Our treasurer reports that we have the following balances as we enter the 2017-2018 program year:

On a cold Friday morning in February, six organists huddle in a small circle while another plays J.S. Bach’s O Lamm Gottes from the Leipzig Eighteen Chorale Preludes. Several dog-eared scores are propped on music stands, and the organists follow the score, listen intently with their eyes closed, or walk around the sanctuary.

The piece ends, and feedback is shared about the actual performance. There’s engaged dialogue about the registration, the possible significance of Bach’s placement of the cantus firmus in each of the three sections, and the articulation of the pedal notes at the end. A side conversation about arm weight and finger dexterity erupts into a lively conversation about how some of us have had to revise our technique over the years.

This is a common scene at the Organ Performance Group, which is going into its third year in October 2017. The group is the inspiration of David Dahl and Satya Jaech. Satya had heard about writers’ groups where authors read their work for each other and receive feedback. She wondered whether a similar format would work for organists. David, having taught and performed for close to 60 years, generously offered to share his knowledge of performance practice and his seasoned experience with the organ repertoire.

What started as an experiment has evolved into a congenial group that meets regularly one Friday morning each month at Christ Episcopal Church in Tacoma. Most of us bring a piece to perform, and the morning unfolds in much the way that these first paragraphs suggest. Each of us brings a unique perspective to the group and to the pieces that are performed. This spirit of collegiality, mutual respect, and support continues over optional lunch at a nearby café.

New participants are always welcome to join us. If you’re interested in finding out more about the Organ Performance Group, please contact Satya Jaech .

On Tuesday, August 1, Isaac Drewes will play a concert on the Woodberry organ at Spanaway Lutheran Church.  The concert will consist of works by Sulyok, Laurin, Vierne, Bolcom, Brahms, Larsen, and Willan.  This concert is free and open to the public.  A reception follows.

Isaac Drewes is a recent graduate of St. Olaf College, where he studied organ with Dr. Catherine Rodland. He also studied piano and voice, and sang in the St. Olaf Cantorei. He concurrently held the position of Organ Scholar at St. Louis, King of France Catholic Church in St. Paul, MN. He was awarded second place in the North-Central American Guild of Organists Regional Competition for Young Organists, held in Iowa City last June. He is also the winner of the 2016 Twin Cities AGO Student Competition, and the recipient of the Pogorzelski-Yankee Scholarship and the Ruth and Paul Manz Scholarship. This fall, Isaac will begin graduate study at Eastman School of Music with Prof. David Higgs, working towards a master’s degree in organ performance.

Isaac is an active performer, both in the Seattle-Tacoma area, and around the country. In 2016, he performed for the Organ Historical Society Convention, held in Philadelphia, PA. Other venues include Central Synagogue in New York City, West Side Presbyterian in Ridgewood, NJ, Christ Church in Tacoma, WA, and St. Mark’s Cathedral, in Seattle, WA. In addition to performing, Isaac has served on the board of the North-Central AGOYO, and was an E. Power Biggs Fellow at the OHS convention in 2015. He has also served as an Organ Scholar for the Charlotte and Pacific Northwest Royal School of Church Music courses. When not at the organ bench, Isaac enjoys bicycling and hiking in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest.

Isaac’s parents are both members of the Tacoma AGO Chapter.  Details of the time and location can be found in the calendar.  A copy of the program announcement is attached.

The Memorial Concert for Andy Crow on Thursday evening, 8 June, 2017, was a grand occasion to celebrate a man whose devotion to the organ spanned many decades and whose legacy is well known in Olympia, Tacoma, Seattle, and beyond. Hosted by the Washington Center, Olympia, the Mighty Andy Crow Wurlitzer was played in various styles by Doug Cleveland and Sharon Stearnes. Andy’s brother played stunningly on the piano and also accompanied long-time friend Anne Edge, violist. Andy’s brother, Todd, also talked about the Crow family history. Other speakers talked about Andy’s performing at the Pizza & Pipes restaurants in Tacoma and Seattle, his long membership in the Olympia Rotary Club, his 30-plus years as organist at the Methodist Church, Olympia, and his foresight and determination to preserve the Capitol Cinema, Olympia, and the Wurlitzer organs which were originally installed in the various Olympia cinemas. The event was very well attended by the citizens of Olympia who recognize the great contributions of this man to the city.

His memorial service program is attached.

The Sander Chapel at University Temple United Methodist Church (UTUMC) in Seattle houses a fine 1968 Bosch tracker organ that was relocated from St. Bernadette RC Church to UTUMC in 2003 by Franz Bosman. UTUMC does not use it frequently, but it is in excellent condition. UTUMC is now offering it for sale.

The instrument consists of 12 stops, 16 ranks, and 872 pipes, including an enclosed Swell division, and there are provisions for expansion. Specifications and several pictures are available at the Organ Historical Society website.

Local churches that might be interested in the instrument can contact UTUMC Organist Howard Wolvington at (425) 761-4729 or by email at howard@utemple.org to arrange to examine the instrument or obtain further information.