Hi all,
I believe I'm still recovering from the hectic but wonderful POE of last
week, based at Wheaton College. There were 27 students, ranging in age from 11 to
19. I understand a waiting list of about a dozen had to be turned down, and
no one of those selected backed out!
Each student had a one hour lesson each day, at a different pipe organ each
day. David Lincoln and his committee laid out a system where students were
bussed to churches and back, 43 churches used total in the suburban area. All
went without an error, no one made any trouble, and not one person got sick!
Naomi Rowley remarked that she had never seen a POE that used so many churches.
On Sunday afternoon, June 30th, they registered and visited the home of Paul
VanderMolen, where Clark Wilson demonstrated the 4-manual theatre organ there.
In the evening, they attented a concert by Dr. Edward Zimmerman, who played
the mighty Casavant at the college in his usual excellent and exciting manner,
closing the concert with an arrangement of the Guilmant first sonata final
movement for two organs by himself. His now Senior student Joel Bevington
played the second part brilliantly, and we'll look for more great things from his
career ahead.
Dr. Zimmerman did an introduction to the organ, organ design, and organ
registration workshop on Monday morning, followed by Lorraine Brugh, who did a
splendid job talking about how to practice. After lessons and practice, they
attended evensong at Trinity Episcopal Church in Wheaton, and in the evening Todd
Wilson accompanied the Phantom of the Opera on the Casavant. A technical and
musical workout, it was too campy and not as serious as I like to see and hear
for such a masterpiece of a movie, but all, including me, enjoyed it.
Tuesday morning, Todd Wilson gave a great workshop on service playing, and
when I asked several if they learned anything, they responded very positively.
Todd is great with young people. After Todd, Richard Webster did another
fantastic workshop on basic improvisation, using many students. They found out
they could do more than they imagined, and I'm sure they're trying new things
already.
After lessons and practice, the Berghaus Organ Company hosted a wonderful
dinner, and had a couple of portable organs for the kids to play on, which they
all did very well. After supper, they all were bussed to St. Raphael's in
Naperville, where Douglas Cleveland held them spellbound with a very exciting and
well played program.
Wednesday, after lessons and practice in the morning, they all were bussed
downtown to Chicago, where about 10 each played at several large churches and
Orchestra Hall. David Schrader wowed us all with his demonstration of the
mighty Casavant at Orchestra Hall. They also visited St. James Cathedral, Holy
Name Cathedral and Fourth Presbyterian, after which they spent the rest of the
afternoon and evening at Navy Pier.
On Thursday, after the morning lessons and practice, Margaret Kemper and
Naomi Rowley did master classes for beginners and advanced students respectively.
All went to the Arcada theatre where David Rhodes demonstrated the theatre
organ, and then they all went to St. Petronille's in Glen Ellyn for a pizza
supper and a great concert by Charles Sega, a former POE student, now director of
music in an Episcopal church in Glenview, Illinois.
By now, we all were beginning to droop, but we still had lessons Friday
morning and the student recital in early afternoon, where they all did so very well
and many parents attended.
I was originally only on standby as a teacher, but at the last minute,
Marilyn Keiser injured her shoulder, and I was called to take her two students
(Margaret Kemper subbed for the workshop Marilyn would have done).
After the student recital, Dr. Zimmerman hosted the faculty and all who
helped in other ways at his home in Bristol, Illinois. He has what I have always
considered my dream house, a former church, complete with stain glass windows.
He has done a beautiful job making it into a very unique home, with three
pipe organs and a grand piano!! It was a very quiet party though, as those who
attended were really tired, but only one didn't want to do it again next year.
One thing that really impressed me was the piano background of all
participants, as well as their knowledge of theory. When we had some free time at St.
Petronille's, the music director invited the students to play any of the four
pianos around the church. You could walk almost anywhere and here glorious
piano music!
It was nice to see two of Jean-Paul Buzard's children, and son Stephen, age
15, played the Schubler Chorale, "Wo Soll ich fliehen hin", brilliantly, and
his sister Katie, age 12, did the best performance of Bach's little Prelude in G
Minor. Stephen says he is learning all the Schubler chorales this summer,
has three done already! Watch out for that guy. He'll be building and
dedicating both, I'm sure.
One dangerous aspect of this POE was the cafeteria at Wheaton College. The
food was so good, I gained 10 pounds!! Got rid of 5 of that already by
exercize and less eating, but it was so fantastic. Dr. Zimmerman said that four
years ago, it was rated number 1 in college cafeterias. It is now number 4, but I
can't imagine how the other three can be any better. So many choices, and I
wasn't the only one eating more than necessary! Next year, I'll be more
careful (I hope). I won't tell you all the choices we had, and all in buffet
style!!
It took so much work and planning, but it was so worth it to hear the
beginning and advanced students at that recital at the end. It made all us teachers
and assistants confident that the organ is in good hands for the future, as
long as we continue to offer events like this.
Devon Hollingsworth, in DeKalb, Illinois
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Note: opinions expressed on PIPORG-L are those of the individual con-
tributors and not necessarily those of the list owners nor of the Uni-
versity at Albany. For a brief summary of list commands, send mail to
[log in to unmask] saying GET LSVCMMDS.TXT or see the web
page at http://www.albany.edu/piporg-l/lsvcmmds.html .
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
|
