Dear chapter members,

February’s meeting was a lovely presentation followed by a lively discussion. I hope March 15th will be the same! Thanks in advance to Cheryl Drewes for offering to edit a video member’s recital, and to the performers for sharing some Bach. We’ll be hearing the organs of Agnus Dei Lutheran, Gig Harbor; Christ Episcopal, Tacoma; St. Andrews Episcopal, Tacoma; St. Andrews Episcopal, Seattle; Spanaway Lutheran; University of Puget Sound; and Pacific Lutheran University. Also, last and REALLY least, the piano in my home. I felt like reconnecting with music I enjoyed in my youth, on the instrument of my youth.

As we continue figuring out how to do as many things online as possible—in the AGO and every other facet of life—there’s always the nostalgic hope that soon we’ll be back to normal. However, I think many distanced practices will continue past what my rector calls “The Great Return”. When the parish I serve reopens, services will still be streamed; being able to connect at a distance is worth all the technical challenges.

While I rejoice in expanding the reach of the parish’s music program, it does mean a very sticky part of my job will continue: dealing with music copyright issues. I will be writing about this in next month’s newsletter. If you have questions you’d like me to attempt to address, or resources to share with the chapter, please be in touch!

Sheila Bristow
Church Musician, Accompanist, Composer