Royal Canadian College of Organists
Winnipeg Centre
NEWSLETTER
September 2008
Winnipeg Centre President’s Message
Hello Everyone! awards this year and has been impressed with
the students’ potential. We thank Kerrine
I’ve just arrived home from hearing Dietrich Wilson, Dorcas Windsor and Lottie Enns-
Bartel’s fine recital that brought to a close our Braun for their work in this area.
Summer Recital Series and the thought occurs to
me that a message that speaks of fall start-ups is We may not have slowed down for the summer,
really not all that appropriate for us at the but our fall program is certainly full. We look
RCCO. We never stopped! Although the forward to seeing each other at the Fall
numbers were down from past years, our Barbecue on September 7th. Thank you to Henk
Midsummer Fête in June was very well received and Marcia Schippers for hosting this
and enjoyable, and our Summer Recital Series in enjoyable annual event at their lovely log home
August was most worthwhile. Thank you to near Birds Hill Park.
Russ Greene and his committee for arranging
the Series. Also, thanks must be expressed to Of course, the big event is Valerie Hall’s all-
All Saints Anglican Church for providing such a Canadian recital and workshop at St. Luke’s
fine venue for the recitals. There is something Anglican Church on September 19th and 20th.
very special about Broadway at lunchtimes in Let’s make a special effort to have lots of people
the summer. (My own walk along Broadway to present for this splendid event.
the recitals past the hot dog and samosa stands
bears this out.) It is wonderful that we can May I take this opportunity to wish you all the
contribute to this vibrancy by providing great best as you resume your ministries with your
music in such inspiring surroundings. congregations and choirs this fall. May you find
joy in the challenges that your work offers. God
In the program booklet for the August Series, bless you all in your efforts.
Russ made reference to the fact that the primary
function of the RCCO is to keep the organs See you at the Schippers’ on Sunday,
playing. One of the ways in which we do this is September 7th.
to seek worthy students to receive our
scholarships. I understand that our Scholarship Tom Packham
Committee has found recipients for all our
From the Editor News of Members and Friends
I hope you have all had a pleasant summer Andrew Rampton has been appointed
and a time of rest and renewal, if possible! Organist and Choirmaster at the Parish
Some of you attended some conferences and Church of St. Michael and All Angels
conventions and some may have taken a beginning September 21, 2008.
complete break from any activities involving
the church. However you spent your time, I Reg Lawrence of Kelowna proudly reports
hope you are refreshed and ready to face the that his granddaughter, Michelle Lawrence
opportunities of the fall season. was featured in an article in Homemakers
magazine this summer regarding her work as
I plan to prepare four newsletters during the a music therapist with the Victoria
upcoming season – September, December, Conservatory of Music in British Columbia.
February and May. Please send me notices
of events and any articles you feel would be
of interest to our membership. I would also Scholarships
be interested in featuring resources that you
have found to be helpful and worthwhile in As a result of auditions that were held this
the area of music in worship. summer, two young women were awarded
$300 scholarships from the Winnipeg Centre
Dorcas Windsor for organ study: Catriona de Koning and
Charis Chu. Catriona will study with
Linda Fearn this fall. Arrangements are yet
Deadline for submissions to the next to be made for Charis’ lessons.
newsletter is November 15, 2008
35 Folkestone Blvd.
Winnipeg, MB R3P 0B4 AGO Convention
832-1399
rwindsor@mts.net In attendance at the American Guild of
Organists’ Convention in the Twin Cities in
June were Ken Doerksen and Don
Menzies. Don reports that it was a super
convention with about 1800 people
attending. They saw a stellar array of
churches and organs in the Minneapolis/St.
Paul area. He said that the highlight for him
was hearing the St. Paul’s Cathedral Choir
Substitutes Available and Organist from London, England, in
Wes Elias 896-7710 performance. Reviews of this national
Peter Fyne 774-3601 gathering will be featured in upcoming
Flo Olson 256-8131 issues of The American Organist.
Henk Schippers 444-3059
Winnifred Sim 489-8666
Page 2 RCCO Winnipeg Centre September 2008
Organ Festival on the Grand – National RCCO Convention
Kitchener-Waterloo-Guelph, Ontario July 13-16. 2008
From Rick Morgan:
I was able to attend the July 14 and 15 sessions of the Organ Festival on the Grand 2008 in
Kitchener/Waterloo. Work commitments kept me from attending the last day of the Festival on
July 16. There was always good food, good fellowship and good music. Now that I have
attended a few of these conventions and become involved with the National Council, it is always
great to see the many people who I now know!
I enjoyed the worship services in particular at the convention. The RCCO College Service and
the "Messe pour deux choeurs et deux orgues, p. 36, by CM Widor (Kyrie and Gloria) were
particularly good. The gathered organists were one choir, and an excellent "rehearsed" choir
(made up of volunteers from the RCCO membership and local choirs) formed the second choir.
Together with the 2 pipe organs (we should all be so lucky!) - we really filled the church with
sound. And of course, singing hymns with a big group like this is always fantastic - and the final
hymn, "Praise, my soul. the King of Heaven" sent shivers down my spine.
I also enjoyed Congregational Song workshops by Marilyn Houser Hamm (from Winkler, MB).
She had us making wonderful, peaceful, worshipful music -- all of which would be great in
various worship settings.
Eric Dewdney and the members of the Organ Festival on the Grand committee did an excellent
job of organizing things. It was all accomplished without a hitch. We know in Winnipeg how
much work that really is!!! There were only 2 of us from the Winnipeg Centre (myself and Jo
Ann Sutherland) who attended this convention. Let's plan to have a strong contingent from
Winnipeg at the 2009 - 100th birthday convention of the RCCO and international organ festival -
in Toronto, next year (June 28-July 2).
From Jo Ann Sutherland:
The Organ Festival on the Grand 2008 was a lot of fun! On Sunday, July 13th we all watched
the silent movie, “The Parson's Widow” (1920). A parson cannot marry until he starts his first
charge, but then he finds that he must marry the widow of the former pastor! It was
accompanied by Kirkland Adsett at the organ. Marilyn Hauser Hamm taught us new and
creative ways to use hymns. All the workshops and concerts were wonderful, maybe too many
concerts! Music by Barrie Cabena was present at almost every concert. I really enjoyed the
Carillon Recital by Richard Watson outside St. George's Anglican Church in Guelph. We
finished the Festival with the President's Reception and Banquet. We all had great fun with the
hypnotist. A great time was had by all.
Page 3 RCCO Winnipeg Centre September 2008
From the Ridiculous to the Sublime
Definitions “The Lost Chord”
Obbligato – being forced to practice
Con moto – yeah baby, I have a car
The Lost Chord
Allegro – a little car Seated one day at the organ,
Metronome – short, city musician who can fit into a I was weary and ill at ease,
Honda Civic And my fingers wandered idly
Lento – the days leading up to Easto Over the noisy keys.
Largo – beer brewed in Germany or the Florida Keys
Piu animato – clean out the cat’s litter box
I know not what I was playing,
Collo voce – this skirt is so tight I can’t sing Or what I was dreaming then;
Improvisation – what you do when the music falls But I struck one chord of music,
down Like the sound of a great Amen.
Prelude – warm-up before the clever stuff It flooded the crimson twilight,
Flats – English apartments
Chords – things organists play with one finger
Like the close of an angel's psalm,
Discords - things organists play with two fingers And it lay on my fevered spirit
Suspended Chords – useful for lynching the vocalist With a touch of infinite calm.
Time Signatures - things for drummers to ignore It quieted pain and sorrow,
Melody – an ancient, now almost extinct art in Like love overcoming strife;
songwriting
Klavierstuck – a term used by German furniture
It seemed the harmonious echo
movers attempting to get a piano through a narrow From our discordant life.
doorway It linked all perplexed meanings
Music Stand – an intricate device used to hold Into one perfect peace,
music; comes in two sizes: too high or too low; And trembled away into silence
always broken
Tonic – a medicinal drink consumed in great quantity
As if it were loth to cease.
before a performance and in greater quantity I have sought, but I seek it vainly,
afterwards That one lost chord divine,
Dominant – what parents must be if they expect their Which came from the soul of the organ,
children to practice And entered into mine.
Concert Hall – a place where large audiences gather,
for the sole purpose of removing paper wrappings
It may be that death's bright angel
from candy and gum Will speak in that chord again,
Agogic – playing high enough on an oboe to make It may be that only in Heav'n
the eyes bulge I shall hear that grand Amen
Cadenza – slapping noise on office furniture
Fandango – grabbing the pull chain on a ceiling fan
- Poem written by Adelaide Anne
Prima volta – jump start with a battery
Refrain – proper technique for playing bagpipes Proctor in 1858
Smorzando – with melted chocolate and - Public domain
marshmallows
- Source uncertain
Page 4 RCCO Winnipeg Centre September 2008
Announcements
Orgiano The Organ Heard Round the
A Recital of Music for World
Organ and Piano An Organ Spectacular Concert
celebrating the AGO’s
Lottie Enns-Braun, organ International Year of the Organ
Verna Wiebe, piano
Russell Greene, organ
Music by Jon Laukvik, Richard Heller, Carson The Rev. Anthony Harwood-Jones,
Cooman, Dale Wood,
clarinet
Charles Widor, Felix Mendelssohn and Joe
Utterback
Featuring the World Premiere of the
1st and 2nd Place Winners of the 2008
Sunday, October 19 at 3:00 p.m. AGO Organ and Instrument Composition
Young United Church Competition
222 Furby Street
Tickets: $10 (students $5) at the door or call the Sunday, October 19 at 3:00 p.m.
church at 783-0128 St. Andrew’s Anglican Church
Proceeds to West Broadway Community
(Woodhaven)
Ministry
2700 Portage Avenue
Charitable donation
Westminster Concert Organ Series
Presents
William Whitehead
Sunday, October 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Westminster United Church
745 Westminster Avenue
Tickets are available at McNally Robinson or by
calling Westminster U.C. 784-1330
Season tickets (3 concerts): $50
Single tickets: $25 (seniors $20)
William Whitehead’s solo organ-playing career took
off when he won First Prize at the Odense
International Organ Competition in Denmark, 2004.
He spent a year as Organ Scholar of Westminster
Abbey. He presently is a Lecturer at the Royal
Academy of Music, and is Director of Music at St.
Mary’s Bourne Street, London, England.
Concert program can be found at
www.westminsterchurchwinnipeg.ca
Page 5 RCCO Winnipeg Centre September 2008
RCCO Winnipeg Centre Events
Annual Winnipeg Centre Barbecue
September 7 at 5:30 p.m.
Home of Henk and Marcia Schippers
Dugald, Manitoba near Birds Hill Park
Please bring:
$7 per person (for hamburgers, hot dogs and trimmings, tea and coffee)
A salad or dessert
A beverage of your choice such as soft drink, wine etc.
A lawn chair
Directions to Schippers':
Take Hwy. 59 to Garven Road and turn right.
Go about 8 and a half km., turn left at stop sign on to Hwy. 206.
Go about 8 km. And watch for 2-storey log house on left side of the road.
Lot #70 138
Phone: 444-3059
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"The English battle The French in an all-Canadian Programme"
Valerie Hall
National President of the RCCO
and Organist of Holy Rosary Cathedral, Regina
presents a concert celebrating the best in Canadian organ music
Friday, September 19 at 7:30 pm
St. Luke's Anglican Church
Nassau and Stradbrook
Tickets: $15 at McNally Robinson Booksellers (Grant Park or Polo Park), at the door, or call 888-2627
--------------------------------
"The battle continues, on more friendly terms"
Valerie Hall Workshop on
Accessible Canadian Organ Music
A workshop which every organist will find invaluable!
Saturday, September 20, 9:00 am - noon
St. Luke's Anglican Church
Nassau and Stradbrook
Tickets: $15 at McNally Robinson Booksellers (Grant Park or Polo Park), at the door, or call 888-2627
Free to RCCO Members
Page 6 RCCO Winnipeg Centre September 2008