Greetings, fellow members of the Tacoma Chapter!

These last days of sunshine and clear skies has brought a welcome winter reprieve to many in our area. The combination of sunshine and shared community only increase its effects! This past Thursday, I walked across the campus of the University of Puget Sound. The sun-driven renewal of energy was palpable from all enjoying the vast lawns at midday!

On Sunday, March 9, the AGO is sponsoring “Women Composer Sunday.” All members are encouraged to play music by women on this day. Though, I will say that one does not have to limit themselves to this one day of celebration when playing music by women. In April 2024, the Tacoma Chapter gathered at St. Luke’s Memorial to explore The Oxford Book of Organ Music by Women Composers. This is an important addition to the published literature and I encourage every Chapter member to acquire a copy, if you have not already done so!

The AGO Task Force for Gender Equity sponsored a composition contest last year to bring more works composed by women into the spotlight. The winners were announced a couple of months ago, including Brenda Portman, Miriam Reveley, and more. You can learn more about the winners and their compositions here. All five winners’ scores are available for free download! The first place winner, Brenda Portman, gave us an approachable concert piece in two movements. I recently played it as the opening voluntary to Evensong, which you can hear here.

March is also a beloved time to celebrate the life and music of Johann Sebastian Bach. On his birthday, March 21, I welcome you to celebrate all day long! Come to the Third Friday Bach concert by Dana Robinson at Christ Church at 12:10pm. Then, following lunch on your own, come to the March Chapter event at the University Club at the University of Puget Sound at 3:00pm. I will host a screening of the documentary “Bach and Expression.” You can learn more about the event and documentary here. The Chapter will provide light drinks and food for this event. I hope to see you there!

Our next AGO lunch is on March 14 at 208 Garfield in Parkland. Let me know via email or text if you plan to join in the fun that day! As always, do keep an eye on the Tacoma AGO Calendar.

In music,
Wyatt

Thank you to those who were able to attend Organ Vespers and the talk on the history of the pipe organs at St. Luke’s Memorial. An evening of thrilling congregational singing paired with the educational aspect proved to be an invigorating adventure for all in attendance, engaging with an important part of Tacoma’s history! If you were not able to join us, I look forward to seeing you at future Chapter gatherings.

Now that days are beginning to have more light, the musical and educational activities in our region likewise reawaken. This month and next month hold a myriad of performances and gatherings, which include the following:

At 2:00pm on Sunday, February 9, prior to the organ recital in Lagerquist Hall, Barbara Baird and Justin Murphy-Mancini will give a demonstration of the Fritts organ for young organists and curious pianists. For more information, especially if you know a young organist or pianist, click here.

At 12:00pm on Friday, February 14, we will gather for the next AGO Lunch at Cactus in Proctor. Please RSVP to Wyatt Smith if you plan to attend.

At 7:00pm on Monday, February 17, we will hold our monthly Chapter meeting at the UPS School of Music. Tom Clark will lead a workshop on playing from a tablet and organizing a digital library. For more details and directions to the classroom, click here.

Looking ahead to March, we will gather on Friday, March 21 (Bach’s Birthday) for an extended time together to watch and discuss Fugue State Film’s documentary “Bach and Expression.” Click here for more information.

In addition to these events above, there are many more events taking place around the region. Calendar highlights include concerts at PLU, Christ Church, UPS, and St. Luke’s Memorial. Be sure to check the Tacoma AGO Calendar for the latest details! I hope to see you at many of these events.

As always, thank you for being a member of the Tacoma chapter of the AGO!

In music,
Wyatt Smith

Happy New Year, Tacoma AGO!

I hope you have all had a good holiday season, rewarding music-making in your respective communities, and a handsome amount of rest. Many thanks to Paul Fritts for hosting the Annual Tacoma AGO Christmas Party at his home last month. A favorite gathering of many!

Our next Chapter Meeting takes place this coming Monday evening, January 6, at St. Luke’s Memorial Episcopal Church. The evening will consist of three parts:

– 6:15pm – A history of St. Luke’s Church and its pipe organs
– 7:00pm – Organ Vespers for the Feast of Epiphany
– 7:45pm – Reception

St. Luke’s has an incredible amount of history, both at its original downtown location and its present home in North Tacoma. Plenty of parking is available in the lot to the east of the church building. Handicap access is available from Gove Street. For more information, click here.

Next week also holds the next Tacoma AGO Board Meeting along with the post-holiday return of monthly AGO lunches. If you plan to join the lunch at 208 Garfield, please RSVP to me via email or text. As always, check out the Tacoma AGO calendar for the latest event information. There are many great events coming up in January and February!

Here’s to a stellar 2025!

In music,
Wyatt

Last month, many TAGO members joined with the community of Christ Church to celebrate the forty-fifth anniversary of the Brombaugh organ with a concert by Nathan Laube. It was an incredible evening all around! Laube’s program and performance was stellar – a rose amongst the bouquet of performances that happen in Tacoma year-round! Additionally, we were able to thank a number of people who made that night possible: the visionary leadership of David Dahl, the landmark organ building of John Brombaugh, the support of Paul Fritts, the current leadership of Paul Tegels, and many others.

December is an all-too-familiar time of the year for working musicians, both past and present. Before we all dive into playing and / or attending events, do remember take care of yourself, as one cannot pour from an empty cup! Schedule time for yourself. Perhaps you might meet a friend for a cup of coffee or go for a brisk walk around Chambers Bay golf course. Whatever self-care looks like for you, do it!

The TAGO will have its annual Christmas party at the home of Paul Fritts on Tuesday, December 10 from 7:00-9:00pm. Please visit the calendar link to find out more information. If you would like to play a short seasonal piece on organ, piano, or harpsichord, you can sign up here!

In the meantime, take a look at the rich assortment of concerts, special services, and more on the TAGO calendar. Next month, the Chapter event will take place on Monday evening, January 6 at St. Luke’s Memorial Episcopal Church. This event, centering around Organ Vespers for the Feast of the Epiphany, will begin centennial celebrations of the remaining stops of the 1925 Moeller organ at St. Luke’s. I will give a talk on the history of St. Luke’s and its organs at 6:15pm. Chapter member Kyle Haugen will join me in offering Organ Vespers at 7:00pm, featuring music by Kristina Arakelyan, Ludwig Lenel, Samuel Scheidt, and Christopher Rathbone. A festive reception will close out the evening, celebrating the end of the Christmas season. The January newsletter will have information on Chapter events for February through June.

Happy holidays!

In music,
Wyatt Smith

This month we collectively enter into a season of Thanksgiving. In the midst of the approaching seasons of Advent and Christmas, associated rehearsals and preparations, along with celebrations in non-Western traditions, let us take time to be thankful for all we have and the communities that support us.

Our local organ community has much to be thankful for. I would like to specifically highlight and give thanks to and for David Dahl. Not only is he a renowned pedagogue, but also a “mover and shaker” in the historically-informed organ building tradition and genuinely supportive friend and colleague to many in the area and around the country. David presented a wonderful workshop on the fugues from J. S. Bach’s (?) 8 Little Preludes and Fugues, for our October gathering, assisted by Paul Tegels and Tom Clark. You can read about that workshop below and access its resources here.

Continuing on the theme of Bach scholarship, I would like to draw your attention to a new addition to the literature: J. S. Bach: The Organ Works by George Stauffer, published by Oxford University Press a few months ago. This volume, amassing over six hundred pages of text and resources, takes the reader through a chronological analysis of Bach’s organ works, using the most recent Bach scholarship. Additionally, Kimberly Marshall has written a substantial feature review of Stauffer’s book in the November issue of The American Organist, found on pages 74-78. I am slowly sinking my teeth into this new text, which already seems that it will hold forth on bookshelves next to the landmark texts on Bach’s organ works by Peter Williams and others!

Rounding back to this season of Thanksgiving: On Saturday, November 23 at 7:30pm, we will join with the community of Christ Church Episcopal to celebrate the forty-fifth anniversary of the landmark Brombaugh organ with a concert by renowned organist and teacher Nathan Laube. This organ graces the Nave of Christ Church with many thanks (again) to the leadership of David Dahl. Tacoma AGO members (regular, special and dual) will receive a $5 discount on tickets purchased at the door ($20 regular/$15 seniors). There will be a separate ticket table for AGO members. Please note that in order to receive this discount, you must purchase your tickets at the door with check or cash.

In closing, I would like to thank YOU for being a member of the Tacoma chapter of the AGO. As always, check out our online calendar to find local events to engage with other organists and supporters of the instrument in either musical or social settings!

In music,
Wyatt Smith