I am so proud of the Region VI convention steering committee, the Wichita chapter, and all of the other volunteers who worked wonderfully together to create this convention for us. There were so many highlights; at the risk of leaving anyone or anything out, here are some that attracted many compliments from convention attendees and the public:
- Family pipe organ fair, a pre-convention event run by the Wichita chapter’s POPs for Kids program, attracting many young children and their parents
- Regional Competition for Young Organists (RCYO), which showcased four very talented competitors and garnered a TV interview I saw the next morning on the local news station, when competition coordinator Anna Jeter and winner Michael Emmerich spoke eloquently about the future of our profession
- Recital and concert programming that was varied and excellent – including:
Opening hymn festival, a complicated event to put together, but which paid off by opening the convention with joyous sounds of choir, brass, a premiere of a new work for flute and organ, competing mightily with the sounds of a Kansas thunderstorm outside
Many wonderful solo organists, including two recitals on the grand Marcussen organ at Wichita State University, the largest organ by this builder in the U.S. – and a chance to hear its story from Dr. Robert Towne, Lynn Davis’ predecessor and professor of organ when the Marcussen was installed
Wichita Chamber Chorale’s performance of Kodaly’s “In Praise of Organs,” a virtuosic and rarely-heard work for choir and organ commissioned by the AGO for a past national convention, accompanied masterfully by organist David Josefiak
An “organ-plus-instruments” day that included a huge variety of ensembles, ending with a dynamic and well-received performance by “Organized Rhythm” (organist Clive Driscoll-Smith and percussionist Joseph Gramley)
A fascinating demonstration recital by early-music group “Musica Antiqua” at Wichita’s beautiful botanical gardens, in which we learned about the early instruments which inspired many organ stops
Brett Valliant, a Wichita native and a brilliant young theatre organist, at Wichita’s Mighty Wurlitzer
and many more!
- Convention hotel – we were treated wonderfully, and many (including me) said this was the best convention hotel they’d ever experienced
- Great public response for most of the concerts – and capacity crowds for the theatre organ concert and the closing concert by Lynne Davis!
- Two wonderful worship services in diverse styles: Catholic vespers and black gospel
- Great media coverage for the world of the organ – I saw newspaper articles and heard TV and radio reports, and an electronic billboard greeted us outside of the Century II convention center, announcing “The Organists Are Coming!”
- Many lunches and dinners included in the convention, which many participants said made each day’s scheduling seem more relaxed than other conventions, and offered more fellowship opportunities
- Workshops on a wide variety of topics – many participants told me the only problem was having to choose between excellent options
- A variety of exhibits in a very well-lit, well-maintained, and well-organized space which made it easy to browse and shop
- Well-run and well-maintained convention transportation, kept on-time and even early, and volunteers who provided good humor to entertain us as we rode
- “Tracker Organs of Kansas” post-convention tour to see many gems in the central part of this state
- Hospitality volunteers who provided a warm welcome at every convention venue
We have all returned home inspired and motivated for another year, thanks to the hard work of this great committee, and all the convention presenters and hosts! The entire effort was headed by Marlene Hallstrom, this year's convention coordinator, who is a treasure in every way. All involved in this effort pitched in to do what was needed during the whole week – whether the tasks fell “within job description” or not. And, and when there were things that needed to be adjusted, everyone was flexible and approached each challenge with good humor. What a great party we had together!
Extremely proud of the Wichita chapter and Region VI –
Jan
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