The opening program for the 2012-13 year was a tour of the Basilica of St. Adalbert with its 1980 Wicks organ located at 671 Davis N.W. and also an organ crawl at the home of Bill Tufts with a 33 rank Kimball opus 7057. Peter Kurdziel, Director of Music at St. Adalbert's, demonstrated the organ and accompanied our chapter members in singing When In Our Music God is Glorified. Our chaplain, The Rev. Herm Keizer, Jr. led in the brief service of installation of officers.

At Bill Tufts' home three of our members demonstrated the Kimball organ in a variety of literature and organ builder Don Haan talked about the installation of this large home instrument.

September Newsletter

Chapter members at the Basilica of St. Adalbert
Mark Loring, Rhonda Edgington & Eric Strand

The second concert in our Young Organist Recital Series was held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 21st at East Congregational Church located at 1005 Giddings Ave. S.E. Our Artist was Dongho Lee who was the winner of First Prize and Audience Prize at the 2010 AGO National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance. Ms. Lee also spoke to the Chapter describing the process of entering and preparing for competitions on Monday evening, October 22nd.

October Newsletter

Dongho Lee

On Wednesday morning at 9:30 a.m. the Grand Rapids Chapter of the American Guild of Organists presents Pipelines, a program for fourth graders which introduces them to the pipe organ. This program was begun in 1995 and is currently supported by funding from the Anne Heyboer Vander Heide Fund of the Grand Rapids Foundation. The program is presented in cooperation with Central Reformed Church which has graciously offered its facilities for this important event.

The Grand Rapids Chapter of AGO met on Monday, November 19, 2012, at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids for their monthly gathering, which included the 75th Anniversary Celebration of the chapter!  Following appetizers and a delicious catered dinner, the newly appointed GRAGO Archivist, Howard Slenk, gave an engaging presentation highlighting the history of the chapter.  He also had many historical documents (such as letters, articles, and chapter rosters) dating back to the initial formation of the group, on display for the members to peruse. Following the 75th Anniversary presentation, members were invited into the sanctuary where duet organ artists, Dana Robinson and Paul Tegels, addressed the group about literature available for organ duets and performed several of their favorite arrangements. Having played organ duets for thirty years, their insight and information provided the members with a better understanding of what music works well for "two players and four hands" on one bench!

Howard Slenk presenting GRAGO history

November Newsletter

Dana Robinson and Paul Tegels

No December Meeting

Merry Christmas

Wanamaker Organ

On Sunday, January 20th, at 3:00 p.m. our members presented a recital for the public at The Cathedral of St. Andrew in Grand Rapids. The program may be listened to here by clicking on the title:

1 Rejoice - Noel Goemanne;   Jonathan Tuuk, Mayflower Congregational Church

2 Toccata Prima - Georg Muffat; Gregory Crowell, St. Mark's Episcopal Church; GVSU

3 Chorale in A Minor - Cesar Franck; Christopher Dekker, Trinity United Methodist Church

4 At Christmas-Tide - Charles Villiers Stanford; Kit-Ying Law, Organ Scholar, Trinity United Methodist Church

5 Toccata in D Minor - J.S. Bach; Mikaela Bradley, student of Elizabeth Claar

6 Now Thank We All Our God - Sigfrid Karg-Elert; Rebecca Hoeksema, student of Norma deWaal Malefyt

7 Suite Gothique: 1, 2 -Leon Boellmann; Jonathan Tuuk and Larry Biser, Aquinas College

8 Fanfare - Jaak-Nicolaas Lemmens; Michael B. Adams, student of Larry Biser

9 Carillon de Westminster - Louis Vierne; Nicholas Palmer, Cathedral of St. Andrew

The Cathedral of St. Andrew

Back row:  Gregory Crowell, Jonathan Tuuk, Mike Adams;
Middle row:  Christopher Dekker, Rebecca Hoeksema, Kit-Ying Law, Nicholas Palmer; 
Front Row:  Larry Biser, Mikaela Bradley

On Sunday, February 10, the Grand Rapids’ Chapter presented Dr. Andrew Kotylo in recital at the Basilica Church of St. Adalbert. The Basilica boasts acoustics of lengthy proportions and Dr. Kotylo chose a program to take advantage of both the acoustics and the 72 rank Wicks organ designed by our own Jonathan Tuuk. The 1980 instrument has recently been brilliantly revoiced by Lauck Organs under Mr. Tuuk’s guidance. The program included many pieces not in the normal concert repertory including little heard works of Jongen, Wright, Parry, Hakim, Boëllmann, and Reger. He also included five of the Elf Choralvorspielen of Brahms. A large audience enjoyed the excellent recital and in addition to Dr. Kotylo’s stunning technique, comments were often heard about the artistic registrations, making impressive use of solo voices as well as combined voices. At times the audience was bathed in dulcet tones and at others lifted to the heights by the power and authority of the instrument. The concert was a welcome breath of warmth following a severe snow storm. Andrew Kotylo should be more widely heard.

February Newsletter

Peter Kurdziel, Andrew Kotylo, Larry Biser

On Monday, March 18, 2013, the Grand Rapids Chapter of the AGO sponsored an AGO/Quimby Regional Young Organists’ Competition at Calvin Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids.  Five talented organists played for an audience of over 75 people!  The First Place winner was Morgan Ingleright of Lake City, Michigan.  Morgan is a college freshman, currently studying with Jack Mitchener at Mercer University, Macon, Georgia.  She will compete in the Region V Competition in Kalamazoo on June 29^th.  The Second Place winner was Davids Heinze of Kentwood, Michigan.  Davids is a high school senior,  studying with Thomas Bara at Interlochen Arts Academy.  Honorable Mention was awarded to Colin Knapp of Battle Creek, Michigan.  Colin is a junior at the University of Michigan and studies organ with James Kibbie. The first place prize of $1000 and the second place prize of $500 were made possible by a generous grant from the Anne Vander Heide Fund of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation.  Adjudicators for the competition were Helen Hawley, Jonathan Tuuk, and Larry Visser.  Bruce Klanderman was the chair of the competition. Pictured are back row. Helen Hawley, Jonathan Tuuk, Larry Visser. Front row: Bruce Klanderman, Lucky Middaugh, Morgan Ingleright, Davids Heinze, Colin Knapp, Joshua Boyd.

March Newsletter

On Sunday, April 14, the Grand Rapids Chapter of the AGO presented seven student organists in recital at Central Reformed Church in Grand Rapids.  The performers included a high school senior, several undergraduate students from Hope College, Aquinas College and Western Michigan University, and a graduate student, also from Western Michigan University.  Their fine playing of a wide variety of repertoire, including a piano/organ duet, the "Grave" from Organ Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Opus 177 by Joseph Rheinberger, helped dispel the myth that no young organists exist!  What an enjoyable afternoon!

You may listen to the performers here:

Festive Trumpet Tune                                                        David German (b. 1962)
Allegretto from Six Short Preludes and Postludes, Opus 101         Charles V. Stanford (1852-1924)
                                               John Deppe, organ

Prelude and Fugue in A Minor (i), BWV 543   Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
                                              Michael Adams, organ 

Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565                                                        J.S. Bach                                              Lucky Middaugh, organ

Organ Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Opus 177              Joseph Rheinberger (1839-1901)
                                               I. Grave
                             Emily Solomon, organ, with Karl Schrock, piano 

Prelude and Fugue in F Minor, BWV 534                                                       J.S. Bach Stephanie Pestana, organ

Deux Danses á Agni Yavishta                                            Jehan Alain (1911-1940)
Kristin Baron, organ 

Fanfare                                                                    Jacques Lemmens (1823-1881)
Aaron Goodyke, organ 

PDF of Young Organists Concert Program

April Newsletter

l-r: Emily Solomon, Lucky Middaugh. John Deppe, Aaron Goodyke, Kristin Baron, Stephanie Pestana, Michael Adams

Our final meeting of the year will be a Choral Workshop led by noted conductor Anton Armstrong. Anton Armstrong, Tosdal Professor of Music at St. Olaf College, became the fourth conductor of the St. Olaf Choir in 1990 after ten years in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he had served on the faculty of Calvin College and led the Calvin College Alumni Choir, the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus and the St. Cecilia Youth Chorale. We will meet at Trinity United Methodist Church at 1100 Lake Drive S.E.

Anton Armstrong