Author name: Salt Lake City AGO Chapter

The Salt Lake Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (SLCAGO) aims to engage, support, and uplift every organist, whether hobbyist, volunteer church organist, degree-seeking organ student, AGO certification candidate, or working professional.

Come to the Showcase!

I got a few questions today in email from an organist who is considering attending the Certification Showcase this Saturday and wanted to understand more about what was going to happen. So let me share with you the answers I sent back — in hopes that YOU will also come this Saturday!

There will be handouts about the requirements. You’ll leave with everything you need to know to go choose your pieces and prepare the exam. (Well, we won’t give you all the music; that would be illegal. But you’ll know what to go buy.)

This will be one single demo session at the organ, or in the room with the organ. There won’t be breakout sessions. But there will be a reception afterwards where you can ask the questions that your forgot to ask, or were too nervous to ask. 🙂 There will also be some more exam-related materials for you to peruse then.

While my initial vision for the event was to do a mock exam. There would be a mock candidate who would play through the exam, in order, with a mock proctor, etc. But after some discussion, we decided that a thorough demonstration of all the exam skills would be more beneficial. 

So, Ryan North, who proctors all of our chapter exams, will do that demonstration. He is very dynamic and explains things very clearly. Questions will be most welcome, too.

For example, the exam has one play a repertoire piece from each of three groups of repertoire. Instead of just playing one from each, Ryan will play parts from many of those pieces, giving you a good feel for them and helping you identify ones that may be best suited for you. 

Another section is transposition (prepared, not sight-read), and Ryan will discuss various ways that students tend to approach learning transposition. 
I expect only a moderate turnout, so it should be very easy to see, hear, ask questions, and really get a vision of how you may approach your own exam. 

Oh, and we consciously chose to do this on a digital church organ instead of a grand pipe organ. Most organists play organs like these every Sunday, and I want to help volunteer organists to see that these skills are just as relevant — and just as effective for uplifting their congregations and encouraging singing — on their own instruments as they are on the grand instruments. 

Alas, I will not be in attendance. I am out of state handling a family emergency. I am so tempted to change flights to get there in time. My sister is trying to talk me in to doing that. I am really excited about this event!

And as a final aside, I am one of these volunteer organists. I started playing the organ 7 years ago. I am not certified and am technically not really trained, apart from two years attending BYU’s organ workshop. I have set a goal to certify SPC in 2020. With that in mind, I thought an event like this may be beneficial to all volunteer organists.

Even if you do not intend to certify (yet!), this event will demonstrate all the organ skills that make you an effective organist in any service, whether LDS, Catholic, or Protestant. You need to play hymns well. You need to play for choirs. You need to play for large conferences. You need to play for funerals. And by studying and preparing for the Service Playing Certificate, you can be prepared for all of these services.

Don’t just be an “organist.” Be an “ORGANIST!”

I hope that you will attend … and drag along with you 2-3 more volunteer organists! 

Recital – Sebastian Greim at St. Ambrose Catholic Church

Young German organist Sebastian Greim will give a recital at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Salt Lake City on Tuesday evening, September 3rd at 7:00 p.m.  Admission is free.  The church is located at 1975 South 2300 East.

Sebastian Greim was born in 2000 in the vicinity of the Fichtel Mountains in Bavaria, Germany.  At a young age he began playing the accordion and later branched out to the organ and piano. He currently studies the organ under Reinhold Schelter in Wunsiedel, Bavaria.  In 2018, he won first prize in the German “Jugend Musiziert” (“Young Musicians”) competition.  Since that time, he has given numerous organ recitals and performances with soloists, including mezzo-soprano Anna-Katharina Hilpert. Having successfully passed his A-level examinations in 2019, Sebastian will begin his university studies in church music in 2020.  During his spare time, he volunteers as a paramedic for the German Red Cross.

SLCAGO Sponsors Eccles Organ Festival

This year (2019), the SLCAGO is formalized and increased its sponsorship of and partnership with the famous Eccles Organ Festival. The Eccles Organ Festival is an internationally recognized organ recital series, which seeks to provide the highest quality and most engaging organ performances free of charge to Salt Lake audiences, as well as masterclasses and public lectures.

An important part of the AGO’s mission is to provide opportunities for organists to hear great organ music. Recitals and concerts are important both for enriching the community’s arts programs and for inspiring organ students’ vision of what is possible on their chosen instrument.

The SLCAGO fulfills this part of its mission—recitals and concerts—primarily through its partnership with the Eccles Organ Festival. Please visit https://ecclesorganfestival.weebly.com/ to see what the 2019 season has in store! All of the Festival’s event are also included in our Events Calendar.

Pedals, Pipes, & Pizza 2019 — Early Notice

Update 2019.08.17: PPP will now be in early November. Keep checking back for details!

It’s mid-August now, and we’re already getting inquiries about this year’s Pedals, Pipes, and Pizza (PPP) event! We are so glad that you enjoy this event so much!

We are still working out details. We can tell you this much now:

  • PPP 2019 will be held during October November
  • PPP 2019 will be held on Temple Square

We are still working to lock down the date and time, and which organs we will be able to play.

So, get ready! Start looking at which organ piece you would like to play on these famous organs. Pick something that you’re comfortable with so that you can spend your energy just enjoying these organs and not distressing about your playing. Besides, no one is going to worry about what you’re playing. We grown folks just thoroughly watching you students being brave enough just to play. Don’t you worry about a thing. You just come enjoy these organs!

Subscribe to our newsletter! Teachers and students alike, please subscribe to the newsletter using the form at the bottom of this page to be sure you get notified of all our events!

Get ready for the 2019-20 season!

This year, it’s all about growing as an organist. What are you going to do this season to be sure that you will be a better organist in May than you are now in August? Check out our planned concerts, recitals, volunteer organist training, certification, and open console events!

Northern Utah Events

We are making good on our threats to support better our organists in northern Utah. This season, we have two significant events planned in Ogden and Logan, respectively. These include an open console event, guest artists, and maybe even a theatre organ demo, complete with a short silent movie!

Subscribe to the newsletter using the form at the bottom of this page to make sure you get notified as details are solidified.

Certification Showcase and Volunteer Organist Events

Utah enjoys one of the largest populations of volunteer organists anywhere in the country. The SLCAGO is working to support these organists. This year, we wil spotlight AGO Certification as a primary benefit for volunteer organists.

Certification Showcase: Take the mystery out of AGO certification! This season, we’ll do a mock exam for the Service Playing Certificate. Come see what an exam is really like, and what level of skill you’ll need to attain a Service Playing Certificate. You may be more prepared than you think!

More Volunteer Organist Training: Playing on the past successes of Super Saturday training events, this year, we will try a smaller format that may be more accessible for more organists. If this is successful, we hope to offer more frequent training events like these. Check the newsletter for details as they emerge.

Certification Recital: We plan to wrap up the season with a member recital and reception that highlights new certificants.

This year, it’s all about growing as an organist. What are you going to do this season to be sure that you will be a better organist in May than you are now in August?

Concerts & Recitals

We are partnering with the Eccles Organ Festival and with Temple Square Performances to bring you a full season of exciting organ concerts and recitals. You can find all these events on our Events Calendar.

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AGO Certification Showcase Event!

A showcase of proficient organ skills that every organist should possess to play effectively for worship services for many churches—including ​LDS Sacrament Meetings and Stake Conferences, funerals, weddings, ​and even for accompanying choirs​—and a certification program to help you develop those skills!

Each year, many AGO members receive certification of their service playing skills with the Service Playing Test. The Service Playing Certificate is recognized by many churches and employers as a demonstration of proficiency at the organ and brings organists many professional benefits.

Achieving certification also provides two important benefits for volunteer organists. First, the certification sets a plan that an organist can work on to become a well-rounded musician. Second, many organists find not only that the expanded skills give them more confidence, but also that the certification itself gives them a sense of accomplishment and legitimacy, which also lead to greater confidence when playing in new situations.

The test itself is entirely practical (no music theory tests), and the required skills come into play at the worship service(s) that most organists play each week. This includes practical skills that every organist should possess to play effectively for worship services for many churches—including LDS Sacrament Meetings and Stake Conferences, funerals, weddings, and even for accompanying choirs. The Service Playing Certificate sets out a path for you to develop all of those skills!

Click below to view the Event page and download a flyer to share with your students, your church organists, and your church’s music leadership. All organists are welcome, especially volunteer organists!

CANCELED: SLCAGO Fall Kickoff: Temple Square Performances: Raul Prieto Ramirez Recital

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.

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!

Recital: Agnieszka Rybak-Piotrowska on Temple Square

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. 

Teachers and Subs Lists Updated

The SLCAGO Organ Teachers List and SLCAGO Substitute Organist Lists have been updated (July 2019). Four new substitutes and five new teachers are now included!

Chapter members are eligible to be included on our lists. We maintain these lists in hopes of helping chapter members in their professions, and to help students and others who need to find qualified teachers or substitutes.

So go find your new organ teacher today!

AGO Certification — Will You Join Me?

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?