It is that time of year again! The academic year is starting up, choir rehearsals resume, and the lazy days of summer begin to fade into our memories. Moving into the season ahead, there are multitudes of events and concerts to attend, both in Tacoma and the surrounding area. Hang on tight; this is a meaty newsletter!

First up this month is our Annual Opening Picnic, which will take place on Monday, September 16 from 5:00-7:00pm at the home of David Dahl and Loi Le in Parkland. If you are able to attend, please bring a food item to share. TAGO will provide drinks and paper items. This is always such a great time to spend together after our summer adventures, meeting new colleagues, and catching up with old friends.

Second, the Pacific Northwest welcomes a new-to-us tracker organ by Bigelow, now housed at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Seattle’s UDistrict. Michael Plagerman has written a wonderful article on the acquisition and forthcoming tonal additions to the Ruth and Paul Manz Organ. Of the inaugural concert series artists, four are members of TAGO! Dr. Paul Tegels will perform the dedication concert on the evening of Saturday, September 21. The other performers throughout the year include PLU’s Dr. Justin Murphy-Mancini, UW’s Dr. Stephen Price, and myself representing UPS. Check out details of these concerts and more on the TAGO calendar.

Third, we are inviting applications for TAGO’s scholarship program. The purpose of this scholarship is to encourage young musicians to study organ by assisting with the cost of private organ lessons. The successful scholarship recipient will receive ten organ lessons with a Tacoma chapter member. Preference is given to high school students but older students are welcome to apply. More details and applications information may be found here on the website.

Finally, I would like to draw your attention to our upcoming TAGO events. On the morning of October 26, David Dahl and Dr. Paul Tegels will present a workshop on the fugues from J. S. Bach’s Eight Little Preludes and Fugues at Christ Church, Tacoma. In November, we will join the community of Christ Church as they celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the landmark Brombaugh organ on the evening of Saturday, November 23 with a concert by leading concert organist Nathan Laube. There will be no TAGO event in December.

I encourage you to peruse the abundance of concerts, events, and lunches listed on our TAGO Calendar.

See you at the picnic!

In music,
Wyatt Smith

Greetings, members of the Tacoma AGO!

I hope that the summer has been treating you well and that you have been able to enjoy some of the marvelous weather we have been having! I am looking forward to seeing you all more often once the program year begins. More on that soon!

Summer is a time of rest and renewal, travel and adventure. As we all make plans for the coming program year, do remember to take time for yourself in these remaining days of summer so that you might be fully present with those whom you make music and those who receive the gift you give to them throughout the year.

As is often a practice during summer months, we take time for study and exploration of topics. The AGO website is full of educational resources, including recordings of many workshops and presentations. Of special note is the extensive series of short videos for the new organist on a number of topics. Take some time to explore the options available from the Guild in addition to what we do here on a local level.

The AGO has a number of sister organizations around the country and world, one of which is the Royal College of Organists in the United Kingdom. As an AGO member, you are eligible for an Affiliate membership for £35.00 per year. This is a considerable value in regard to the RCO’s online digital content resource called iRCO. Contained in iRCO is a seemingly endless treasure trove of educational and scholarly resources, including articles, journals, and videos. Additionally, the RCO produces a free podcast every other week called “The Organ Podcast,” which can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on YouTube. I, for one, eagerly await the release of each episode!

More and more events are being added to the TAGO calendar for the coming program year. Keep your eyes on it as we get closer to the start of the program year, including regular lunches alongside chapter events!

In music,
Wyatt Smith

Happy Summer!

First off, I would like to thank Cheryl Drewes and Sheila Bristow for their leadership as Dean and Past Dean, respectively, over the last two years. I look forward to having the continued support of Cheryl on the Board as Past Dean, in addition to undertaking partial Sub Dean roles until another person is found to fill that role. I would like to welcome Van Hardison and Will Stuivenga to the Board. Finally, I would like to thank the continued presence of Tom Clark, Sandy Tietjen, Jan Regier, Michael Menne, and David Dahl in their respective roles on the Board.

Over the coming weeks, we will be planning our events for the 2024-2025 program year. If you have any specific ideas or requests for chapter programming, please reach out to me directly via email. In addition to substantive events, we will continue monthly lunch gatherings. Once those are scheduled, they will appear on the calendar and in our monthly newsletter.

In the meantime, check out the Tacoma AGO calendar on our website. There are many offerings over the coming month, including concerts in Gig Harbor, Tacoma, and Seattle. Of particular note are the remaining programs in the “Concerts at 6:26pm” series at St. John’s, Gig Harbor and the Third Annual Tacoma Bach Festival at Kilworth Chapel and Christ Church, Tacoma.

I am greatly looking forward to the year ahead.

All my best,

Wyatt

As I write my final dean’s message, I am filled with gratitude for the past two years: for the diligent work of a committed and caring board, the wonderful programs that emerged, and the encouragement shared every step of the way. That’s not all, though; my mind keeps turning to something deeper about the TAGO that I want to capture.

We are an active and uniquely supportive chapter, where one can learn, share, and grow, and where newcomers can find a warm welcome. What impresses me most is that our board leadership has intentionally cultivated this sense of community for decades upon decades. Friendships blossom, connections are made, and people feel at home. Thank you! to everyone who set TAGO on this path long ago. May we continue to walk it far into the future.

To my peeps on the board: Thank you for your enduring dedication, enthusiasm, collaboration, and so much more! Together, we have brought the chapter to another beginning, and are now ready for a new season. Thank you, as well, to those of you who presented or performed chapter programs, were part of a committee, or simply participated as a member. You all are truly appreciated.

As I retire to the board position of past-dean, I look forward to the leadership of our incoming dean, Wyatt Smith. Of all the projects he initiated while sub-dean, the most significant has been our outreach to young organists, including “Bach Rediscovered,” at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Tacoma, and “Young Organists’ Event,” at Lagerquist Concert Hall. Wyatt brings imagination, enthusiasm, and a fresh perspective. Please give him all your support in the new term.

Also note! We will vote in our new board members and give our thanks and appreciation to outgoing members at our Year-End Chapter Gathering, a potluck picnic hosted by Wyatt Smith, 8703 71st Street CT SW, Lakewood, on Wednesday, June 12, from 4:30pm-7:30pm.
For another look at the slate of candidates, see here. The chapter will provide drinks; please bring something to share, and enjoy the company!

Cheers,
Cheryl

Kudos! to Wyatt Smith, for organizing and leading us in a fascinating exploration of The Oxford Book of Organ Music by Women Composers, curated by Anne Marsden Thomas, and Ghislaine Reece-Trapp. A huge thanks, as well, to Sheila Bristow and Tim Drewes, for joining Wyatt and me in a demonstration of nine pieces from this monumental volume, spanning the Baroque to the present time. It was wonderful to see everyone who attended fully engaged, with many questions and insights offered about the composers and the circumstances that prevented them from becoming known for their work. The conversation continued during the open console that followed, as people tried out additional compositions of interest. From the lively discussion, questions emerged. What works of genius have we lost due to societal bias and consequent lack of opportunity and support? What progress has been made since then? Do we still have a long way to go? Food for thought for all of us who perform, compose, teach, and simply enjoy music.

Looking ahead, we are excited about our field trip to attend an Organ Master Class, given by Dr. Stephen Price, at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, Bainbridge Island, on Saturday, May 25, from 10:00am-12:00pm. This event is a program of the Olympic Peninsula AGO, featuring scholarship recipients from their chapter. What a perfect opportunity to get to know our neighbors!

Following the masterclass, some of us will head over to the nearby Bloedel Reserve for a garden tour. We will meet there at 1:30pm. You are most welcome to join us! Please see the event listing for important information, including how to purchase tickets for the timed entry. Note that tickets tend to sell out fast on the weekends (though are still available as of this writing).

Finally, please mark your calendar for our Year-End Chapter Gathering, for a potluck picnic and social time at the home of Wyatt Smith, 8703 71st Street CT SW, Lakewood, on Wednesday, June 12, from 4:30pm-7:30pm. Please bring something to share – the chapter will provide drinks – and enjoy the company. At this event, we will also vote in our new board members and give our thanks and appreciation to outgoing members. Hope to see you there!

Cheers,

Cheryl