The Cipher July 2016

The Executive Committee of

Grand Rapids AGO

2016-2017

Officers

Peter Kurdziel, Dean

Emily Brink, Secretary

Errol Shewman, Treasurer

Council Members at Large

Barbara Dulmage, 2017

Mark Loring, 2017

Daniel Page, 2018

Rebecca Snippe, 2018

Joel Gary, 2019

Members Ex-Officio

Joel Gary, Education Coordinator

Mark Loring, Registrar

Herman Keizer, Chaplain

Dennis Buteyn,

Webmaster, Cipher Editor

Dear Colleagues,

This edition of the Cipher is dedicated to the 2016-2017 program year

for our Grand Rapids Chapter. Thanks to the hard work of our new

executive board and our ever faithful editor, Dennis Buteyn, we are

presenting it in July so you can get the dates on your calendars before

they begin to fill up. Our program is loaded with timely topics, excep-

tional artists, and outstanding opportunities for both musical and spir-

itual renewal. We all know the favorite quote from the movie “Field of

Dreams: ‘If you build it, they will come.’” This is where we stand as

your 2016-2017 executive board: we have put together a program with

every intention of enticing each and every one of you reading this let-

ter to attend our monthly programs.

In addition to the program offerings for the year, I would like to take a

moment to introduce myself to you since I will be serving as your

dean. I am currently the Director of Music at the Basilica of Saint

Adalbert. Prior to my appointment to the Basilica in 2010, I had simi-

lar positions at St. Robert of Newminster in Ada, Michigan and the

Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria, Illi-

nois.

I was one of those kids who always wanted to play the organ. Fortu-

nately, I grew up in a family that was very supportive. Many of my

family members were musicians. I recall family Christmas parties

where two or three different family members of different generations

would “tag in” to play Christmas Carols for

the annual sing along. I had the privilege of

“tagging in” for the first time in about third

grade - the same year I started playing for

weekly Sunday School after my grandmother

was forced into retirement with a broken leg.

Our Baptist Church had an unwritten musical

hierarchy in which you began playing for

Sunday School and proceeded to the Sunday

evening Service on piano and finally to the

organ bench for a morning service. I made my

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way through ranks with the full support of my family, a patient choir director, and a teacher who

taught me about service playing, accompanying soloists, and even appropriate attire for church or-

ganists.

I attended Hope College as a student of Huw Lewis. My first encounter with Dr. Lewis was when

he came to Muskegon to play the dedicatory recital on the new Casavant organ at the Presbyterian

Church. At the time I was too intimidated to greet him afterward, so I slipped out the door. Later

that week I received a handwritten letter from him letting me know that he missed greeting me at

his recital in Muskegon. He invited me to what turned out to be a dazzling recital at Dimnent Chap-

el where I heard the Bach Prelude and Fugue in Eb, BWV 552 for the first time.

After my four years at Hope, I got my first full time church music position which I held for several

years before leaving to attend graduate school at the University of Notre Dame. Although I attend-

ed before the installation of the mighty Fritts organ, I had a great experience which culminated in a

9 day historic organ tour of Germany. Traveling through the villages and playing these fantastic

instruments had an indelible influence on my understanding of organ building and pedagogy. I am

very grateful to Craig Cramer for that life changing experience.

I left Notre Dame for a cathedral position in Illinois and the DMA program at the University of Illi-

nois. My later move back to Michigan made the completion of my doctorate complicated. Thanks

to the creativity of my teacher, Dana Robinson, and the patience and financial support of Mon-

signor Stasker at the Basilica, I am on the cusp of finishing this degree. I have every intention of

graduating in December of this year.

It is a privilege for me to serve as the dean of the Grand Rapids Chapter - a chapter with a national

reputation for its fine programming, creativity in recruiting new members, and its coordination of

several memorable conventions. I will make every effort to continue that tradition in collaboration

with our competent and creative executive board.

Over the next month or so, I will be personally contacting every member of our chapter. My goal is

to hear from each of you about your ideas for the coming year and beyond as well as answer any

questions you may have about our programming. Although our membership numbers are steady

and our finances are solid, I firmly believe that the health of our chapter lies in the value we place

on each and every member. The goal of our executive board is to affirm the value of each of our

members through communication and hospitality. More on these topics in the months to come.

In the meantime, I look forward to speaking with you.

Here’s to a great year!

Peter Kurdziel

Dean - Grand Rapids Chapter

American Guild of Organists

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Grand Rapids Chapter of the American Guild of Organists

Program for 2016-2017 Our monthly programs generally start with punch bowl, followed by dinner and the program.

The cost for dinner is $15 and to encourage attendance by younger members the board has underwritten the cost of meals

for all AGO members and guests under the age of 30. The cost of these meals will come from a dedicated fund that has

been recently established for this purpose . The program portion of the meeting is open to the public at no charge. Dinner

reservations are requested by the Wednesday previous to the meeting and members will be called by the executive council.

You may also make your reservation by emailing

agodinner@grago.org or calling our Treasurer, Errol Shewman at 456-9232.

City Encounter: Organs in the Heartside Neighborhood

6:30pm - Monday, September 19, 2016

Westminster Presbyterian Church

47 Jefferson Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Helen Hofmeister Hawley, Coordinator

6:30pm Punch bowl

7:00pm Dinner

8:00pm Program

Westminster Presbyterian Church, Helen Hofmeister Hawley, Director of Music

Grand Rapids Central Seventh-day Adventist Church, Bernard Moore, Organist

Cathedral of Saint Andrew, Nick Palmer, Director of Music

We will begin our season with a members’ dinner, installation of officers, and an organ crawl featuring

5 organs of the Heartside neighborhood. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear these organs of Aeolian

Skinner, Johnson, and Letourneau that together represent over 100 years of organ building.

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Come, Christians, Join to Sing: One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism

4:00pm - Sunday, October 16, 2016

Basilica of Saint Adalbert

654 Davis Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504

Peter Kurdziel and Emily Brink, Coordinators

2:00pm Ecumenical Choir Rehearsal in the Basilica

3:30pm Break for singers

4:00pm Festival

In anticipation of the 500th commemoration of the Refor-

mation, the GRAGO is extending an invitation to the peo-

ple of Grand Rapids to gather together for a hymn festival. Hymns will represent hymn writers old and

new with reflections on the texts and backgrounds of the hymn writers by Emily Brink, an ecumenical

choir led by Bob Batastini, and with Peter Kurdziel at the organ, along with brass and other instru-

ments.

Hymnody for a 21st Century Church: Familiar Tunes & New Texts - Bob Batastini

6:30pm - Monday, October 17, 2016

Basilica of Saint Adalbert – Lower Level Gathering Room

654 Davis Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504

Peter Kurdziel, Coordinator

6:30pm Punch bowl

7:00pm Dinner

8:00pm Program

Guest speaker and retired GIA editor/

Vice President Bob Batastini will lead

a discussion on how hymnody still

plays a vital role in the 21st century

church particularly through the use of

standard hymn tunes with texts of

new composers. He will also reflect on

the background of the composers,

sharing their stories, and some valua-

ble insight into their passion for their

craft.

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Pipelines: A concert demonstration for future organists

9:00am - Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Central Reformed Church

10 College Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Joel Gary, Coordinator

The fourth graders of Grand Rapids gather for the annu-

al concert demonstration of the pipe organ led by Joel

Gary and assisted by members of the chapter. Special

guest Jim Lauck will provide an introduction to pipe organ building that is both informative and enter-

taining.

Spera in Deo: The Continuing Legacy of the Hope College Organ Department

7:00pm - Monday, November 14, 2016

Jack Miller Center for the Performing Arts

221 Columbia Ave, Holland, MI 49423

Huw Lewis, Speaker / Rebecca Snippe, Coordinator

7:00pm Lecture and Recital by Hope College Organ Department

8:00pm Dessert Reception

Travel to Tulip City for a recital by Hope College Organ students on the new Casavant Organ and re-

flections on building and maintaining a successful organ studio by Professor Huw Lewis.

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Something old, something new: Music for the Celebration of Matrimony

7:00pm - Monday, January 16, 2016

East Congregational Church

1005 Giddings Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506

Mark Loring, Coordinator

7:00pm Program

8:00pm Reception

Looking to spruce up your wedding repertoire? During this hour long program several area organists

will present their favorite "alternative" wedding selections. Yes, something other than the Canon in D,

Bridal Chorus, and Wedding March! Future wedding couples will also invited to join us in this fun and

informative program. Wedding cake following!

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AGO goes to the Opera: 5 scenes from Operas with organ & religious choral music

6:30pm - Monday, February 20, 2017

Fountain Street Church

24 Fountain St NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503

Howard Slenk, Coordinator

6:30pm Punch Bowl

7:00pm Dinner

8:00pm Program

The Easter Morning Scene from Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana

The Wedding Scene from Gounod's Romeo and Juliette

The Evening Prayer from Humperdink's Hansel and Gretel

The Church Scene from Puccini's Tosca

The Wedding Scene from Wagner's Lohengrin

The organ, dais, balconies, and choir loft of Fountain Street Church will become one large operatic

stage. GRAGO will offer the people of Grand Rapids five scenes from operas that feature the organ and

religious choral music. Diane Triplett Biser will appear as Santuzza in Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana

and the nurse in Gounod's Romeo and Julliette. Jason Coffey will sing Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca and the

Friar in Romeo and Juliette. Marilyn Ossentjuk and Peter Kurdziel will play the orchestral accompani-

ments on the large Fountain Street organ, and the GRAGO Choir will sing.

Please invite your opera-loving friends to this unique program!

Jason Coffey, Baritone

Diane Triplett Biser, Soprano

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Bach Festival Recital: Isabelle Demers, Concert Organist

4:00pm - Sunday, March 5, 2017

Mayflower Congregational Church

2345 Robinson Rd SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506

Jonathan Tuuk, Coordinator

Isabelle Demers is Organ Professor and Head of the Organ Program at Baylor University in Texas,

where she teaches organ and courses in the organ curriculum. A native of Québec, she is rapidly be-

coming recognized as one of North America’s most virtuosic organists. Her concert at the 2010 nation-

al convention of the American Guild of Organists, in Washington, D.C., was received with great ac-

claim not only by critics, who deemed it “one of the most outstanding events of the convention.” (The

American Organist), but also by the standing-room-only audience, which called her back five times. A

review of her concert for the joint ISO-AIO convention in 2010 said that “she enchanted the entire au-

dience with her virtuoso performance,” leaving the entire congress in an atmosphere of “Demers fe-

ver.”

She began piano and organ study at age eleven at the Montréal Conservatory of Music. After gradua-

tion in 2003 she studied on scholarship for a year in Paris at the École Normale de Paris-Alfred Cortot.

She received her Master’s and Doctoral degrees from The Juilliard School in New York City, where she

studied with Paul Jacobs. Her dissertation – an analysis of Bach’s St. John Passion – was awarded the

Richard French Prize for best dissertation at commencement.

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Isabelle Demers was a featured performer at the 2008 national convention of the American Guild of

Organists in Minneapolis, and her performance was later broadcast to a national radio audience. She

was a featured artist at the 2009 national convention of the Royal Canadian College of Organists in

Toronto, at the 2010 national convention of the American Guild of Organists in Washington, DC, and

at the 2010 joint convention of the American Institute of Organbuilders and International Society of

Organbuilders in Montréal. She has been a prize-winner and finalist in several international perfor-

mance competitions and performs widely in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Highlights of her

2012 season included her Davies Hall and Disney Hall debuts in March 2012 as well as a 14-concert

tour of England and Germany in the summer.

Her debut recording on British label Acis was met with critical acclaim. On a recent broadcast

of Pipedreams, presenter Michael Barone featured the Fugue from Reger’s Op. 73, describing it as “a

masterful score, here masterfully played,” and Isabelle Demers as, “definitely a talent to watch, to

hear….” The RSCM’s Church Music Quarterly awarded the “exciting, expressive and successful” record-

ing its highest recommendation for its “profound and searching” performances. Fanfare Magazine pro-

claimed the “superbly produced” and “clear, tightly focused recording” with its “brilliantly played pro-

gram.” Her second disc, featuring the organ works of Rachel Laurin, was released in June 2011, and

her recording of Max Reger’s Seven Chorale-Fantasias this past November.

Isabelle Demers is represented by Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists

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Quimby and Rotman Competitions

1:00pm - Monday, April 24, 2017

Calvin Christian Reformed Church

700 Ethel Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506

Bruce Klanderman & Joan Ringerwole, Coordinators

1:00pm Quimby Competition

6:30pm Dinner

7:30pm Rotman Competition with a reception following

GRAGO holds one of the chapter competi-

tions for the AGO/Quimby Regional Competi-

tions for Young Organists. The 2017 winner

of this competition for advanced young or-

ganists under 24 years old will compete in

our Great Lakes regional competition later in

the year. Our 2015 winner received second

prize in the regional competition last year.

The nine regional competitions are held every

other year and the first place winners give

recitals as a "rising stars" at the national con-

ventions in even-numbered years.

The Annamae Rotman Young Organist Com-

petition is held every year and competitors

are drawn from the Kent County and adjacent counties area. These competitors are earlier stage or-

ganists and may be from junior high, high school, or college level.

Both competitions place a large emphasis on leading congregational singing. For the Quimby competi-

tion this hymn element is 25% of the score and for the Rotman competition it is 33% of the score. In

both competitions the audience participates in singing the hymn. Our chapter has been blessed with

excellent attendance for these competitions.

Both competitions award a first prize of $1000 and second prize of $ 500. In addition, the Rotman

competition has a $250 prize for a junior high or high school competitor that does not win first or sec-

ond prize.

Annamae Rotman Competition 2016 First row: Competition co-chair Joan Ringerwole, second prize winner Owen Telling-huisen, prize winner Bethany Dame, prize winner Nathan DeBruine, first prize win-ner Annelise Van Dyken, competition co-chair Bruce Klanderman, and Annamae Rotman. Second row: Judges Dr. Karl Schrock, Dr. Carrie Groenewold, Dr. Barbara Dulmage and Richard Rotman.

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A Little Night Music: An Informal Members’ Recital and Social

6:30pm - Monday, May 15, 2017

Annette Siebelink Music Studio

3479 Wentworth Dr. SW, Wyoming, MI 49509

Joel Gary, Coordinator

6:30pm Punch Bowl

7:00pm Dinner

8:00pm Program

Joel Gary will give a demonstration of the Custom Four-Manual 89 Stop Allen Organ installed in the

private music studio of Annette Siebelink. Members will be invited to play a favorite piece or two.

The Cipher