Monday - Our opening program was a Guild Service with the Holland, Kalamazoo, Muskegon and Grand Rapids chapters of the AGO. Dimnent Chapel at Hope College in Holland was nearly filled with AGO members and guests for this service. Hope College organist, Huw Lewis was the organist for the occassion at the recently restored 1928 E.M. Skinner organ. A thirty voice choir, conducted by Karl Schrock, was assembled to sing anthems by Roy Hopp, Alexander Gretchaninof, Samuel S. Wesley and Rene Clausen. The complete program is available here.

September Newsletter

Monday - Dame Gillian Weir was our guest for a Masterclass at Mayflower Congregational Church. Paul Flyger, a student of Karl Schrock, played the Bach Prelude and Fugue in a minor, BWV 543, and Tim Jansen, organist and Director of Music at the Basilica of St. Adalbert in Grand Rapids, played the first movement of Symphony VI by Charles-Marie Widor.

October Newsletter

There was a large enthusiastic audience of nearly 600 people for this Organ Spectacular Concert.

PROGRAM

Prelude and Fugue in A minor  BWV  543  -  J. S. Bach
Christopher Dekker

Blithely Breezing Along from Baronian Suite  -  Stephen Paulus
Larry Visser

A nearly full house at Park Congregational Church

Performers from left: Timothy Jansen, Bryan Westra, Hannah Westra, Christopher Dekker, Helen Hofmeister Hawley, Larry Visser, Jonathan Tuuk, Irene Beethe, Michael Bennett

Wednesday - Pipelines, our program for fourth grade students was presented at Central Reformed Church by Grand Rapids AGO chapter members,Christopher Dekker, Helen Hawley, Timothy Quist, Joel Gary, James Lauck, Jonathan Tuuk and Larry Biser.

Joel Gary accompanies Laurel and Hardy silent movie, Big Business

Monday - Grand Rapids composer Richard Stewart was honored as our Composer of the Year at Trinity Lutheran Church.  The following of his  compositions were presented:

Two Anthems:
Glorious the Sun in Mid-Career   (text by Christopher Smart)
Just As I Am (text by William B. Bradbury)
  IYO Choir; Elizabeth Claar, Organ; Howard Slenk, conductor

Two Solo Songs:
I Lift My Eyes  (text by Margaret Gage)
  Kristen Burghardt, soprano; Richard Britsch, horn; Cynthia Haas, piano
Saved By Grace (text by Fanny Crosby)
  Kristen Burghardt, soprano; Joan Van Dessel, clarinet; Cynthia Haas, piano

Recorded excerpts of Te Deum from a perfomance in 1999 by the Evangelical Choral Society, members of the Grand Rapids Symphony with Marilyn Keizer, organ and Richard Stewart, conductor.

Lux Beata
  Steven Brook, violin; Joseph Galema, organ

You may listen to some of the performances of this evening by clicking on the underlined titles.

November Newsletter

December Newsletter

Monday - The AGO/Quimby Regional Young Organists Competition was held at Immanuel Lutheran Church.  The First Place winner was John Woolsey of Homewood, IL. He is a student of James Kibbie at the University of Michigan. Second place was Justin Miller of Spring Lake, MI. Justin is a student of Ken Cowen at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. Competition judges were David Schrader, Jeremy Tarrant and Jonathan Tuuk. Irene Beethe was the chair of the competition.

February Newsletter

Monday - Organist Stephen Lange presented a magnificent performance of  Marcel Dupré's Le Chemin de la Croix at the Basilica of St. Adalbert. The translated poems of Paul Claudel on which this work is based were read by Nancy Lange along with projected images representing the Passion and the Stations of the Cross.

Listen to 3rd Movement: Jesus Falls the First Time

March Newsletter

Monday - Organ recital by noted Bach interpreter, Masaaki Suzuki at the Calvin College Chapel. Masaaki Suzuki has acquired an outstanding reputation not only as an organ and harpsichord soloist, but also as a conductor. Since 1990 Suzuki has been the musical director of BACH COLLEGIUM JAPAN, a baroque orchestra with period instruments and choir, which specializes in regular performances of Bach’s "Cantata Series" as well as other sacred works. As the director of BACH COLLEGIUM JAPAN, Suzuki works together regularly with renowned European soloists and ensembles.This concert is in conjunction with the Grand Rapids Bach Festival.

You may listen to Masaaki Suzuki play the J.S. Bach  Prelude and Fugue in e minor (Wedge) BWV 548 here.

April Newsletter

Monday - Organist Martin Neary organ recital at Park Congregational Church. Mr Neary conducted a choral concert at Park Church on the preceding Sunday with the choirs of Park Church, Westminster Presbyterian and First United Methodist.

Organist and Master of the Choristers at Winchester Cathedral (1972–87) and Westminster Abbey (1988–98), Martin Neary is especially noted for championing contemporary church music, and for his groundbreaking performances of music by Bach and Purcell.  Since leaving Westminster Abbey in 1998, Neary has continued his career as organist, guest conductor, occasional composer, and writer.

May Newsletter