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MAY 2009

From the Dean

I hope everyone enjoyed our members’ recital at Southminster Presbyterian. Music You Can’t Play on Sunday Morning provided a relaxing and entertaining evening following the rigors of Holy Week and Easter. Thanks go to Mary Davis, Nick Mourlam, Virginia Strohmeyer-Miles, Marian Thomas, Jan Van Otterloo, Barry Wenger, and Roger Wischmeier for volunteering to play on our April program. And special thanks to John Obetz, interim organist at Southminster Presbyterian, Pastor Jeffrey Clayton, and several members of Southminster congregation for their help in making arrangements for our meeting.

Our May meeting will be a guild service, which will include the installation of officers for 2009-2010. Our guest speaker will be Bill Tammeus, long-time reporter and Faith section columnist for The Kansas City Star. David Diebold will be the organist for the service, and Schola Cantorum will sing. Following the guild service there will be a reception in honor of the 70th birthday of our chapter. The meeting is May 18 at Country Club Christian Church, 6101 Ward Parkway. Dinner is at 6:15, and the program begins at 7:30.

As we near the close of our 70th year, we should remember the people who had the vision and the energy to form the Greater Kansas City Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, as well as the many folks who have for seven decades kept it alive and active. With 210 members, we are one of the largest chapters in the nation.

Special thanks go to the members of the 2008-2009 Program Committee: Rick Deasley, Floyd Gingrich, Ann Marie Rigler, John Schaefer, Jan Van Otterloo, and Ken Walker. They not only generated the ideas that blossomed into monthly programs, but also did much of the “leg work” in making initial contacts with performers, arranging for the use of churches, and, in some cases, transporting guest artists.

A great many chapter members work to make our Greater KC AGO function successfully. Please make an effort to personally thank our current officers for the work they have done throughout the year: Rosi Penner Kaufman, sub-dean and 2009-2010 program committee chair; Carol Wallace, secretary; Sally Livengood, treasurer; and Debbie Lynch, registrar. Then look on pages 2 & 3 of the 2008-2009 Directory at the names of the nine board members-at-large, the three past deans who serve on the board, the two auditors, the three appointed board members, and the twenty committee chairs and coordinators (including Steven Hoover, whose last name was inadvertently omitted). That’s more than forty people who have worked throughout the year, some with continuing responsibilities every month, and others whose positions require major efforts once a year. One could add to the list all of the members who work behind the scenes to proofread the directory, to help with Bachathon, to provide punch at our meetings, to usher at recitals, to chauffeur visiting artists, and to contribute in other ways to further the goals and activities of our chapter.

It has been a pleasure to serve as dean this year. Best wishes to our new officers as they embark on what is sure to be another great year—our 71st. If our new dean contacts you to ask you to serve as an appointed board member or committee chair, I hope that you will be able and willing to join the ranks of those who during the past 70 years have said, “Yes.”

Soli Deo Gloria,
Bill McCandless, Dean

Dinner Menu for May 18

Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy, baked beans, tossed salad, bread sticks, and ice cream sundae bar.
Let Jean Lyne (816.452.8222) know you’re joining us for supper, by
placing a reservation no later than Wednesday, 13 May 2009.
Cost: $9.

BACHATHON 3 May 2009

The 30th presentation of Bachathon by our chapter will be Sunday, 3 May 2009, at Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral, 13th and Broadway Streets, Kansas City, MO. “Come when you can and leave when you must” is Bachathon’s credo. Performances begin at 2 p.m. and end at 7 p.m. Celebrate Bachathon’s 30th year! Come and join us!

SCHOLA CANTORUM:
Singers Needed for May’s Guild Meeting

Schola will be singing for the festival service at our May 18 meeting. They will perform the Stanford Te Deum in B-flat. Anyone who has sung in Schola over the years and is interested in joining us to sing for this service should contact Ken Walker Ken@stmaa.com. We should need only one rehearsal to prepare for this.

ELECTION OF 2009-2010 OFFICERS

A total of 99 ballots were tabulated and counted by the close of the April 20th business meeting at Southminster Presbyterian Church. This figures to be a 52% return of the 189 ballots mailed out to the eligible voters of our chapter! Many thanks to all who responded. This is a higher voter response than in many city elections!

Although we have outstanding names for every position, the original plan of the Nominating Committee was to have a choice of candidates for EACH office. To accomplish that goal, we needed six more members to agree to donate their time and talent. As it was, we could only find 12 people out of a membership of around 200 who were willing to be our leaders. Our Kansas City AGO Chapter has one of the largest memberships of any in the entire country. We are extremely proud that we can offer a wide variety of programs geared to improve the instrumental and choral aspects of worship. However, we do need the involvement from more of our many talented and resourceful members to keep and reach our goals.

Congratulations to the following incoming officers for 2009-2010 who will be installed at the May 18th meeting at Country Club Christian Church.

Dean: Roseann Penner Kaufman
Sub-Dean: Ken Walker
Secretary: Carol Wallace
Treasurer: Lynn Bratney
Registrar: Pamela Robison
Class of 2012: Tom Atkin, Michael Phelps, Deborah Winter Auditors: Dale Ramsey, Joan Schmitt

Nominations Committee: Mary Davis, Chair; Betty Bauer; Jane Dauer; Joyce McIntosh; Eddie Straub.

BE SWELL, BE GREAT...

Do you recognize those puns? Introduce a young person to the world of organs and organ music...Let them know about Kansas City’s Pipe Organ Encounter. $425 for a week of original organ-ic fun! Don’t have a brochure? Check out more information HERE. It’s not too late to register!

MAKE IT COUNT:
OUR PIPE ORGAN ENCOUNTER NEEDS OUR HELP

John Ditto, director of the Pipe Organ Encounter and Lisa Galchick, treasurer for the event, requests donations to help provide scholarships to deserving young students (ages 13-18). If you, your parish, and/or your institution of choice, are willing and able to help provide some financial support, please send your check to “GKCAGO--POE 2009" and mail it to Lisa S. Galchick, treasurer, 3309 NW 67th St., Kansas City, Missouri, 64151-2283.

THE SIMON CARRINGTON CHAMBER SINGERS

Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral Announces is very proud and pleased to announce the debut concert of the SIMON CARRINGTON CHAMBER SINGERS; the concert will begin at 12 noon on Saturday May 30th. The Cathedral is considered one of thebest venues for choral performances and the one to be presented by the
Chamber Singers will be exceptional.

The members of the Chamber Singers will be coming from all parts of the country to intensely rehearse the week prior to the concert. The Singers have been personally selected by Professor Carrington, who is best known as a founding member of the King's Singers and with whom he sang for 25 years. After retiring from the ensemble, he was appointed Director of Choral Activities at Kansas University; he brought a new vitality to the program there and inspired his singers to do outstanding work. From KU he went to the New England Conservatory of Music and mostrecently he has been on the faculty of Yale University.

The program offered has the rich title of "Chiaroscuro - Contrasts of Light and Shade" and includes a wealth of music dating from the time of Josquin des Pres to a recently composed work by Dr. Ian Coleman of William Jewell College. One would think that so auspicious an occasion would be very pricey. In actuality the admission is only $15 general admission and $10 for students. Tickets are available from the Cathedral. Program and ticket information is available by phoning 816-214-9928 or by sending an e-mailto jschaefer@ghtc-kc.org.

THE WESTMINSTER CONCERT BELL CHOIR
– in Kansas City – 31 May 2009

The 14-member WESTMINSTER CONCERT BELL CHOIR is composed of undergraduate and graduate students at Rider University and its director is Kathleen Ebling-Thorne. This year celebrates the 31st year of the handbell curriculum at Westminster Choir College, the first institution in the world to develop such a program. Hailed throughout the nation for its virtuosity, this dynamic ensemble performs with the world’s largest range of handbells – 8 octaves, from C1 to C9. Many of the bells are made of bronze and range in weight from four ounces to 11 pounds. The Choir also uses the large “Basso Profundo” aluminum-cast bells that are a new phenomenon in handbell ringing. Additionally, members supplement their handbells with a six-octave set of Malmark Choirchime® instruments with a range of C2 to C8 – the widest in existence.

The Westminster Concert Bell Choir has appeared on Public Television’s “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and several holiday broadcasts of the “Today” show, including one in which the ensemble was joined by hosts Katie Couric and Willard Scott. Its holiday performances have been heard annually on National Public Radio’s “Performance Today,” and it is included on NPR’s Christmas Around The Country II recording. The ensemble has performed at Carnegie Hall twice during the Christmas season.

The ensemble’s 2008-2009 season includes performances in Princeton and New York, as well as a concert tour of the Midwest. Lynn Alfers’ church, Grace United Methodist (Olathe) and Sharon Hettinger’s church (St. Andrew’s Episcopal) will co-host this exciting event on Sunday, 31 May 2009, 4 p.m., at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Wornall and Meyer Blvd., Kansas City, MO. Free-will offering. Arrive early for a good seat! You’ll be surprised at what bell ringers can do!

UPCOMING RECITALS OF NOTE

Saturday, 2 May 2009
7:30 p.m.
The Fine Arts Chorale in concert. Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral. 13th and Broadway, Kansas City, MO. Tickets available by calling 816.235.6222.

Sunday, 3 May 2009
2-7 p.m.
The Greater Kansas City Chapter of the American Guild of Organists presents the 30th annual BACHATHON. Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral. 13th and Broadway, Kansas City, MO. Free-will offering.

Friday, 8 May 2009
8:00 p.m.
The William Baker Festival Singers, in concert. Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral. 13th and Broadway, Kansas City, MO. Tickets available by calling 816.235.6222.

Sunday, 10 May 2009
4:00 p.m.
John Obetz and Ken Walker, organists. Rainbow Mennonite Church, 1444 Southwest Boulevard, Kansas City, KS. This recital is dedicated to the memory of Margaret Krehbiel Goertz, a long-time organist for the church.

Sunday, 17 May 2009
5:00 p.m.
Evensong at Saint Mary’s Church, featuring carillon, harp, organ. Reception following.

Friday, 22 May 2009
12:10 p.m.
Westport Center for the Arts, 201 Westport Road, Kansas City, MO, presents the final concert in its 2008-2009 Brown Bag Concert Series: Ron Brown and Marian Thomas: One Piano, Four Hands. Music of Mendelssohn (Andante and Variations), Mozart (Fantasia I, K. 594), Schubert (Lebenssturme) and Barber (Souvenirs Ballet Suite). Free. Donations gladly accepted. Cookies and coffee provided.

Sunday, 24 May 2009
2:00 p.m.
Kenny DeCoursey, trumpeter in recital. Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral. 13th and Broadway, Kansas City, MO.

Saturday, 30 May 2009
12:00 noon.
Debut concert of Simon Carrington Chamber Singers; tickets available by calling 816.214.9928.

Sunday 31 May 2009
4:00 p.m.
The Westminster Concert Bell Choir, from Westminster Choir College, Princeton, NJ, in concert. Kathy Ebling-Thorne, director. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Wornall & Meyer Blvd., Kansas City, MO. The world-renowned handbell choir is presented by St. Andrew’s and Grace United Methodist Church, Olathe. Free-will offering. Come early for a good seat.

MAY PLACEMENT INFORMATION

Director of Music/Organist
Westport Presbyterian Church, 201 Westport Rd., Kansas City, MO 64111. 1S, 1R, P (Reuter/Wicks, 3M, 23R), $N. Effective 7/1/2009. Application deadline 3/1/2009. Contact Rev. Scott Myers at (816) 931-1032 or revmyers@westportpresbyterian.org. Church website is www.westportpresbyterian.org.

Organist
Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 9333 W. 159th St., Overland Park, KS 66221. 2S/month, 0R, E (Allen 3M/68stops), Yamaha Baby Grand, $N. Contact Rev. Tony Felich at (913) 522-1719 or tfelich@redeemer-pca.org. (Church website www.redeemer-pca.org)

Organist/Pianist
Leawood Baptist Church, 8200 State Line Road, Leawood, KS 66206, is seeking a part-time person to play organ or piano each Sunday morning, accompany choir rehearsals Wednesday or Thursday evenings, be available for periodic vocal and instrumental rehearsals. Must be comfortable with traditional and contemporary styles of worship. Salary: $175/week. Contact Michelle Patton, Director of Worship, Music & Young Adult Ministries. Phone 913.649.0100 or email: music@leawoodbaptist.com.

SUBSTITUTES AVAILABLE FOR YOU

All Substitutes: Please confirm your availability for Summer 2009
Contact Bombarde’s EditorToday! — bombarde@kcago.com

	Betty Bauer – org, lit	913.814.9021 or 913.488.8417
	Phyllis Curtis, MM – org	(4th & 5th Sundays only) 913.839.8856, 913.406.5327 or 913.248.6600
	Doris Daniels – org, lit	816-431-3244, 816-721-3191 or 913.288.7129
	Sharon Davies, BM – org	816.331.5581
	Kathy Hellwege, BSE – org, dir, lit, sop, alto	913.362.0594 or 913.706.0126
	Steven McDonald – org, dir, lit	785.841.4696 or 785.242.5200x5439
	Nick Mourlam, SPC – org, lit	913.488.1272
	Caroline M. Neal, M.A. - org, pian	(Saturdays only) 816.305.9526
	Michael Phelps – org, lit, dir	816.876.5677
	John Pitchford, MM, SPC – org	913.663.3768
	Freda Proctor - org, dir, lit	913.328.0721 (h); 913.484.8271 (cell); 913.758.6320 (w)
	Dale Ramsey, MM – org, dir	816.322.8985 or 816.797.3014 (cell)
	Ann Marie Rigler, DMA – org, lit	816.415.3792 or 816.781.7700x5199
	James Snyder, DMA – org, dir	816.765.1721 or 816.719.3289
	Nancy Stankiewicz, BA – org., lit	913.642.8642
	Marilyn VanderLinden – org, lit	(very early or evening), 816.665.4441
	Ann Warzyn, BME, SPC – org	816.453.5027
	Roger Wischmeier, DMA, CAGO – org	(Wed & Sun. p.m.) 816.761.3811
	org=organist; lit=liturgical worship; dir=choral director; pian=pianist

The absolute deadline for submissions to Bombarde's editor is the 20th of each month. Please email your information to bombarde@kcago.com.

From The Dean
Member News
Recitals of Note
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