Sunday, February 24, 2008

Membership Reduced Rates

For the period of February 1 through March 31, 2008, AGO membership is available at special reduced dues rates for new members.
Now is an ideal time to invite your organist, choral director, and clergy friends to join the AGO! Check with your chapter registrar for the dues rates for new members during this time period. Share with your friends your enthusiasm about the world of the organ and information about the upcoming International Year of the Organ and other exciting events (see other posts on this blog) in our Region and your chapter.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

International Year of the Organ composition competition winners

The AGO has named 2008-09 as the International Year of the Organ (see my previous post on the IYO - January 8, below). The year will begin with special events at the 2008 National Convention this summer in Minneapolis/St. Paul, and will conclude with the Regional Conventions in summer 2009. I highly encourage you to plan special events in your area!

As a part of the celebration, the AGO sponsored a composition competition for short pieces for organ and C instrument, easy to moderate difficulty, to be played at the Organ Spectacular simultaneous concerts presented by AGO chapters across the world on October 19, 2008. Judges for the competition were Mary Beth Bennett, Emma Lou Diemer, and Mark Sedio. Thirty-six composers submitted compositions. The three winners named are:
  • Bernard Wayne Sanders: "Ornament of Grace" for organ and violin or oboe
  • Paul Ayres: "Toccata Duo" for organ and trumpet, flute or violin
  • Jon Naples: "Reach for the Stars" for organ and oboe
An additional work, commissioned from Stephen Paulus, will also be premiered at many of these Organ Spectacular events.
Plan now for you, your chapter, your church or synagogue to take part in the October 19 Organ Spectacular - the world's largest organ recital - and other events during the International Year of the Organ. AGO chapters and other musical organizations are encouraged to join this effort.

The IYO committee will create a listing of events. To submit yours, select an on-line form to complete and send to AGO Headquarters:
The Phelps Group of Los Angeles is the national media consultant for the IYO, and they plan to attract media interest across the country. It will be an exciting year and you won't want to miss out on the growing enthusiasm about our beloved King of Instruments!

Monday, February 11, 2008

POE Matching Gift Challenge

Summer 2008 will see not one but two Pipe Organ Encounters (POEs) in Region VI! This initiative to support the next generations' interest in our profession is one of the most wonderful and successful programs of the Guild. (See additional information, including a video, in my previous post about POEs, below.)

My colleague, Lary Grossman, Councillor for Region I (New England - see his blog), recently reminded me that a generous donor has pledged to match – dollar for dollar, up to $10,000 – all new sources of funding supporting the 2008 POEs across the nation, in honor of the twentieth anniversary of the Pipe Organ Encounter program.

Any donation, large or small, from a chapter, church, organization, or individual, counts - as long as it's a new source of funding for a POE. If your chapter has never donated, now is the time to make your donation go twice as far! Please consider donating, and help spread the word about this match program to all members and friends who are interested in helping young organists.

Contributions, which are tax-deductible, may be sent to the AGO Development Office (475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1260, New York NY 10115) or made online here (use the Annual Fund area and indicate POE Matching Gift Challenge in the Comment box). If you send a check, please indicate POE Matching Gift Challenge in the memo field.

And of course, please spread the word to potential students for both our POEs this summer! For more information:
  • POE Advanced in Lincoln, NE - for teens who have previous POE experience or have studied organ
  • POE+ in Ft. Collins, CO - for adults, both beginners and experienced organists - e-mail Dr. Joel Bacon at Joel.Bacon@colostate.edu
Let's all show our thanks to these Region VI chapters for hosting these very important Guild programs by supporting these POE programs in every way we can!