Bombarde!
Newsletter of the Greater Kansas City Chapter of the American Guild of Organists
OCTOBER 2019
Dean: Boyd Ahrens | boydlee@aol.com
Sub-Dean: Mike Maiden | mmaiden@kc.rr.com
Bombarde Editor: Ken Walker | bombarde@kcago.com
FROM THE DEAN:
I know a few people who really do live a full life. They are often doing something different, going places, helping others, and just seem to be “on the go.” Most of us go through life and do enjoy it, though we often wish we could have more fun. I associate dancing with having fun. We dance at weddings, parties, and ideally, we dance as though no one is looking. That is the best time, when we are not concerned how others see us, just enjoying the moment – dancing alone or with someone special. I like the saying, “Dance as though no one is watching.”
Jonathan Gregoire is our artist for the program on October 21st. His theme is: “Dancing through the Ages.” He has selected 10 pieces that are dance inspired. He has chosen a hymn for us, appropriately titled: “Lord of the Dance.” We will be at St. Andrew’s Episcopal in Brookside. There is more information about this recital in a separate write up. We are thankful to Michael Quimby for sponsoring Jonathan’s concert.
Last month’s meeting at Centennial United Methodist Church was a great success! The three featured organs in the sanctuary were in fine form. Our organists, keyboardists, percussionist, and choirs did a wonderful job of providing inspirational and uplifting music! We did a group photo and were able to get 34 of our members together up in front of the church. We counted 139 at the program, almost 90 for the meal, and 54 at our “Happy Hour” at the Mutual Musicians Foundation building. There is a story with photos elsewhere.
Schola Cantorum has started rehearsals at St. Mary’s Episcopal, downtown, on Tuesday evenings. Jackson Thomas is the director, and would still like to invite interested singers to contact him at: jacksoncthomas@gmail.com
Our faithful Bombarde editor, Keith Sandrock, has been publishing this newsletter for several years, and has notified me that he would like us to find another editor. We thank Keith for his service to our chapter in this very vital way. If you have an interest in writing and assembling articles, please write or call me. I hope you may see this opportunity as a way for you to add a new “dance” to your life!
We welcome Dan Madura as our new Treasurer. Dan is stepping down as our Registrar. He has been our Registrar and he believes he can better serve us in the role of Treasurer. Kelly Hackleman has resigned as Treasurer, as she felt she could not devote the necessary time to this very important position. We do thank her for the effort she did spend with it.
I am happy to introduce Dan Brown to you as our new Registrar. Dan is a very involved member of our chapter and he will do well in his new position. Thank you, Dan!
We have had many contributors to our Concert Series and Programs. We are so fortunate to have a chapter with numerous fine donors who give extra money for us to present a wide variety of programs, quite a number of top-notch artists, and informational topics and music unavailable otherwise. This year we are presenting programs all around the metro area and in some new churches we have not previously visited. We are dancing all around – with our friends, and new friends!
I hope that you will consider attending the dinners before the programs. It is a great way to meet new people, and we have such terrific caterers who really do give a great meal for the price! We had almost 90 people at our September meeting for dinner! It was so much fun with so many friends in attendance.
I like to dance with my wife. She has had some health problems this year, which made dancing anywhere from difficult to impossible. I know this has been the case with others, too. Her mobility has improved, and we are back to dancing. Sometimes, we put on a recording, and dance – like no one is watching!
Hope to see you at the October program! Let’s Dance!
Boyd Ahrens, Dean
THIS MONTH’S MEETING
“Dancing through the Ages.”
Monday, October 21, 2019
Jonathan Gregoire in Concert
St. Andrews Episcopal Church
6401 Wornall Ter.
Kansas City, MO
Punch Bowl at 6:00 pm
Dinner at 6:15 pm
Catered by Sugar & Spice
Dinner Menu
Meat Lasagna
Mixed Green Salad
Garlic Bread
Assorted Desserts
Assorted Desserts
Water, Iced Tea, Coffee
Cost: $12/person
Please call Nancy Ramirez at 816-436-9467 or email reservation@kcago.com by 9:00 pm Wednesday, Oct. 16. Nancy will confirm your e-mail reservations. Please call if you don’t get a confirmation. Remember, if you have a reservation (permanent or one-time) and miss dinner, you are still obligated to pay for your meal if you have not cancelled by Monday, Oct. 21.
*** Please note: New “Walk-in” Dinner Price ***
In an effort to help our new caterer, and encourage timely reservations, the price for unreserved dinners will be $17. If you reserve your meal in advance, the price remains the same at $12.
Jonathan Gregoire
Upcoming Program Information
Our featured artist in October is Dr. Jonathan Gregoire. He was requested by several of our members, and we are happy to hear him on the 21st at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 6401 Wornall Ter., Kansas City, MO.
Gregoire earned his D.M.A. in organ performance from Arizona State University, where he worked with Dr. Kimberly Marshall. He served as Dr. Marshall’s research assistant and aided her work on an organ encyclopedia. While a student at ASU he also worked as CD reviewer for the Organ Historical Society and reviewer for the e-publication, Timbres, for the Orgelpark in Amsterdam. His final project, “Toward a ‘Green’ Organ: Sustainability and Organ Building” combined a personal passion and school-sponsored initiative of sustainability in researching methods organ builders use to directly and indirectly promote sustainable practices in organ building. The project garnered the attention and publicity from the institution, as well as publication of part one in the Spring 2015 issue of The Tracker by the Organ Historical Society. Gregoire pursued post-doctoral studies as a student of Professor Stefan Engels at Southern Methodist University in the highly selective Artist Diploma program, where he was also the teaching assistant for the department. He was awarded the Roy and Sue Johnson Award in Organ or Sacred Music in Memory of Robert T. Anderson, which recognizes outstanding achievement in the department. He holds additional degrees in organ performance from the University of Kansas (M.M.), where he was inducted into the prestigious Phi Kappa Phi and Golden Key International Honor Society; St. John’s University (B.A. summa cum laude), where he was named a Presser Scholar, which is given to one student each year by the music faculty for exceptional work within the department; and his high school diploma from the Interlochen Arts Academy, where he graduated Salutatorian and received the coveted Young Artist Award as well as Academic Awards in Mathematics and Chemistry. In addition to being a frequent recitalist and guest clinician as part of the Interlochen Arts Camp Summer Organ Series, he was invited as a featured performer for the Interlochen Arts Academy’s 50th Anniversary Collage Concert. His instructors include Dr. Kimberly Marshall, Dr. James Higdon, Dr. Michael Bauer, Dr. Kim Kasling, and Mr. Thomas Bara.
We are inviting KU organ students to attend this wonderful program presented by their alumnus. Jonathan was recently heard by some of our members at the joint Hymn Society and Organ Historical Society convention in Dallas, this past summer. Jan Kraybill said she was very impressed with his playing!
The theme for the evening is: “Dancing through the Ages.” He has selected music from as far back as 1551 up to a Naji Hakim recital piece entitled: To Call My True Love to the Dance. It was written in 2007, and please check out several performances of it on You Tube. It really is spectacular! What a closer for the evening! All of our programs this year will include a hymn. He has appropriately chosen Lord of the Dance. We have great voices in our chapter and with our friends. Let’s sing, let’s dance!
In November we travel to the beautiful acoustical space of the Cathedral of St. Peter, in Kansas City, KS, at 409 N. 15th St. We could think of few more gorgeously sonorous settings than this cathedral. Our director, new this year, is Jackson Thomas, currently an instructor at UCM in Warrensburg. The music selected is to commemorate the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul, in Rome. St. Peter’s is what we usually think of as St. Peter’s Basilica in the heart of Vatican City. St. Paul’s Basilica is located outside the main wall. November 18 is their day, and for us, we will enjoy the timeless music from our own sponsored singers, Schola Cantorum. There will be organ pieces, also. Our hope is to have some younger members, perhaps organ students, perform. Please contact the Dean if you, or someone you know, may be interested. The program begins at 7:30 pm, on November 18, with dinner preceding it at 6:15 pm.
If Christmas seems far away, for many people – it is. To organists and choir directors who must plan for music at that time of year – it isn’t. Please give yourself an “after Christmas present” and come to the Dean’s home for a Christmas party of food, fun, music, and song. Bring nothing but a post-Christmas happiness, when all the musical goodies have already been unwrapped, and you are ready to relax and enjoy the season with you AGO friends! Yes, bring a friend, guest, spouse, or special “other” for a late afternoon of Christmas joy!
Organist at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris to Perform in November
At 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 10th, Olivier Latry, Organist at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and Professor of Organ at the Paris Conservatoire, will present his first recital as the William T. Kemper Artist in Residence at the University of Kansas. The recital will take place at Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral 415 West 13th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105. This will be a benefit recital for those workers who lost their jobs as a result of the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral this past spring. The recital will include works by Boëly, Franck, Vierne, Gigout, Bach, Mozart, Guillou and Liszt, along with a closing improvisation. Tickets will be available at the door.
Special Opportunity with composer Dr. Eugene Butler
Dr. Eugene Butler is offering a special opportunity to musicians, especially church and school musicians, to give away publications of choral, keyboard, and hand bell music which he has composed over the length of his career. Many titles have multiple copies which were given to him by publishers. He would like to see this music given to the good of ministry and education of future generations. Dr. Butler will be there, and a keyboard will be available if you want to read through anything.
Saturday, October 5, 2019 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church
6630 Nall Avenue
Mission, KS
Park in the west parking lot and enter the small door on the lower southwest corner.
Special Announcement & Conference at KU
The University of Kansas School of Music Division of Organ and Church Music Announces…
Le Grand Siècle:
Organ Music and Culture
in 17th and 18th Century France
Featuring the Teaching of New KU Faculty Member
William T. Kemper Artist-in-Residence Olivier Latry
November 8-9, 2019
From November 8-9, 2019, the University of Kansas, School of Music, Division of Organ and Church Music, will sponsor a conference entitled Le Grand Siècle: Organ Music and Culture in 17th and 18th Century France, featuring the teaching of Olivier Latry, the new William T. Kemper Artist-in-Residence at the University of Kansas. Olivier Latry, Organist of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and Professor of Organ at the Paris Conservatory, has recently been appointed to the faculty at the University of Kansas. He will be in residence at KU for the first time this November. As part of each residency, KU is a sponsoring a conference on different aspects of French organ music and culture. This fall the conference will focus on French Baroque music and art.
Schedule
Friday, Nov. 8
Lied Center Pavilion
9:30 Conference Welcome: The Latry Residencies
9:45 Lecture: “Music in Louis XIV’s Court and Chapel”
Colin Roust, Associate Professor of Musicology, KU
10:30 Break
Bales Organ Recital Hall
10:45 Master Class, Olivier Latry, French Classic Organ Music I
12:15 Lunch on your own
2:00 Master Class, Olivier Latry, French Classic Organ Music II
3:30 Break
Lied Center Pavilion
3:45 Lecture: “The French Church Through the 18th Century”
Michael Bauer, Professor of Organ and Church Music, KU
4:30 Lecture-Demonstration:
“How Suite It Is: French Dances in Baroque Music Paul Laird, Professor of Musicology, KU, along with Sunflower Baroque
5:15 Dinner on your own
Bales Organ Recital Hall
7:30 Recital: Alternatim Mass drawn from the works of Louis Marchand
Organ Students from the University of Kansas
Chant Schola from the Bales Chorale performing chant in
17th Century French style
Saturday, Nov. 9
Bales Organ Recital Hall
9:00 Lecture: “The French Classic Organ”
Olivier Latry
10:00 Break
10:30 Master Class, Olivier Latry, Organ Music of Nicolas de Grigny
12:00 Lunch on your own
2:00 Lecture: “The Building of Notre-Dame in Paris”
Areli Marina, Associate Professor
Medieval Art & Architecture
Kress Foundation Department of Art History
Program in Medieval and Early Modern Studies
2:45 Break
Bales Organ Recital Hall
3:00 Movie: “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
Matthew Gender, organist
Conference registration will be $75 for the general public and $10 for students. Registration will be available at the door. Saturday afternoon and Tuesday afternoon events are free and open to the public.
Post-Conference Events
Tuesday, November 12, 3:00 p.m.
Spencer Museum of Art, KU
Susan Earle, Curator of European and American Art at the Spencer Museum of Art at KU will sponsor a 3:00 p.m. gallery tour of 17th and 18th century French art, including a special viewing of works portraying Notre Dame Cathedral.
4:00 p.m. Lecture, “Art, Place, and Community at Notre Dame”
Anne D. Hedeman, Judith Harris Murphy Distinguished Professor of Late Medieval and Northern Renaissance Art, Kress Foundation Department of Art History, Program in Medieval and Early Modern Studies.
AGO Certification Announcement
Congratulations to Jacob Hofeling for completing the AGO Certification!
Interested in earning AGO Certification?
Contact Sarah Lyons at sarah.orr.lyons@gmail.com.
Our September program in review
September 16th was a most memorable night! We started our evening at the Mutual Musicians Foundation building with a rousing Happy Hour! Bar tenders Mike Maiden, Dan Brown, and Dan Madura served up complimentary drinks for our “patrons.” After some very enjoyable conversation with friends and new acquaintances, folks “followed the music” and went upstairs. The Foundation building is a National Historic Landmark and has hosted almost all of the noted jazz musicians of Kansas City since the 1920s. The walls are covered with photos and documents from the past 100 years.
Our own Craig Smith was jam master with his jazz combo, featuring Gregg Briggs, Monte Musa, and Justin McCoy. There were many compliments and rounds of applause for their very smooth and polished numbers! When the 6 o’clock closing came, it was hard to get our people to move on to the next venue.
The punch bowl at Centennial United Methodist Church was hosted by Kathy Hellwege. With almost 90 people in attendance for a delicious BBQ dinner, we started early with a prayer and a few announcements by the new Dean, Boyd Ahrens. We shared the meal with quite a few members of Centennial, and a number of our members brought guests. The current AGO member who traveled the farthest was former Dean and Registrar, Joyce McIntosh.
Promptly at 7:30 the program began, with words of thanks and appreciation by the evening’s co-hosts, Reggie Watkins and Boyd Ahrens. A special treat was “starting the engines” of the 3 organs. The Wurlitzer had the most fantastic start up sound, which resembled a jet engine, and had a special remote microphone from the basement blower room.
Reggie performed a medley of songs associated with Count Basie, a famous jazz pianist who also played the organ for silent movies, and had played the church’s Wurlitzer. Several hymns were sung by the audience, and by the choir. The Centennial choir was under the direction of Asa Barnes, Director of Music, and Reggie brought his “Soulful Phase Ensemble” under the direction of Michael Stevenson. Daniel K. Lewis played the church’s 1894 Steinway piano.
Craig Smith skillfully accompanied a segment of the 1923 silent movie, “The 10 Commandments” on the original Wurlitzer theater style pipe organ. The last portion of the program was a 3 organ improvisation of the hymn tune, “Joyful Joyful.” The closing was all 3 organs playing and working with the hymn, “All Praise to Thee My God this Night.”
Events Calendar
Organ Dedication Concert
Sunday, October 13, 2019 @ 1:30pm
Holy Family Parish
919 NE 96th St.
Kansas City, MO 64155
Come to hear amazing music in an amazing new worship space! The organ dedication concert will include performances by Jan Kraybill and parish musicians. Freewill offering accepted.
Organ Recital
Sunday, November 10, 2019 @ 7:00p.m.
Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral
415 W. 13th Street
Kansas City, MO
Olivier Latry, William T. Kemper Artist in Residence of The University of Kansas. Organist at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Professor of Organ at the Paris Conservatoire.
Historical Files: Smithsonian Adds First Hammond Organ to Collection"
The first Hammond Organ, manufactured 34 years ago, has taken its distinguished place among other historical musical instruments at the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C. The organ was presented to the Institute by Hammond president, David H. Kutner, and J.W. Jenkins IV, president, Jenkins Music Company, Kansas City, Mo. Accepting Hammond Organ serial # 1 was John Fesperman, associated curator of the Institution's division of musical instruments. "It is with a great deal of pride that we present this first Hammond Organ to the Smithsonian," said Kutner. "Our company is very proud of the part the electric organ has played in the historic evolution of music in this country and throughout the world." In accepting the organ, Fesperman announced that it will go into the Institution's reference collection of musical instruments and also will be used in future exhibits of the division.
Kansas City Church - Original Owner
Original owner of this first Hammond was the Paseo Methodist Church in Kansas City, Mo., which bought it in 1935. Shortly after Laurens Hammond had his electric organ patented in 1934, Hammond salesmen took the instrument around the country for demonstrations and to stimulate sales. One of the first stops was Kansas City, Mo.
"My father, Paul Jenkins and his cousin J.W. Jenkins who owned Jenkins Music Company had been talking to the members of the Paseo Methodist Church about buying an electric organ just about the time the Hammond people came to town to demonstrate their new product. They were very impressed with the instrument and took the representatives from the church to see it," said Jenkins. "They too liked the organ but said they would only buy one if they could have the instrument that was being demonstrated and that's how they got Hammond serial #1."
The Hammond Organ Company at that time had no dealers and as a result of the sale of the organ to the church, Jenkins Music Company became Hammond's first franchised dealer in the United States. The church continued to use the organ from 1935 until early 1950 when it was traded in for a newer model. About a dozen years after the organ was purchased, Rev. Edward W. Potts wrote the company that upkeep on the organ had amounted only to a new set of tubes for the amplifier...but he added that he might soon need to order another can of oil.
Jenkins Music Company continued to use the organ for special merchandising displays and promotions through the years. Hammond's first consumer advertisement appeared in the April 25, 1935 issue of Musical America magazine. While the first ad stressed the instrument's appeal to the professional musician, the electric organ today has gained wide popularity for homes, churches, schools, clubs or virtually any place where there is a need to make musical sounds.
There was also a photograph showing a young crew-cut gentleman (Jenkins) and an older gentleman (Howland) leaning on the organ with caption "Richard Hubbard Howland, left, special assistant to the secretary, Smithsonian Institution, and J.W. Jenkins IV with Hammond Organ #1."
So, it appears the organ may be stashed away in their "reference collection" and not necessarily on display. I think the Smithsonian has a web site. We should all insist that they get the organ out of the backroom and put it on display. I suspect there would be a mass pilgrimage of list members to Washington, D.C.
Job Placement Listings
Placement Coordinator: John Schaefer canonjohn40@gmail.com
Placement listings are available only to paid GKCAGO members. Become a paid AGO member by clicking on the Join Our Ranks link at the bottom of any page on the website.
SUBSTITUTES AVAILABLE FOR YOU
Substitutes listed are members of the local organ guild. The people who hold AGO certificates have passed requirements of the National American Guild of Organists for various levels of service playing and choral conducting. However, the GKCAGO is not an endorsement agency for service provided by the persons listed here. To learn proficiency of substitutes, feel free to ask them for references. Feedback regarding the hiring of GKCAGO substitutes is welcome and encouraged. Please send feedback to John Schaefer canonjohn40@gmail.com.
These substitutes have passed various levels of AGO certification requirements:
Mary Bronaugh Davis
MA, CAGO, org • (816) 436-1419 • (c) (816) 456-0343
Nancy Custead
CAGO, B.S. Music Ed org, piano • (816) 590-9414 • nancustead@gmail.com
Barbara Eichenberger
BM, CAGO • org, piano (816) 803-2516 • musicaltouch36@gmail.com
Stephen Kucera
CAGO, BM, org, piano, lit • (913) 568-3873 • skkansas@gmail.com
Linda Mann
BME, SPC, organ, piano (Weddings/Funerals only) • (816) 353-4826 • (c) (816) 289-9760
Marjorie O’Konski
MM, MME, SPC, org, piano • (785) 766-2545 • mjokonski@hotmail.com
John Pitchford
MM, SPC, org • (913) 663-3768 • johnpitchford@kc.rr.com
John Schaefer
AAGO, ChM, org, dir, lit • (816) 520-2084
SPC = service playing certificate | CAGO = Colleague certification | AAGO = Associate certification | FAGO = Fellow certification org = organist | lit = liturgical worship | dir = choral director | piano = pianist
The following have various degrees in organ or church music at the college or postgraduate level:
Joyce Berg
MM, org • (816) 741-7388 • joyberg74@gmail.com
Alisa R. Carmichael
BM org, piano • (270) 535-4881 • carmichael.alisa@gmail.com
Franklin Coleman, MM, FTCL
org, dir, lit • (816) 442-8570 • erzhalerii@gmail.com
John Deahl
MM, org, dir, lit, bass soloist • (785) 250-4141 • johnldeahl@gmail.com
Stephanie Henry
DMA Choral Music, org, piano, dir, lts • (816) 678-6372 • shenry24@kc.rr.com
Sharon Hettinger
DMA, org, lit, dir, handbell • (785) 842-2053 • slhett.sunflower.2016@gmail.com
Ronald Krebs
BM, MM, org, lit • (785) 843-2622 • rkrebs@reuterorgan.com
Sarah Lyons
DMA, org, piano, lit, dir • (309) 333-8745 • Sarah.orr.lyons@gmail.com
MacKenzie Reed
MFA, BM, org, piano, lit • ivoryfistrule@gmail.com
Ann Marie Rigler
DMA, org, lit • (816) 808-8663 • amrwjc@gmail.com
Nancy Stankiewicz
BA, org, lit • (913) 642-8642
The following also offer their services:
Boyd Ahrens
org, lit • (816) 453-8406 • boydlee@aol.com
Betty Bauer
org, lit • (913) 814-9021 • hababab@earthlink.net
Doris Daniels
org, lit • (816) 431-3244
Phillip Grubbs
org • (816) 721-2325 • pgrubbs@embassylandscape.com
Edward Poston — KU student
org • edward.rposton@gmail.com
Marilyn VanderLinden
org, lit • (816) 665-4441
Margaret Werth
org • (785) 478-0256
org = organist | lit = liturgical worship | dir = choral director | piano = pianist
The absolute deadline for submissions to the Bombarde editor is the 20th of each month. Please email your information to bombarde@kcago.com.