The official site of the Salt Lake Chapter

This month, Max Walker, Sub-Dean, is standing in for John Rice, our Dean, and writing this column. 

Welcome to spring! Well, sort of. I think that by the time most of you open this, Salt Lake is supposed to be having snow again. I’m content with that. I got my few days of 60F weather, so a brief snow storm, even if it dumps 2 feet, will be fine. 60F is still coming back soon….

Last Month’s Successes

First, let’s talk about last month. We had a great event in Ogden at the Egyptian Theater and the Ogden Tabernacle. It was well-attended, and there were cries for more of that! For a few reasons, I think that you can expect an uptick in events in Ogden over the next year.

Coming up…

Next, let’s talk about what’s coming up. Certainly, some events in the next 30-60 days are being delayed or canceled because of the evolving protocols around COVID-19 prevention, and because even organ events can muster crowds larger than 100 people! That’s the silver lining! We expect that these changes will be temporary, and that many of these excellent events will be rescheduled.

Here are some changes that we know of now: 

March 2020: We have no scheduled chapter events in March. There are events at other venues, and you should confirm their schedules, delays, etc., with them directly. 

For April, there are two advertised and sponsored events that are affected: 

• April 17: James Welch on Temple Square: this event has been canceled for now. 
• April 28: Our masterclass with the guest artist at Utah State University will be delayed until their larger festival event is rescheduled. 

For May, we are still on schedule for now! We have our Season Finale scheduled for May 16. You can read about it below. We think it will be a fun event for the chapter! 

We are also beginning work on our 2020-21 schedule. Pedals, Pipes, and Pizza will obviously make its return in October. And our big event next season will be the return of Super Saturday! It is currently scheduled for February 6, 2021 at the University of Utah. Jan Clayton is leading that planning and already has a great line-up of classes, activities, and recitals for the day. You will not want to miss that next year! You can start building excitement about that with your students and colleagues now!

Wanna come be selfish with us?

Finally, the SLCAGO Board is grateful to all of you who volunteer in the chapter. We are a volunteer organization, from the Dean on down. Everything is volunteer hours. There are lots of ways that you can volunteer as little as an hour or two to help with an event every now and then. In fact, there is a great need for that in our chapter.

Please don’t be intimidated. We are willing to accept an hour or two, and not harass you for more! I did no volunteering in the chapter before assuming the Sub-Dean role. Since then, I figured out that volunteering is the best way to meet chapter members and to make those contacts with other organists. In that sense, volunteering is selfish! Some come be selfish with us! 

God bless you all for what you do for our community. You inspire, you lead, you teach. Thank you for including SLCAGO in what you do so that we all can enjoy what you are doing, learn from each other and, hopefully, increase the good things you do.

When: Friday, March 13
Where: Bigelow & Co. Inc. Organ Builders
130 West 100 South, American Fork, UT
Time: 6 to 9 PM

Now’s your chance! See the inner workings of a tracker pipe organ, hear it played, and try it yourself! 

You and your friends and associates are invited to a shop tour at Bigelow Organ Builders! The tour features the newly completed Opus 43 tracker pipe organ, which will be installed soon at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Healdsburg, California.

Invite organ-enthusiast friends and piano and organ students and their families! More on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/events/222578715455037/.

Joyce Marie Frederiksen Peabody

January 4, 1945 – January 11, 2020 (age 75)

Joyce Marie Fredericksen Peabody, 75, was born January 4, 1945 in Idaho Falls Idaho.  Her father, Clarence Olaf Frederiksen was killed in World War II.  Her mother Birdie Marie Peabody Fredericksen, then married LeRoy Peabody. LeRoy adopted Joyce a short time later.

Joyce graduated from Madison High School in Rexburg, Idaho.  She also attended Ricks College earning a degree in accounting.  She served a mission in Atlanta, Georgia.

After returning she moved to Salt Lake City, Utah and lived there until she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Joyce loved music, genealogy and Hebrew.  She served as organist for the Church of Jesus Christ in almost every ward she lived in.  She also taught organ, piano and Hebrew.

Joyce was a long-time member of the AGO, and a long-time treasurer of the Salt Lake chapter (SLCAGO).

AGO chapters are required to hold periodic elections of its officers and executive committee. This is our year for our bi-annual elections.

Election Volunteers Needed

In order for us to execute these elections as prescribed in our by-laws, we need three (3) volunteers to serve on a Nominating Committee to submit proposed candidates. The required time is minimal, but critical to the integrity of the process.

Please contact Jan Bigler at gmajam@gmail.com or John Rice at john@slcago if you are willing to help us.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season.  But the festivities have not ended.

I want to take a minute of your time and promote the Salt Lake Chapter’s PIPES AND POTPOURRI event taking place February 11^th, 2020 – the perfect segue between the Christmas/New Year Holidays and Valentine’s Day.  (Sorry, gentlemen, that I brought the subject of Valentine’s Day up a bit early. I am familiar with the sweating spells and  extreme anxiousness that men undergo as that Day approaches – but what a great answer to your question of what to get that special someone for Valentine’s Day – a night out in Ogden at the Salt Lake Chapter’s PIPES AND POTPOURRI event!!!!!!)  This event will feature a night out with Organ Masters Richard Elliott and Mike Ohman and will be held in two locations – the Peery Egyptian Theater in Ogden and the Ogden Tabernacle. You can’t go wrong with taking your sweet someone to this event.  Mike Ohman will be featured on the Peery Egyptian Theater’s Wurlitzer Theater Organ (including a short silent film). We will then reconvene at the Ogden Tabernacle where Richard Elliott will wow and amaze as he always does on the refurbished H. Ronald Poll & Associates Opus 34, (3 Manuals, 51 Ranks).  Ticket prices are $8.00 per person, but members of the Salt Lake Chapter and the Utah County Chapter will be admitted free of charge.  

Please calendar this event and plan on joining us for an exceptional program provided to you in thanks for being a member of the American Guild of Organists and supporting your local Chapter.

Your Dean, John K. Rice. 

And remember:  YOU’RE NOT A PROPER ORGANIST UNTIL your organ shoes look like they’ve been in a tussle with an enthusiastic puppy and lost.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!  As we race into this Christmas and Holiday Season, Let’s take a minute, breathe deep, relax, and make this holiday season one filled with peace and hope.  I asked my grandson what his hope is over this Christmas Holiday.  His hope is that he gets the most awesome drone in the world.  I told him that his hope was great but that over the Christmas Holidays we should consider hoping for things in honor of the Baby Jesus.  He was puzzled, and then said, “I hope my best friend gets the most awesome drone in the world and that he invites me over every day to play with it.”  Clever, but not quite the point.   

As we race through this Christmas and Holiday Season, are we not quite getting the point?  We are reminded that this Holiday Season is a season of “Hope”, that no matter where we find ourselves or what ever may be happening to us, God is with us and guides us.   “Hope” that no matter where our neighbors find themselves or what ever may be happening to them, you are blessed with the hands to help.  “Hope” that wherever desperate families are being separated, or where wars are being waged, or where our world is filled with fear, hate and anger, a calm and gentle voice may be heard, inviting hope, joy, trust and love.  “Hope” that this voice will surround us in all we do and in all that we are and in all that we strive to be, this Christmas Season.   There’s the point.

Happy Holidays!!!!!  

(Want to know what to get your organist this Christmas Season?)  Check it out:  https://www.zazzle.com/store/organs