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Inspired Voices – Gerre Hancock
The radio program, Inspired Voices, this coming Sunday [at Noon and again at 8:00 PM], will be in honor of Dr. Gerre Hancock, long-time organist and choirmaster at St. Thomas in NYC, and one of the true giants of the world of choral and organ music. To stream, please click on the link, http://weku.fm/post/classic-1021-wkyl.
The program will be 'framed' as an Evensong service by the St. Thomas Choir of Boys and Men, accompanied by the Hancocks, featuring Dr. Hancock's settings of the preces and responses, two psalms, his marvelous anthem, Judge Eternal, commissioned for the 1988 AGO convention, his arrangement of the hymn, Abide With Me, and two of his brilliant improvised organ fanfares. Other music will include Harold Friedell's Draw us In the Spirit's Tether, and works by his good friends, Leo Sowerby (Mag & Nunc in E-minor), Ned Rorem (3 motets), and Wayne Dirksen (Christ Mighty Savior).
Since retiring from St. Thomas' in 2004, Gerre had been professor of organ at UT Austin. He suffered a cardiac arrest but died peacefully in the arms of Judith, his beloved wife of 50 years and herself an extraordinary organist. We have lost a brilliant organist, a beloved choirmaster, a superb composer, and a dear friend to all privileged to know him. May he rest in peace.
Rick
Gerre Hancock died this past week (the week of January 22, 2012). He was a significant influence on organ and church music for his entire life, and this program presented by the Public Service Radio station at Eastern KY that our friend Rick Dirksen directs presents is a tribute to Gerre.
Rick is the son of Wayne Dirksen who was for many year Associate OC at Washington Cathedral, working with Paul Calloway. During my tenure at the College of Church Musicians at the Cathedral, continuing my work with Leo Sowerby, etc. I got to know Rick as a singer (bass-baritone) and administrator (he became the Chief Financial Officer for the National Cathedral School for girls), and retired from that post to the Lexington KY area where he still sings and offers this "Inspired Voices" program.
Rick is also an expert change ringer. He has taught a multitude of young ringers "the art and science of change ringing." He was among the first ringers from Washington to ring and inspire our new band at St. James, Hendersonville, that continues as a thriving and sustaining band in the North American Guild of Change Ringers. Rick visited us last August (a guest in my home as he was 33 years ago in the infancy of our St. James band) for our Annual Anniversary celebration.
Please check out the site shown below for an inspiring tribute to Gerre Hancock by one who loved and respected the man, as did we all who knew him.
Soli Deo Gloria. Bev Ward
New Organbuilding Firm Move to the Area
January 2-, 2012 - Lewtak Pipe Organ Builders, formerly of Syracuse, NY, moved all of their operations to Mocksville in North Carolina – a convenient location for providing service to several major metropolitan areas of our state. The move took place last summer and now they are ready to do business with local churches, colleges and individuals. The firm is primarily building new instruments, but also provides professional service to limited number of churches. The firm's unique specialty is voicing and renovating of both flue and reed pipes. Their work had been featured on the covers of The Diapason and TAO Magazine. As a member of the International Society of Organ Builders, they offer the highest standard of work, as set forth in the bylaws of the ISO. Please make a note of their contact information: Lewtak Pipe Organ Builders, Inc., 211 Parsley Ln, Mocksville, NC 27028. Feel free to call Tom Lewtak for all of your pipe organ needs at (336) 749-3829. The company also has a very informative website at www.LEWTAK.com where you can see all of their work, both previous and current.
June 14, 2011
Dr. Walter Hilse Master Class
Review by Bev Ward
Saturday, May 14, 2011
The Saturday morning Master Class with Dr. Walter Hilse might well have been billed as a member's recital. Six of our members played very well prepared selections and garnered appropriate words of wisdom from our esteemed master.
Christopher Lile, the youngest student member of our chapter, performed the Scherzo by Duruflé. He performed very well. Dr. Hilse cautioned him to be exceedingly careful to play the correct notes. It is very easy in this piece to miss some of Duruflé's subtle and singular oddities that are intentional and part of his style. Breathe between phrases. "Enjoy taking breaths." When staccato is indicated, be sure it is a crisp staccato. Think in whole measures. In the syncopation, think dance-like.
This was the first time for many of our members to hear Christopher perform. Our chapter assisted in sending him to NYC for the Pipe Organ Encounter Advanced (for Teens) last summer. He had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Hilse there for the first time. Dr. Ken Lile, also a member of our chapter, was naturally pleased to have his pupil (and grandson) performing so brilliantly. Bravo to both student and teacher!
Becky Smith presented the Mendelssohn Sonata No. 2, movements one and two. Becky had done her homework and performed very well. Dr. Hilse indicated that the organ sonatas should be treated like Mendelssohn's oratorios, with lots of DRAMA. Take advantage of the silences. Round off phrases as if you were a singer. "Stop to smell the roses." In the second movement with the crossing of hands, it is permissible to switch the hand assignment without detriment to the music. Becky did well and responded beautifully to Dr. Hilse's comments.
Charlie Steel next offered the Alain "Litanies." Charlie played with all the flair expected in this work. Dr. Hilse offered several comments about continuity of line, with several phrases leading into and ending with the first note of the next phrase. In essence he was emphasizing the singing qualities of the piece, not allowing it to be broken into disconnected phrases. Again we all benefited from these masterful suggestions.
Dana Carter then offered the Toccata from Vierne's Symphony No. 2. It was a masterful performance. Dr. Hilse's comments dealt with crispness of touch and flow of lines. He also cautioned against the use of 32' reeds in the pedal until called for by Vierne. Many of us had not heard Dana perform before and this was a real treat.
Herbert Howells' Hymn-Prelude "Out of the Depths" was next on the program. Eric Wall did a masterful presentation of this thrilling piece, utilizing the many changes of registration building volume and harmonic tensions to the full organ climax in the center and returning to the quiet and peaceful ending. Dr. Hilse commented about the many changes in registration called for. He mentioned that French composers of this period would usually indicate specific stops where the English composers were more apt to give only dynamic indications leaving the tone color to the organist. Eric played superbly.
Steve Williams completed our morning with the often neglected but rewarding "Prière" of César Franck. Dr. Hilse called attention to the long melodic lines and suggested the performer "breathe freely." In the more dramatic mid-section, he suggested one should sing freely like in opera with a great deal of dramatic treatment, statement and response. Steve performed in his usually splendid fashion.
It was a very rewarding morning and I was proud of the quality of professionalism displayed by all the performers. I just wish we had a larger attendance. Master classes can really be rewarding and informative.
May 14, 2011
Dr. Walter Hilse Recital
Review by Bill Smith
This was our final Program of the season, and it is most memorable for me. The recital was absolutely delightful, beginning with Buxtehude's, right through to the ending Liszt in honor of the 200th anniversary of his birth. The program was:
Praeludium in F, BuxWV145, Deitrich Buxtehude (1637 - 1707)
Prelude on "Allein Gott in der Höh'," J. S. Bach (1685 - 1750)
Concerto in D Minor, BWV596, (Allegro-Grave-Fuga, Largo e spiccato, Allegro) Bach-Vivaldi
Two Early Pieces, (Sehr lebhaft, Durchweg sehr leise & Mässig schnelle Halbe) Paul Hindemith (1895 - 1963)
Fugue in G, Walter Hilse
Variations on "Weinen, Klagen", Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886)
I gained a renewed appreciation of the first three works under the fingers of the Master, and while I had previously not found an appreciation for Paul Hindemith, that record is now shattered. Walter's sensitive interpretation of those two pieces, which Hindemith himself refused to release because he felt they weren't good enough for him, showed me that even his lesser works can be played musically.
The Fugue in G was one of the most complex fugues I think I have ever heard. By his own admission, Walter incorporated most of the list of fugal eliments and tricks (inversion, halving and doubling of the tempo, repeating the theme in more than one place at the same time, etc) into the piece. I was left in awe.
The closing set of variations by Liszt was another wonderful treatment of what I had heretofore considered unmusical writing because of prior experiences with it. All I could think of is that I had never heard it played properly before.
At the end, we were treated to a splendid encore, "Rose Window" by Henri Mulet. I was completely mesmerised, as I believe we all were.
Pipe Organ Encounter Advanced
[by Christopher Lile]
Hi:
Thanks for inviting me to play the organ and talk about my experience at the POEA last summer.
First of all, I want to thank Mr. Bev Ward and the other members of the Organ Guild for helping sponsor me to go to New York for the organ camp. It was a great experience and I learned a lot!
Before I actually talk about the POEA, I'd like to tell you about how I got there. First, I had to prepare an audition CD with a Hymn, a piece by Bach, and one other piece from another period than Bach. For the hymn, I played Easter Hymn from Lyrica Davidica; for the Bach piece, I played the Concerto no.2 in A minor (the first movement) by Bach; and for the other piece, I played the Toccata (from the Fifth Organ Symphony Opus 42) by Widor. Once I prepared the pieces, with the guidance and tutelage of my grandfather, I recorded them, and sent the cd off to New York. After a few long months of waiting, I finally heard back from Paul Murray who (as you can guess) said I was accepted.
I went to New York a few days early with my mom to sight-see a little. I loved visiting up there, and I visited many places like: the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Times Square (which I walked all over to see all of the shops and vendors). My mom and I also took a tour bus to see the whole city. My Grandparents came to New York the day the POEA started so they could travel around with my mom while I was in the camp, and hear me in the student recital which was the last day of the POEA.
The POEA group stayed at the Saint Thomas Choir School. The girls had one floor, and the guys had another. I was in a room with 3 other guys. Two were about my age, and one was 2 years older, I think. There were 22 organ students at the camp altogether (about half girls and half boys). I was very excited to meet so many youth organists. Before the POEA I had never even met an organist that wasn't an adult. I made some great friends who I hope to see again sometime.
Each day of the POEA started with a great breakfast prepared by the Choir School's chief. That was followed by taking the subway to our individual lessons and practice. Every two students were paired with an instructor. We each had an hour and fifteen minute lesson, and then the same amount of time to practice, during which time, the other student had his or her lesson. I was paired with one of my roommates (Mitch Miller) as a "study buddy" as they called them in New York, and Matthew Lewis as our teacher. Each two students went either with their teacher or with a chaperone to the subway to go to their teacher's church where they practiced and had their lessons. My lessons with Matthew Lewis were my favorite part of the whole camp. He helped me perfect the two pieces I played for you this morning. Mitch (my study buddy) and I were able to hear each other get better and better with the pieces we played each day.
After we had our lessons, we usually went to two workshops. Some of the workshops included: introduction to chant, choral conducting, hymn-playing, French classical organ literature, and improvisation. Most of the workshops were a bit over my head at times because I hadn't learned much about what they were talking about. My favorite workshop was the Fugue Analysis with Walter Hilse. Two of the POEA students each played a Bach fugue, and Walter Hilse helped analyze them. It was very interesting, and I understood a lot of it.
Every day there was a concert. Performers included: John Walthausen, Christopher Creaghan, Fred Teardo, McNeil Robinson, and Andrew Henderson. There were two solo concerts, a group concert, and a Hymn festival. The hymn festival was about two and a half hours of straight hymn singing. The first hour and a half was already selected hymns, but for the next hour, everyone at the festival had the opportunity to request a hymn of their choice.
We went to many amazing churches during the week to hear concerts and workshops, but the only drawback was that the POEA was during one of the hottest weeks of summer in New York, during one of the hottest summers on record in the city, and almost all of the churches didn't have air conditioning.
(Riverside Church, Madison Ave Presbyterian, Christ Church Methodist, St. John the Divine).
Our group also took a couple of sight seeing trips: one to the Empire State Building at night, and to the Metropolitan Museum of Art one afternoon. At night after a long day together, several of us still found time and energy to stay up playing cards and eating snacks. This made for long days, but was a great way to get to know a few people better.
One of the funniest memories I have of this trip had nothing to do with organ. It happened one morning as 17 of our group got on the elevator at St. Thomas to head to Central Park and the MET. As the doors closed , it started going down but as it dropped and stopped at the bottom, we found the door wouldn't open. After trying several times to push buttons, we called our leader, Paul, via cell phone. He told us not to panic, but 17 people in a small elevator with one small vent gets a little claustrophobic. We were stuck for at least 20 minutes and this definitely delayed our Central Park. Other than Paul, everyone kept a sense of humor about the situation (thankfully)
On the last day of the POEA, there were two student recitals. Each was in different churches at the same time with half of the students at one church and half at the other. Each student played the main piece they had been working on with their instructor. I played the Toccata by Widor. I only wish I could have heard each one of the students play but this would have taken too long for one sitting.
After the student recital, there were quick goodbyes as everyone had planes to catch or trips to make. As you can imagine, the week was a special time of learning and fellowship with new friends. I was already making plans to attend the 2011 POEA in Boston the next summer.
As my mom was checking out the specifics of the upcoming POEA in Boston a couple of months ago, she found information on an Organ Institute that takes place at Westminster in Princeton, NJ. It is a 2 week intensive organ program with my teacher from the NY POEA being one of the main instructors for the time. I am hoping to work things out to go this July.
Thank you again for your support in my organ education.
February 20, 2011
Lead Me, Guide Me
Hymns that Inspired our Nation's Leaders
Hymn Festival
at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church
Once again, The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada and The Western North Carolina Chapter of the American Guild of Organists created a brilliant Hymn Festival. This being February, the month we celebrate birthdays of our nation's Presidents and Susan B. Anthony, and Black History, we heard about the hymns that were favored by many of our Presidents, Susan B. Anthony and Martin Luther King, and then we sang them. It was interesting to hear that John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) had written many hymns, one of which we sang (Send Forth, O God, Thy Light and Truth). Our singing was accompanied on the organ (Michael Barker and Carla Sperry, organists), a Brass Ensemble and Handbells.
The Festival was quite well attended by members of Black Mountain Presbyterian and other Churches, the AGO and the Hymn Society.
January 7, 2011
TWELFTH NIGHT PARTY
at Tupelo Honey
No drummers drumming, just organists recovering from the holidays. Not snowed out this year, but our Twelfth Night party was attended only by the ten boldest and most fearless. Still it was a great way to unwind from and discuss the season's busy-ness amongst ourselves. The conversation wound around what each of us did in our churches for the Advent and Christmas seasons. We also learned what movies were seen, what plans we have for the near future, and we even discussed the hymn, "And Are We Yet Alive," which seemed oddly fitting for such a gathering. We hope the weather permits more of us to meet next month.
November 19, 2010
ORGANLIVE MAKES IT EASY TO EXPERIENCE THE MUSIC OF THE ORGAN
Organlive.com is an Internet audio station dedicated to the music of the classical organ. Broadcasting since 2003, Organlive has become the most-heard organ station on the Internet. The broadcast is completely free to anyone with a broadband Internet connection and is now easier than ever to tune in. Listeners simpy need one click at www.organlive.com to hear the broadcast through Windows Media Player, WinAmp, iTunes, Quicktime, RealPlayer, or any streaming MP3 player. Additionally the stream may be heard on most mobile devices such as the iPhone or Android based phones. The station is also listed in the classical radio stations on iTunes.
A new website makes it easier to search the the ever-growing library of organ music, which currently holds over 10,000 tracks from more than 850 albums of music recorded by organists all over the world. Listeners can log in to rate tracks and albums as well as leave comments on the same. Organlive plays albums recorded on pipe, digital, and combination organs played by the world's best concert organists, as well as tracks recorded and submitted by less renowned organists. Included are pairings of organ and orchestra, solo instruments, choir, or vocal solos. The listener is presented with the work title, composer, album title, a link to purchase the album or MP3 online, the organ, it's builder, size, and location, and a link to the specification of the organ being heard, and often a link to public domain copy of the sheet music of the work.
Listeners may browse the entire library searching by work, composer, organist, album, or organ and request tracks to be played. On Sundays the station features hymns, choral anthems, and music of the church. Monday's playlist consists of music from the 19th and 20th centuries. Wednesdays are all-baroque music, and Fridays feature the best music from our library, as rated by the listeners.
The station has been continually funded by the listeners, and an annual budget covering all operating expenses is raised every spring. Organlive is always accepting submissions for new music from organists, composers, and publishers. To listen to Organlive, or for more information on submitting your music, visit www.organlive.com.
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it http://www.organlive.com
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church Organ Expanded
In August the Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church organ was expanded with 15 additional voices. These voices are not created by air vibrating through pipes. Rather, they are digitally sampled voices. That is, they are voices which have been digitally recorded from various pipe organs of great distinction. Our digital voices were sampled from various organs in The United States built by the Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ company of Boston. Among the new voices are some which are used as solo voices and others which are used solely to complement the ensemble. These additional voices make the organ significantly more colorful and versatile. On Friday, October 15 at 7:30 PM Barry Oliver, Director of Music Ministries at Grace Covenant, will present a concert of organ music to demonstrate the various new voices of our organ. The concert is free to the public and a reception will follow in the narthex.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Holtcamp Pipe Organ:
by Bill Smith
As an organ builder, in a past life, I'm interested and often fascinated by pipe organs which I didn't build. As such, when I find the opportunity to photograph them, I will do so, leaving the evidence behind as part of our records here, where others so interested may chance upon them. You may find photographs in the new photo Gallery, Calvary Episcopal Holtcamp.
I had the opportunity to visit Calvary Church in Fletcher, NC, and examine their 24-Rank Holtcamp Pipe Organ. In a suitably plain case situated behind the altar and reredos is the organ itself, of three divisions (Great, Swell and Pedal) on slider chests with electric pull-downs and slider motors. The console faces away from the congregation being shielded from the congregation by a presidium arch, giving the organist ample view of the choir which sits in opposing pews on either side of the chancel, while shielding the organist and unfortunately effectively muting the results of his efforts, making it difficult to let those in the rear pews actually hear the music and at the same time not deafen those creating it.
The organ has been voiced rather boisterously to try to compensate for the presidium mute, which gives quite an overly strident effect in the chancel, yet not so much benefit in the rear of the nave. They have mounted a microphone behind the reredos in order to "pipe" the music from the organ through speakers to the congregation. The result cannot be good, in my opinion. It reminds me of the man in Deleware who, listening to pipe organs and electronic organs, couldn't tell the difference - because he wore hearing aids in both ears and, so, had only heard electronic sounds. In the case of the Holtcamp, I'm afraid it's a waste of pipes and valiant efforts to make them heard.