Chapter News
As an update to our RCYO/Quimby Competition 2019 Report, we are pleased to announce that our own Amber Dahlberg was awarded first place in the the West Region competition!
The formal announcement of the regional winners appears in The American Organist (TAO), October 2019 issue, pages 22-26. AGO members can view TAO issues online at agohq.org.
Welcome to the beginning of a new year of programs, activities and events of the Salt Lake Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. I invite you at the beginning of this program year to become acquainted with our Chapter website. There you will find the Chapter’s calendar of events and other resources and information aimed at assisting you in your work and love of the organ. Our Webmasters, Max Walker and Chad Staten have done a wonderful job with the website. They wait upon your further advice and input as to what would you would like to see as far as information or other resources as we continue in the effort to give you the best resources available via the website.
During this coming program year you can expect to see some organizational changes designed to promote the efficient operation of the Chapter and also designed to expand the breadth and quality of events for both professional and amateur organists. It is our aim in so doing to expand the positions and assignments for Chapter programs and events so that as many of our Chapter members who would like to participate will have the opportunity to do so, without the fear or anxiety of having to make a large commitment of time. We believe our upcoming organization changes will enhance the quality of being a member of this Salt Lake Chapter – the Best Chapter of the West.
The mission of the Salt Lake Chapter of the American Guild of Organists is to foster a thriving community of musicians who share their knowledge and inspire passion for the organ. We have a thriving community of musicians. I have visited and experienced the services of the Catholics, Episcopalians, Methodists, Protestants, Baptists and other denominations in our community, not to mention the Mormon services, (whoops – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ services – one can hardly say all of that in one breath). I enjoy and I am enthused about the professionalism of our organists and the choirs and choral groups in all the denominations in our community. I invite our members to do as I have done and visit and become acquainted with the amazing organists and choral groups of other services. Listen, learn and appreciate as they play for their services. They really are amazing. In fact, if you choose to visit a service of any denomination, invite me along, because I want to visit new services and venues and promote the sharing of our excellent musicians’ knowledge of the organ and music.
We hope to schedule events in this calendar year where you will accomplish exactly what our mission calls for – sharing knowledge and inspiring passion for the organ.
So here is to a great year coming up. In closing, I ask you this question. What is the definition of an optimist?
Dean: John K. Rice
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.
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!
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.
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?
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.
Subscribe to o ur newsletter below to get all the news when we release our events calendar for 2019-20!
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!
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!
Your AGO membership just became more valuable!
Effective 11/June 2019, the AGO entered into a partnership with the Church Music Institute to provide discounted membership rates for AGO members. You get all the benefits of CMI membership, including access to its online Sacred Music Library with over 18,000 choral selections and over 13,000 organ compositions.
Check out the details here an “upgrade” your membership!
The AGO (national) needs your input. Take the AGO Strategic Planning Survey here!
The survey is being distributed to all Guild members following each regional convention. You may already have gotten an email from the AGO about the survey.
John Rice and I attended an AGO Leadership Conference a few months ago. There is great energy and investment around this strategic effort. It is a multi-year effort.
May of the national concerns mirror our own local concerns: engaging both professional organists and volunteer organists, expanding educational offerings, and attracting new members and continuing to renew members.
Your input on the survey will be most helpful. Please take a moment to respond.
The Utah Valley chapter of the American Guild of Organists (UVAGO), jointly with the Salt Lake chapter, hosted a chapter-level competition in the Quimby Regional Competition for Young Organists (RCYO) on February 26, 2019. Amber Dahlberg was awarded first place, and Riley Palmer received second place. Amber will compete as a chapter winner at the 2019 West Region AGO Convention in Orange County, CA this summer.
Held at The Cathedral Church of St. Mark in Salt Lake City on the Bigelow Opus 35, a 3- manual, 33-voice, 40-rank organ, judges for the competition were Dr. Clay Christiansen, Dr. Gabriele Terrone, and Dr. Kenneth Udy. Jennifer Morgan of the Utah Valley chapter and Heidi Alley of the Salt Lake chapter served as competition coordinators.
Amber Dahlberg performed “CORONATION” as a hymn accompaniment, “Trio Sonata No. 2 in C Minor; Largo and Allegro” by J. S. Bach (BWV 526), “King David’s Dance” by Stephen Paulus, and “Variations de Concert” by Joseph Bonnet. Amber is a junior at Brigham Young University where she is studying organ performance with Dr. Don Cook. This past Spring she attended an organ study abroad in France where she had the opportunity to play thirteen of the notable organs. She is a carillonneur for BYU’s Centennial Carillon Tower and plays weekly recitals and for graduations. With her love of music, Amber is looking forward to continuing her performing, teaching organ and piano, and having a studio of her own in the future. She also enjoys show jumping horses and spending time outdoors with her family.
Riley Palmer performed “CORONATION” as a hymn accompaniment, “Suite Gothique, Opus 25, Movement II” by Léon Boëllmann, “Three Pieces for Organ, Movement II” by Calvin Hampton, and “Prelude and Fugue in D Major” by J. S. Bach (BWV 532). Born in 1998, Riley Palmer is currently an organ student of Dr. Daniel Kerr at BYU Idaho. He has studied in the past with Julie Eberhard and Dr. Linda S. Margetts, and has been a student of music for years. He has performed many personal recitals, accompanied and sung in a number of choirs, and has also played with the YACP Orchestra. Currently on an off semester, he is teaching beginning organ lessons in his hometown of Farmington, Utah.
A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!
Over the Christmas Holidays I was the recipient of many great Christmas presents and blessings. One was the opportunity to worship in St. James Episcopal Church and enjoy the superb service playing and music direction of Tyler Ballou. Tyler is a joy to watch. St. James Episcopal in Midvale is blessed with a pipe organ rebuilt and updated by David Chamberlain and the Bigelow Organ Company. Tyler is very proficient at registering and playing in a manner that brings out the most from this instrument. He is talented. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend this service simply to enjoy Tyler’s talents.
Another was the opportunity to worship in the service at Cottonwood Presbyterian Church. To my surprise, the organist was our own Cool Canadian – Kathy Fisher! I understand she is now the resident organist at Cottonwood Presbyterian Church. I thoroughly enjoyed listening and singing to her playing during the service. The Cottonwood Presbyterian Church is blessed with a host of talented musicians including a superb choir. I highly recommend this service, just to here Kathy play and to hear the choir.
Yet another was the advent or our new SLCAGO Website! Thank you Max Walker, Sean MacFarland and all the others who have put so much effort to finally get this blessing launched! I thank them, especially Max, for all the effort and sacrifice to get this site up and running. SLCAGO.org will be of great service for all or our members. Please extend your thanks to them.
With the advent of this new year, our Chapter is moving forward many quality programs, events and projects for the benefit of our members. Our current executive committee members and volunteers are putting in a ton of time and sacrifice to provide the best programs, events and projects for our members. I thank them. You should to. I suggest that the best way to thank them is to personally attend the programs and events, bring a guest to the programs and events, and volunteer to help with one or more of the many positions or projects our Chapter sponsors. We need your help. Make it your New Year resolution to give a little time to the Chapter. We will all benefit.
