July 2019

Update Sep 25: We are sad to announce that Raul Prieto Ramirez has had to cancel his scheduled performance this Friday. Treatment for a severe flare-up of tendonitis, which I am certain many of you have suffered, is forcing rest. Our reception is also canceled, of course. We will keep you updated with information about future events.

The recital and reception will be held Friday, September 27, 2019 @ 7:30 PM in the Tabernacle on Temple Square.

The SLCAGO kicks off the 2019-20 season by joining Temple Square Performances to bring you this recital by Raul Prieto Ramirez. The recital will be followed with a private reception for AGO members and donors.

CANCELED – Season Kickoff: Temple Square Performances: Raul Prieto Ramirez Recital and Reception

Ramirez is a Spanish-born organist recently appointed as San Diego California Civic Organist at Spreckels Organ in Balboa Park. You can read more about him here: https://www.raulpr.com/prueba-home-2.

AGO Members and Donors are invited to join us for a private reception with the artist following the concert. This is the perfect place to meet up with fellow chapter members to start off the season. This replaces our traditional potluck kickoff event.

We think you will really enjoy this concert and we look forward to seeing you at the reception!

Polish organist Agnieszka Rybak-Piotrowska will be giving a solo organ recital in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square on Tuesday, August 13 at 7:30 p.m.  Her program is titled, “A God of Miracles: The Miracle on the Vistula,” and will tie in to the Polish national holiday of August 15, during which the Polish people celebrate their country’s 1920 victory over Soviet-Russia during the Polish-Soviet War. 

Recital: Agnieszka Rybak-Piotrowska on Temple Square

When we release our 2019-20 program details, you’ll some increased focus in AGO Certification this year. We are very excited about certification and the benefits it can bring all organists, whether professional, volunteer, or hobbyist.

This month’s TAO (The American Organist, July 2019), includes a few certification testimonials in an article entitled, “AGO Professional Certification” that goes right along with our chapter focus. (Read TAO online at agohq.org.)

My favorite is this one:

The AGO examinations, which test many areas of skill, promote a complete musicianship that has always been an organist’s hallmark. For me, the study and practice leading up to each exam were as fulfilling as the sense of achievement when I passed.

—David Enlow, FAGO, ARCCO

So, I’m going to throw out the challenge now. I am going to go for my Service Playing certification this season! I am not trained. I am a volunteer organist. I play Sundays in my LDS congregation and I really have very little aspiration for organ repertoire. However, I have great aspiration for what David wrote above: “a complete musicianship that has always been an organist’s hallmark.”

Every organist, whatever one’s role, needs that next-step musicianship. I know already from experience that each step up in my skills increases my enjoyment of the organ. Now, certification is my next step. July 2019 TAO also documents the 2020 AGO Professional Certification Requirements. You can also find them on agohq.org.

So, will you join me?

Enjoy daily organ recitals on Temple Square!

• Monday-Friday, noon: Tabernacle
• Monday-Friday, 2p: Conference Center
• Sundays, 2p: Tabernacle

Locations may change depending on the season. You may see schedule details here: https://www.thetabernaclechoir.org/events/organ-recitals.html

Enjoy a brief organ recital every Wednesday at 12 noon!

First United Methodist Church (FUMC) invites you to bring a brown bag lunch and enjoy a 20-minute recital every Wednesday at noon.

First United Methodist Church – 203 S 200 E, SLC, UT.