CHARLES N. HENDERSON SCHOLARSHIP
ANNOUNCED BY THE AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS
Permanently Restricted Fund Will Provide Scholarships
for Pipe Organ Encounters Attendees Beginning in 2003
 NEW YORK CITY — The American Guild of Organists (AGO) is pleased to announce the activation of the CHARLES N. HENDERSON SCHOLARSHIP, made possible by a fund created in 2001 in memory of the late Editor Emeritus of THE AMERICAN ORGANIST Magazine. Established by the family and friends of Mr. Henderson and the AGO National Council, the scholarship will be awarded to deserving Pipe Organ Encounters participants beginning in 2003. This is the sixth and newest permanently endowed scholarship sheltered by the AGO New Organist Fund. Tax-deductible contributions to increase this fund further are welcomed.
“The AGO is very grateful for the generosity and support of the many individuals whose vision for the future of our profession is manifested by the creation of scholarships for young, aspiring musicians,” notes Frederick Swann, president of the AGO. “These individuals have made an investment in the youth of America, whose enhanced knowledge of the organ and appreciation of its role in worship will contribute to a bright future for our profession.”
A native of West Chester, Pa., CHARLES NEWTON HENDERSON (1917–2001) graduated cum laude from Bucknell University. He later studied at the Juilliard School of Music in New York, the Fontainebleau School in France, and at Syracuse University, where he earned his master’s degree under Arthur Poister. His teachers also included Nadia Boulanger and Ernest White.
Henderson was organist and choirmaster at historic St. George’s Church on Stuyvesant Square, New York City, where for 18 years he led a superior program of church music and established a choral society of more than 200 singers. There, he presented the premieres of major contemporary works as well as traditional repertoire. In 1964, the parish’s production of Benjamin Britten’s Noye’s Fludde was broadcast nationally on CBS television.
In 1973, Henderson became editor of the Guild journal, then called MUSIC/The AGO—RCCO Magazine. He retired as editor in May of 1982 and moved to Erwinna, Pa. In August of 1992, he was named Editor Emeritus of THE AMERICAN ORGANIST Magazine and resumed some of his editorial duties by writing the Pipings column and reading the monthly proofs. He continued this work until one week before his death.
PIPE ORGAN ENCOUNTERS are regional summer organ institutes designed to introduce teenagers to the organ and the sacred music profession. They provide private and group instruction, opportunities for ecumenical worship, and a chance for young musicians to meet others with similar interests.
The NEW ORGANIST FUND was established in 1993 to support Guild programs dedicated to developing a new generation of organists. Today, the New Organist Fund shelters both permanently endowed named scholarships, and gifts restricted for the support and development of new organists. Permanently endowed scholarships have been created in memory of Seth Bingham, Clarence Dickinson, Charles N. Henderson, and Ned Siebert, and in honor of Philip E. Baker and Morgan and Mary Simmons. Additional funds have been designated in honor of Philip Hahn, and in memory of Virgil Fox. These scholarships will be activated once the minimum balance threshold of $10,000 is achieved.
The AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS is the national professional association serving the organ and choral music fields. Founded in 1896 as both an educational and service organization, the AGO seeks to set and maintain high musical standards and to promote understanding and appreciation of all aspects of organ and choral music. The purpose of the AGO is to promote the organ in its historic and evolving roles, to encourage excellence in the performance of organ and choral music, and to provide a forum for mutual support, inspiration, education, and certification of Guild members. The Guild currently serves more than 20,000 members in 343 local chapters throughout the United States and abroad. The American Organist Magazine, the official journal of the AGO, the Royal Canadian College of Organists, and the Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America, reaches an audience of more than 24,000 each month. The official Web site of the AGO is <www.agohq.org>.
This information is submitted by F. Anthony Thurman, Director of Development and Communications at the National Headquarters of the American Guild of Organists and The American Organist Magazine. For further information, please contact Dr. Thurman by TEL (212) 870-2310, FAX (212) 870-2163 or E-MAIL <fathurman@agohq.org>.
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