Berkshire Chapter

Last updated: July 4, 2008

Message from the Dean

Our new Chapter Web site is available for preview at http://home.comcast.net/~rbkrum/. Please view the initial design concept and send your reactions to WebOrganist@BerkshireAGO.org.
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DEAN'S MESSAGE: Lou R. Steigler

The chapter Executive Committee has held four meetings this fall for general discussions of the goals for the current season. The newly appointed Program Committee has met several times to pursue program ideas. Members of that committee are Tracy Wilson, Edwin Lawrence and Lou Steigler. The Executive Committee has endorsed their recommendations, and details are now being confirmed.

During October a flyer was mailed to members announcing our opening event on November 11. That program, "Petr Eben's Windows," presented -by Greg Bowers at First Congregational Church in Williamstown provided a splendid illustrated lecture/recital inspired by the Chagall stained glass windows in the chapel at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem.

Please mark the following date on your calendar.

TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 6:00 p.m. Annual Meeting and Picnic, First Congregational Church, Williamstown.

Local Events

NOTE: THE CALENDAR IS UPDATED AS CONTENT IS RECEIVED.
PLEASE EMAIL ALL CALENDAR ITEMS TO WebOrganist@BerkshireAGO.org. If you attend these events, please let them know you saw it on this website. Thank you.
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Internationally acclaimed German jazz organist Barbara Dennerlein will bring to a rousing close the 4th Annual Pittsfield CityJazz Festival in a program that is part of the American Guild of Organist’s International Year of the Organ celebration and one of the more than 200 Organ Spectacular recitals worldwide to be held on October 19, 2008.

AGO members can purchase advance tickets (limit 2 tickets per member) at the student price of $15 until August 15, 2008. View and print the form at the following address:
http://www.stpetersbenningtonvt.org/Dennerlein%20Advance%20Ticket%20Form.pdf

After that time the ticket price will rise to the $25 regular general admission and be obtainable only from the box office of the Colonial Theatre (http://www.thecolonialtheatre.org/) with the customary handling fee added.
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A Master Class on Italian Organ Music of the Baroque Period will be presented by Italian organist Ferdinando Bastianini on Wednesday, August 13, 2008, at 7 p.m., at St. Stephen’s, Pittsfield. AnneMarcure is the contact for anyone who wants to perform music of the period for discussion (St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church telephone 413-448-8276 or amarcure@StStephensPittsfield.org).
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SCHOLARSHIP ANNOUNCED FOR CHURCH MUSICIANS
In 2009 the Charlotte Hoyt Bagnall Scholarship for Church Musicians will hold a competition for church musicians who have graduated or will graduate from high school as of June 30, 2009. Awards from five hundred dollars ($500) to twenty five hundred dollars ($2500) will be granted. The scholarship can be used for a variety of music studies including:

• Organ lessons
• Undergraduate or graduate studies related to organ or religious music
• Participation in organ festivals, seminars, music camps, etc.

Information and applications can be obtained by visiting the scholarship website http://www.chbscholarship.com, or by writing “The Charlotte H. Bagnall Scholarship” at 17 Beaverbrook Rd., West Simsbury, CT 06092. Applications are due by December 31, 2008.
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Composer Mike Hutchinson currently has seventeen works available as PDF files (www.zimbel.com) in addition to three published works. He will be happy to share with chapter members. There is no charge to get these files to your computer, but he requests a $10 fee to cover production and mailing costs if you wish printed copies of the set.

The compositions and arrangements include anthems, introits, benediction responses, service music, hymn concertatos, and organ/piano duets. All are tonal and melodic and many have been presented regionally with more than polite response.

You may contact Mike Hutchinson by email at jmhutch@adelphia.net or by telephone (413)-664-1007.

SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE
Joy Mullen has been appointed to chair the Scholarship Committee. Her colleagues on that committee are Anne Marie Enoch and Anne Marcure. Their task is to review past application requirements, make awards, and conduct a fund raising campaign during the current season to bolster scholarship funds.

WEB SITE
Randall Krum will continue to serve as webmaster for the chapter's site. Information about programs in member churches may be sent to him. Also churches seeking organists or choir directors may post such notices by sending Randy the necessary details. Please advise Randy of changes or updates to any such notices so that he will know when advertised position have been filled or program plans changed. To view our page visit http://www.berkshireago.org.

NEWSLETTER
Anne Marcure has agreed to periodically produce our chapter newsletter. Members wishing to post notices about coming events in their churches may send such items directly to her or to the Dean.
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2009 REGIONAL CONVENTION SITE
Boston Chapter has been chosen to host the 2009 Regional Convention.
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A MESSAGE FROM E. LARY GROSSMAN

• Our region’s Pipe Organ Encounter, July 20 – 26 at Assumption College, is fully enrolled! This is the second POE hosted by the Worcester Chapter. Consider sponsoring a young person from your own chapter or sending a cash donation earmarked for scholarship. There is no better way to spend your resources than by supporting the mission of the AGO in this way. Contact Frank Corbin, POE chair, at fcorbin@assumption.edu for more information.

• There is still time to register for our National Convention in the Twin Cities, June 22 – 26, 2008. Visit http://www.ago2008.org for all the information. The Hilton hotel is full, but you can also get the convention rate at the nearby Marriott City Center. There will be a door prize at the Annual Meeting, so do not skip it – you must be present to win. It is a great prize: paid registration for the 2010 National Convention (Washington, D.C.)!

• I will host the annual Regional Meeting during the Minneapolis convention on Thursday, June 26 at 4 pm. I promise to keep it short so that we all have time to eat dinner before bus departures. This meeting is for all members of our region, not just officers, so please encourage your chapter members to attend. It would be terrific to have a representative from each of our twenty chapters. As incentive, I am also offering a door prize, so please spread the word!

• VOTE! This is an important election year for the Guild, as incumbents are vacating the offices of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasure, and Councillor for Education. You can see extended bios on the candidates when you go online to vote at https://www.intelliscaninc.net/organists.htm. Please share this information with your members and encourage everyone to vote! I was nominated to run for a second term (my first term was only one year because of filling an unexpired term), and would very much appreciate your vote.

• International Year of the Organ: Information about the October 19, 2008 Organ Spectacular is at http://www.agohq.org/events/index.html. So far, Springfield, Massachusetts is the only one of our twenty chapters that has an event listed. Perhaps others of you have planned a program, but have not yet taken the next step to list it on the National web page. Please do so soon. A media kit will be available soon to assist you with publicity for your event. The commissioned piece by Stephen Paulus is available at his website for $12. www.stephenpaulus.com. The winning composition, “Ornament of Grace” by Bernard Wayne Sanders will be available in May from Concordia Publishing. They are both good pieces and quite accessible.

• National Council has approved the application for the New Hampshire Chapter to host a Pipe Organ Encounter (POE) in 2009 (chaired by Ken Grinnell). Also, keep in mind that our next Regional Convention will be July 1 – 4, 2009 in Boston (chaired by Michael Kleinschmidt). This convention, a joint event with Region II, promises to be spectacular!
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Region I Blog

AGO Regional Councillor for New England E. Lary Grossman responds to requests often heard at Chapter meetings for a calendar of AGO events in our region. To facilitate that request and to provide a platform for me to communicate to all of the members, I have started a Blog (Web log) at www.agonewengland.blogspot.com. Please look at the site regularly and send me any programs you would like added to the calendar.

Membership

Membership is open to all persons with an interest in furthering the playing and enjoyment of the pipe organ.

Full voting membership, as well as Senior, Student, Friend, Dual and other categories is available.

Please contact the Treasurer for an application and dues information.

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
A membership committee, Nancy Clemens, Nancy King, and Lucy Sherrill, is at work gathering names of area church musicians who are not currently members of the AGO. Literature will be mailed to prospective members acquainting them with the goals and purposes of the Guild, and also to make them feel welcome to join Berkshire Chapter.

MEMBERSHIP LIST
Berkshire Chapter's membership list for 2007-2008 has been mailed to chapter members. Please examine details of your listing to confirm accuracy. In case of errors that may need corrections, please advise the Dean. Our only source of information is that shown on renewal forms at the time of dues payment each year. Sometimes handwriting in not completely legible, especially in the case of email addresses, and guessing doesn't always produce the most accurate result.

Placement

POSITION AVAILABLE: ORGANIST/MUSIC DIRECTOR

St. James Episcopal Church in Arlington, Vermont, seeks a talented, energetic leader to lead a flourishing music program in a warm and welcoming parish. (Our current music director is leaving at the end of June.) The church has a newer two-manual Allen digital organ and an Essex baby grand piano.

The position involves:
• planning for and providing music for one Sunday morning service weekly, as well as occasional special services and programs during the year.
• directing the parish’s 12-member adult and youth choirs for nine months of the year (excluding summers), generally involving one weeknight rehearsal.

This part-time position (approx 8-10 hours weekly) offers a competitive salary based on experience, with two weeks paid vacation.

Contact Information: For a complete job description, email stjamesparish@verizon.net with subject line Music Director Search. To apply for the position, send a resume and letter of interest to Music Director Search, P.O. Box 25, Arlington, Vt., 05250, or email stjamesparish@verizon.net. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled.

Posted 5-20-08
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POSITION AVAILABLE: DIRECTOR OF MUSIC & ORGANIST

The Catholic Community of Adams in Adams, Massachusetts announces an immediate opening for a part-time (15-20 hours per week) Director of Music & Organist who will plan and lead the music for weekly worship. The Catholic Community of Adams (in the Springfield, Mass. Diocese) comprises two parishes, three church buildings (Notre Dame/St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Stanislaus Kostka) and a school in the beautiful Northern Berkshires. There are three weekend Masses with music. In addition to the salary, the Director has additional income from funerals (avg. 90-100/year) and weddings (avg. 12-15/year).

The organs in Notre Dame and St. Thomas are both older model Allen Organs that have been repaired and upgraded (summer 2007). Notre Dame is contemplating the restoration of its 1902 three-manual Casavant. Saint Stanislaus Kostka houses a beautiful two manual Casavant (installed in 1979).

Successful candidates will have complete familiarity with the work of a Roman Catholic Parish Director of Music. This includes the Rites and Liturgies of the Church Year, and the liturgical planning ability and knowledge of resources necessary for a congregation and adult choir utilizing a mix of traditional and contemporary music. The minimum proficiency of organ and piano playing shall be at the B.Mus. (organ performance) or AGO Service Playing Certificate level, with a more advanced level desirable. The candidate will also have the skills necessary to rehearse the adult choir (SATB, 25-30 members) weekly. There is also a funeral choir (SSA) of approx. 15 people who sing at each liturgy of Christian Burial.

The annual salary of $20,000 includes two weeks vacation. Professional development and a book & music allowances are negotiable.

Interested applicants should send their resume (including at least three professional references) and any other supporting material such as CDs, programs and reviews to Rev. Daniel Boyle, Pastor, Adams Catholic Community, Maple St., Adams, MA 01220. Please contact Fr. Boyle for any further information or questions at 413-743-0577.

Posting Renewed April 30, 2008
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A part-time experienced organist/director of music ministries position is available. 15-18 hours per week. 10:00 AM Sunday Service. Special services on Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, Holy Thursday and Easter. Weddings and funerals extra. Adult and children’s choirs. Casavant organ(49 ranks) for hymns, choir and worship music. Please send salary requirements, cover letter and resumé to: Christ Church United Methodist, 54 Bay Street, Glens Falls, NY 12801. Attention: Pamela Phelps

Employers and job seekers are invited to post and search listings of available positions on the Guild's National Website.

Certification

Lary Grossman, Regional Councillor for New England, has sent us a flyer that National composed concerning the Service Playing Certificate examination. Please view the information (PDF) at the following address.
http://www.stpetersbenningtonvt.org/serviceplaying.pdf

Contact Us

DEAN: Lou Steigler, somount@bcn.net

SUB-DEAN: Edwin Lawrence, elawrence@williams.edu

SECRETARY: Joan Mannners, Kim99sam@aol.com

TREASURER: Lucy Sherrill, LucySh@verizon.net

WEB SITE: WebOrganist@BerkshireAGO.org

Visit the AGO National website