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Home > Our Chapter > Monthly Chapter Programs
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| September 18, 2006 Our new season began with a Progressive Dinner and mini-recitals at three churches in the downtown area. Following punch and appetizers, host organist, Bernard Moore, Director of Music at Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church, demonstrated the beautifully well preserved 1894 Johnson & Sons 17-rank tracker organ. We then moved across a patio to neighboring La Grave Avenue Christian Reformed Church for dinner, and after the meal, Director of Music and host Larry Visser demonstrated the large five-manual, 108 (70 pipe/32 digital) rank, Allen-Austin organ in the sanctuary. A short walk of one city block took us to Westminster Presbyterian Church where our chaplain, the Reverend William De Vries, led us in A Service of Compline to close the evening. Our host, Helen Hawley, Director of Music at Westminster Church, provided the organ music and the service music was sung by The Choral Scholars, a recently formed professional ensemble. Coffee and light dessert completed the evening.
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 Bernard Moore at Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church |
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| October 16, 2006 Our October meeting was a members recital in the Cook-DeWitt Center at Grand Valley State University in celebration of the Mozart Anniversary Year. Greg Crowell, University Organist, was our host and gave us very interesting background on the pieces played in tonight's program. The program was as follows:
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| November 20, 2006 Our November meeting was the date of a gala celebration in honor of our fellow colleague and chapter member, Raymond H. Haan, Michigan Composer of the Year. The evening's festivities were held at Cutlerville East Christian Reformed Church, where Ray has served as organist and choir director for the past 46 years. Following dinner, the guests were invited to a concert featuring his music. All the music on the program for the evening was composed by Haan and included works for choir, handbells, organ, flute, violin, cello and trumpets. Performers included the Calvin College Handbell Choir, directed by Stephanie Wiltse, several instrumentalists, as well as a mixed voice choir comprised of area musicians led by chapter dean Howard Slenk. Organists Kathleen Herrema, Larry Visser, Jill Betten and Norma de Waal Malefyt performed several of Haan's organ compositions. The evening concluded with Ray playing one of his own organ pieces followed by a jubilant setting of "Praise, O Praise Our God and King", an anthem for congregation, choir, trumpets, handbells and organ.
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 Composer Raymond H. Haan speaks to the assembled guests |
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| No December Meeting |  |
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| January 15, 2007 Our guest was Janette Fishell, who had played a recital the previous evening at St. Mark's Episcopal Church. She presented a workshop to more than sixty people seated around the organ console in the chancel of the First United Methodist Church. Her topic was "Making the Link between Physical and Musical Gestures," the final chapter of her master class "Finding Your Freedom," which she has delivered frequently in the United States and abroad. Christopher Dekker, an organ major at Hope College and a student of Huw Lewis, performed sections of the Chorale in a minor of Cesar Franck for Dr. Fishell's critique, which she used as a basis for suggestions to the members on improving and altering organ touch |
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| February 19, 2007 Members met at LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church for dinner and a lecture/demonstration by composer and clinician David Cherwien. In his presentation entitled "Creative Tips for Helping Congregations Sing," Mr. Cherwien emphasized the basics of good hymn playing; clarity of tempo and articulation, variety of registration and style, as well as consideration of the acoustics of the space. He also advocated consideration of the congregation's preference in hymn selection, adding that hymns well sung are usually those favored by the congregation. Coordinators for the event were Cynthia Bristol, Council Member, and Larry Visser, Minister of Music at the host church. |
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| March 19, 2007 2007 AGO/Quimby Regional Competition for Young Organists Park Congregational Church. Jim Metzler, Chairman. 1st
Prize: Benton James Blasingame (Cash prize $500) Ben Blasingame is an organ student of Thomas Bara at Interlochen Arts Academy and was the first performer in the competition. He will represent the Grand Rapids Chapter at the AGO Regional Convention Organ Playing Competition this summer in Columbus Ohio. Drew Hawkins is an organ student of Mark Loring in Grand Rapids and performed second in the competition. Our judges were Steven Egler of Central Michigan University, Michele Johns of the University of Michigan and Marcia Van Oyen of First United Methodist Church of Plymouth, Michigan. |
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| April 16, 2007 Paul Jacobs at Trinity Lutheran Church in a joint concert with the St. Cecilia Bach Chorale. (Co-sponsored with the Grand Rapids Bach Festival)
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| May 21, 2007 Our final meeting of the season was an organ/choir crawl to the Basilica of St. Adalbert and St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church. At St. Adalbert's, a choir composed of the members of the chapter sang Locus Iste by Anton Bruckner and Dear Lord and Father of Mankind by C.H.H. Parry under the direction of Larry Biser. Jonathan Tuuk demonstrated the organ with an improvisation. At St. Mary's Church, Larry Barton, the Director of Music led the group in singing Christus Paradox by Alfred Fedak. Irene Beethe played a setting of The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, is Ended by Jeffrey Blersch, Paul Manz's piece, Reprise, which incorporates his own E'en So, O Lord, Quickly Come, and a rousing setting of What A Friend We Have in Jesus by Charles W. Ore. From there we went and enjoyed a twilight carillon recital by Helen Hawley on the Beckering Family Carillon at the downtown Grand Valley State University Campus. It was a beautiful evening and a lovely end to a great year of stimulating programs.
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