The Toccata and Fugue in D Minor intrigued me from the very beginning, as I think it would any young organist. Best as I can recall, I learned it when in 7th or 8th grade. By that time, I was steeped in theater organs, having tagged along with my dad and the rest of the ATOS crowd as they restored instruments, hosted concerts, and held chapter meetings. These meetings always included open console, where members and their kids would play well into the evening. And so, I did: Maple Leaf Rag, Edelweiss, a few others, and finally – the T&F – all stops on, and all trems off! After all, it was October, with the trees blushing in vivid colors because the New England cold snap kissed them once again. Halloween would soon follow, with bobbing for apples, pumpkin carving, and neighborhood trick-or-treating. The caramel apples sticking to my mittens made for a fuzzy mess, but the rest of the night’s revelry was a wicked good time!

Likewise, we are delighted bring you our joint program with the Olympia chapter, Fright Night! on Monday, October 17th, 7:00pm at Spanaway Lutheran Church. I will be joined by Tim Drewes, Dennis Northway, Sheila Bristow and Glenn Guhr in a spooktacular evening of ghoulish organ music, art songs, pumpkin carols, and the silent movie “Haunted House,” starring Buster Keaton, accompanied at the organ. We hope you can join us in celebration of the organ’s place with all that goes bump in the night!

Note the wonderful line-up of upcoming chapter and community events listed to the right of this column. Looking ahead at chapter meetings:

• Monday, November 14: Celebrating Margaret Sandresky Wesley Home Gardens, Des Moines. Hear about the life and compositions of this fourth-generation female composer, presented by Wyatt Smith.
• Monday, December 19: Christmas Party 2022 Pacific Lutheran University. Share a favorite Advent or Christmas piece on the Lagerquist organ. Christmas refreshments following.
• Monday, January 16: New Year, New Music St. John’s Episcopal Church, Gig Harbor. Bring music to share/demonstrate, with particular emphasis on practical preludes and postludes.

Cheers,

Cheryl