Gerre Hancock, 1934-2012

February 18, 2012

Presented by the Twin Cities Chapter of the American Guild of Organists

Information

Registration

TCAGO competition will be held on April 21 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church.  Click here for more information

The February 25 event will be held at Woodlake Lutheran Church, 75th and Oliver (one block east of Penn, directly north of the Best Buy headquarters building) from 9:00-12:30. Sessions include:

• Organ repertoire for the smaller instrument (Robert Vickery)

• Improvisation for those who don't (Tom Ferry)

• Developing practice skills -- learning your music faster (Jim Callahan)

• Basics of hymn playing (Steve Gentile)

• So you want to compose? (Leonard Danek)

• Taxes/pay information for the part-time organist (Martin Stachnik)

• Clergy-musician relations (Paul Westermeyer & Maria Bucka)

• Goodies/social time/used music sale

Woodlake Lutheran has two pipe organs:

• 1977 Holtkamp, 23 stops

• 1992 Geoff Hunt, rebuilt and enlarged in 2011 by David Engen, 7 stops, in the chapel

Host musician is Zachary Busch.

Paige Reiners, 13 year old pianist from Stillwater, has won the Fall Pipedreams Scholarship. 

Next scholarship audition dates:

• April 28, 2012 (application deadline April 23)

• October 6, 2012 (application deadline October 1)

The Twin Cities (Minnesota) chapter of the American Guild of Organists announces a competition for an unpublished, newly-composed anthem/service music in which the pipe organ plays a prominent role. A single prize of $1000 USD will be awarded to any composer of any age residing or studying in the United States, for a work utilizing any combination of voices setting a text of the composer’s choosing. Existing texts under copyright must have documented permission to use, and should be clearly submitted.  The name of the composer must not appear on the score, but a cover letter is to be sent identifying the composer and the title of the composition. The submission may have been previously performed, but must be unpublished and cannot have won a prize in any other composition. No member of the TCAGO Board or its officers may submit an entry. If, in the opinion of the judges, no entry is worthy of the prize, it will not be awarded. The Official Registration Form  must be submitted with composition. Deadline for submission is 1 April, 2012. Winner will be announced 1 May, 2012. Submit to: AGO Composition Contest 239 Selby Av. St. Paul, MN  55102

Photo gallery of opening event

Pictures from closing concert

Oral History Project

We now have close to 700 organs listed in the new TCAGO Organ List webpage. To look through the list, just go to the TCAGO homepage and click on "Organs".

In November, December and January I moved the information we had on the old database and created a new webpage to be attached to the TCAGO webpage. It gives you easier access to information and gave me more space for pictures, histories, and stories. Take a look at the organs you know.  Is there anything you know or have that isn't there? Send it to me!

I'm taking a more historical approach to the listings. Plymouth Congregational in Minneapolis has six listings. One for each organ they built since the Civil War. Each one a "state-of-the-art" instrument for that era. It's really interesting reading the specs. Several churches have multiple listings. If you have information on previous instruments for any of the listings, let me know.
I've tried to keep rebuilds to a single page so I could put the new and old specifications side-by-side making comparison easier.

I now have space for things like letters between organists. Check the listings for St Clement's Episcopal in St Paul. Organist Jack Fischer and his thoughts on physically moving 16' Diapasons.

I need help. I need the help of every individual who is a member of TCAGO. I encourage friends of the organ to chip in. In this digital age there is no excuse for there not being a picture of an existing organ.

I need volunteers to take on a segment of the organs to do research. If someone would take, for instance, all the Methodist churches in Minneapolis. Check their listing for completeness and accuracy. I have so many listings without pictures or specifications. I have so many listings that were current in 1950. How many church organs do you know that haven't been changed since 1950? I need volunteers to research these organs.

I'm having fun with this project. Come on along!

Richard C Greene
739 Como Ave
Saint Paul, MN 55103
rgreene@me.com

Organs of Interest in the Upper Midwest

The Archive page now lists indexes for a number of historic collections stored at Westminster Presbyterian Church as well as images of documents from our founding and two anniversaries.  Back issues of Pipenotes are also available.

Visit the websites of our sister chapters in this region:
Sioux Trails Chapter
Southeast Minnesota Chapter
Red River Valley
South Dakota Chapter