story of preparing for hisconsecration five years after Matthew Shepards death strapping on hisbulletshyproof vest and receiving a note from Matthews mother Judy whichsaid I know Matthew will be smiling down upon you

Bishop Robinson ended his homily with three thoughts for Matthew Shepard Gently rest in this place You are safe now Welcome home Did you catch that part about the bulletshyproof vest Throughout the fifteenyears of his Bishopric he has constantly received hate mail and death threatsyet he has the courage to continue his ministry in such public ways Working on organs midshyweek I frequently encounter people sitting aloneweeping in an empty church reminders of the power of the church and its placein peoples lives Your work is more than just a gig

Copyright copy 2018 NYC Chapter of the American Guild of Organists All rights reserved

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