HEADLINES
- Choral Music premiere – T&G article regarding our own Dorothy Frisch’s latest compositions
- 1st Baptist Anthem Competition winner announced
- Chapter election ballots were mailed in early April – an Affirmation election (there’s no “competition” for positions)
- Hymn Workshop handouts posted (if you missed the workshop) DETAILS AND HANDOUTS (click here)
WorcAGO 2011-2012 Programming Year
May 21, 7 pm: AGO Scholarship recital / Annual Meeting / Announcement of Elections / Social Hour Reception FREE
First Baptist Sanctuary
1st Thursday Lunches:
Maxwell Silvermans lunch buffet for $7, easy parking 25 Union Street Worcester, MA (508) 755-1200
It’s a great time to catch up with your colleagues and share repertoire ideas etc.
RSVP (so we can make proper group reservations)
Subsequent Thursdays: 6/7 [which is the last of the season, none in July, Aug, Sept, resume in Oct]
Young Artist Showcase concert dates set for First Unitarian spring concert series – Friday Nights at 7:30pm. These are co-sponsored by WorcAGO.
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4/13 Jennifer McPherson – works by Bruhns, Mendelssohn, Bach, Alain, Messiaen 5/11 Jonathan Bezdegian – works by Bach, Mendelssohn, Cook, Creston, Vierne 6/22 Katelyn Emerson – works by Reger, Alain, Franck, Durufle, Vierne, Widor
Three world-class young organists with Worcester connections will be performing on this year’s Young Artists Showcase at First Unitarian Church, 90 Main St, Worcester. Co-sponsored by Worcester AGO, these concerts are free and feature concert organists who are rising stars on the international stage. Please print (PDF online) or request a poster to display or hand out to your church’s organ enthusiasts. RSVP |
PREVIOUS EVENTS THIS YEAR
Hope you didn’t miss these exciting events
April 20, 7:30 pm: Carol Williams – volunteerism theme recital at WUMC More Details FREE
Sponsors sought (25-50-100-250-500) RSVP
We are grateful to our sponsors:
- The MotivAct Group–Motivate to Activate Your True Potential www.motivactgroup.com
- Dr. Carl Wickstrom
- Lois Hagberg
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POPS PIPES Internationally acclaimed concert artist Carol Williams will present a FREE pipe organ concert at 7:30 April 20 at the Wesley United Methodist Church, Main Street, Worcester. Famous for her dazzling rendition of “Flight of the Bumblebee” played only with her two feet on the pedalboard, Dr. Williams is one of the top performers in the world, and delights audiences with her hip and refreshing musical performances. She will be performing works by John Williams, John Phillip Sousa, Zez Confrey, Scott Joplin, J. S. Bach, as well as local composer Robin Dinda. Received with rock-star enthusiasm, Dr. Williams has just returned from a European Concert Tour where they marveled at her technique and hailed her musicianship and charismatic humor.
Sponsored by the local chapter of the American Guild of Organists, this concert will honor local community volunteers in their efforts to help those in need. Among other local nonprofits, the Worcester American Red Cross and Joy of Music Program (JOMP) will honor their volunteers at this concert (April is National Volunteer Month). Dr. Williams will be performing on Wesley’s celebrated 73-rank Skinner pipe organ.
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Hymn Playing Workshops – Three times/three places – to fit your schedules RSVP
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DETAILS AND HANDOUTS POSTED (click here) Hymn-playing is the church organist’s bread-and-butter task. We do it every week usually without thinking much about it. In this workshop, we help you hone your congregational accompaniment skills. If you’re just beginning, the tips demonstrated will open your eyes to a vast array of techniques that await your exploration and incorporation into your tool bag; if you’re an old pro, you’ll enjoy reviewing a thorough list of hymn treatments to refresh your approach to this weekly task. Note that most all of the tips presented can be implemented by any organist with basic keyboard skills—we are not suggesting advanced improvisatory accompaniments, but rather simple recipes that you can occasionally use to spruce up those early Sunday mornings. WorcAGO will be sponsoring a nuts-and-bolts 2-hour workshop for practical hymn-playing techniques. FREE. The same program will be presented three times:
DETAILS AND HANDOUTS (click here) |
First Thursday Lunches resume for 2012 Next date 4/12
A NEW LOCATION FOR THIS SPRING
Maxwell Silvermans has a lunch buffet for $7.
4/12/12 at noon. Parking should be okay, or else park at 1st U and walk over
25 Union Street Worcester, MA 01608-1112 (508) 755-1200 (It’s next to the Police Station/”across 2 streets” from Wesley & 1st U)
It’s often a small crowd (2/2/12 was 4 people only! 3/8 seven people). it’s a great time to catch up with your colleagues and share repertoire ideas etc.
RSVP (so we can make proper group reservations)
Subsequent Thursdays: 4/12, 5/3, 6/7 [last of the season, none in July, Aug, Sept, resume in Oct]
Chapter Elections to be held in May. Write-In votes welcomed.
April 11 Wednesday 12 noon – Silent Film Extravaganza at Mechanics Hall with Peter Krasinski.
Noontime brown bag concerts – FREE
Co-sponsored by WorcAGO.
“A trip to the Moon” (1902)
See the original movie everyone is talking about, as seen in “Hugo“, the movie nominated for 11 academy awards and winner of 4, as brilliantly accompanied (silent-film-style) by Peter Krasinski on the mighty Worcester Organ (E G & G Hook, IV/65) at Mechanics Hall.
A Trip to the Moon (Le Voyage dans la lune) is a 1902 French silent science-fiction film. It is based loosely on two popular novels of the time: Jules Verne’s From the Earth to the Moon and H. G. Wells’ The First Men in the Moon.
The film was written and directed by Georges Méliès, assisted by his brother Gaston. It was extremely popular at the time of its release, and is the best-known of the hundreds of fantasy films made by Méliès. A Trip to the Moon is the first science fiction film, and uses innovative animation and special effects, including the well-known image of the spaceship landing in the Moon’s eye.
In the movie, a group of astronomers set out to study earth’s moon by flying there in a ship that is shot from a kind of cannon. When they arrive, they are assaulted by evil moon men. After escaping, they return to earth and are honored with a parade and a commemorative statue.
Most of Méliès films were explorations of magician stage effects and film effects. The wonder of film was his playground. Unfortunately, Thomas Edison took some of Méliès films in the US, without the filmmaker’s knowledge, and redistributed them. Méliès never received a dime.
Le Voyage was named one of the 100 greatest films of the 20th century by The Village Voice, ranking at #84, and it figures prominently in the Martin Scorsese current-day film, HUGO, winner of 4 academy awards.
September 30, 8pm: David Higgs organ recital, All Saints Church More Details
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World-famous organist David Higgs will appear in concert at All Saints Church, 10 Irving Street, Worcester, on Friday, September 30 at 8:00 PM, according to Will Sherwood, Dean of the Worcester Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. Dr. Higgs’ appearance is the kick-off event of the Chapter’s 2011/12 concert season. The concert is free and open to the public. Premium seating is available for $10/person(* RSVP for this premium offer). A reception for Dr. Higgs will follow his concert.
David Higgs’ command of the King of Instruments and connection with audiences worldwide is unmatchable. He typically performs from memory, and will present a program of signature organ repertoire by Bach, Karg-Elert, Bolcom, Bonnet, Lefébure-Wély, and Duruflé. Dr. Higgs does not just “play notes,” but rather he sculpts musical ideas that connect with the energies and emotions of his audience—a grand experience for all. His verbal program notes throughout his concerts help guide his listener’s attention.
The Rice Memorial Organ is featured on the 2-CD set Great Organs of Worcester
About the Rice Memorial Aeolian-Skinner Organ at All Saints
October 3, 7 pm: Open loft Monday at WPI (New tracker portative; classic Aeolian-Skinner) (* RSVP)
October 6: noon First Thursdays Lunch Bunch: Tweeds 229 Grove St (* RSVP)
October 10: Organ crawl to New Haven, CT (* RSVP REQUIRED)
November 3: 12noon First Thursdays Lunch Bunch: Tweeds 229 Grove St (* RSVP) Informal; not all is organ-talk!
November 12: 10am-12noon – Joan Lippincott masterclass (Hymn Playing), St. John’s, 16 Great Road, Sudbury
MAP (* RSVP) FREE
Shared event with Boston AGO Chapter 1988 JW Walker organ
You can observe and do not need to perform in order to attend.
St. John Ev. Lutheran Church, 16 Great Road (Rte. 117), Sudbury, MA Easy parking!
Joan Lippincott’s master class on Hymn Playing will address how best to lead congregations in vigorous hymn singing by looking at the style of hymns and how that might influence the way we play them (registration, tempo, harmonization, etc.) Participants are encouraged to come prepared to play a hymn. (* RSVP)
November 14, 7:30 pm: (7:15 pre-concert talk) Members Organ Recital First Unitarian 90 Main St Worc - Variety of Solos, Duets - Come hear your colleagues!
Pre-Concert talk about 1st U’s Aeolian-Skinner & history (some fun handouts too!) 7:15pm
FREE
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Wishing you and yours a restful and peaceful holiday season.
May all your Christmas Eve Services harmonize with the Angelic Choirs.
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Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.
It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.
~Melody Beattie
Join our chapter or renew now: Click here to join/renew online.