| M13 “Are You Listening to Me?” |
| Role-playing will illustrate ways of opening the lines of communication among musicians, clergy, and church leaders to help defuse explosive situations. |
|
Presenters: W. James Owen, AGO National Councillor for Professional Development; Joy Schroeder, Director of the AGO Seminary and Denominational Relations Committee; Tom Goetz, Committee member; Gregory Norton, AGO National Chaplain
Location: Hilton - Conrad A |
| |
| M14 Multi-Publisher Choral Reading Session |
| In a slight turn from traditional AGO convention choral reading sessions, David Mennicke, Director of Choral Studies at Concordia University, will present sacred choral music he has chosen from a variety of selected publishers other than those already represented at the convention. The publishers are: GIA Publications, Inc., Selah Publishing Co., C. F. Peters Corporation and Paraclete Press. Packets of music will be available to attendees. |
Presenter: David Mennicke
Location: Hilton - Conrad B/C |
| |
| M15 The Essence of Widor’s Teaching: Interpretive Maxims |
| No organist of Widor’s generation or stature wrote as prolifically or articulately about organ performance practice as did Widor himself. His writings are a treasure trove to those seeking the root tradition of the French Romantic organ school he fathered. This mine of crucial instruction furnishes the key to the interpretation of Widor’s organ music as well as that of his followers. Widor admonished, “The time of eccentricities and effects of pure virtuosity is no longer. The personality of the individual substituting for the interest in a work is no longer permitted; we want honesty and respect.” Widor’s guidelines lead us to that end. |
Presenter: John R. Near
Location: Hilton - Conrad D |
| |
M16 A Youth Choir — Ages 8 to 18: Engaging and Nurturing a Multi-Age
Youth Choir |
| Thirty-five years ago in the heart of downtown Stillwater, Minnesota, Nancy Whipkey created a multi-age youth choir at The Church of the Ascension (Episcopal), which continues to draw students of all ages to its choir today. The choir sustains a stronghold in the parish and surrounding community. Nancy Whipkey and Lisa St. Ores will explain the evolution of the Ascension Youth Choir and also its male counterpart, Absolut Harmony, a choir for older boys with changed voices. Such topics as repertoire, vocal production, sustainability, social environment, and outreach will be addressed. The workshop will also include a video presentation and a live demonstration by members of the Ascension Youth Choir. |
Presenters: Nancy L. Whipkey and Lisa St. Ores
Location: Hilton - Nicollet |
| |
| M17 Teaching the Organ Works of Olivier Messiaen |
| The organ works of Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) are considered by many to be the most significant body of literature for the instrument since J. S. Bach. Messiaen’s unique and complex compositional style presents special problems for organists in the areas of technique, registration, and musical aesthetic. This workshop focuses on strategies for teaching Messiaen’s organ music, including discussion of a graded sequence of specific works; how to adapt the composer’s specialized and unorthodox registrations to American organs; and how to help students understand and project Messiaen’s unusual musical style. |
|
This workshop is part of the Messiaen Pedagogy Track sponsored by the AGO Committee on Continuing Professional Education.
Presenter: Charles Tompkins
Location: Hilton - Ramsey |
| |
| M18 Trends in Church Music: “Do I Sell My Organ Shoes and Purchase Congas?” |
| Good news – things seem to be calming a bit. There is an emerging consensus around what good church music practice should and can be in this new millennium. John Ferguson will attempt to articulate this consensus and offer concrete suggestions for those who wish to be responsible church musicians in these changing times. |
Presenter: John Ferguson
Location: Hilton - Hennepin & Carver |
| |
| M19 Quality Music for Small Church Choirs |
| This will be an annotated reading session in which we explore not only repertoire for small church choirs, but also practical teaching strategies for voice building and expressive singing with our singers. A packet of recommended choral music will be available for our session study. |
Presenter: Anton E. Armstrong
Location: Hilton - Marquette & LaSalle |
| |
| M20 Performing French Canadian Organ Music |
| The most significant and substantial works of organ music by French Canadian composers date from the beginning of the twentieth century. Rachel Laurin’s experience as performer and composer of French Canadian compositions naturally leads to the analysis of some specific works from Bernard Piché, Raymond Daveluy, Jacques Hétu, Édith Beaulieu, Gilles Leclerc and Rachel Laurin. Demonstrations, recordings, and anecdotes of Laurin’s performing experience will make this workshop lively and stimulating for organists as well as organ lovers! |
Presenter: Rachel Laurin
Location: Central Lutheran |
| |
| M21 Hymn Improvisation in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries |
| This workshop documents improvisation techniques of various artists though the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The class will cover techniques from the French School, German traditions, and twentieth-century American masters. The workshop will be presented through PowerPoint projections and live demonstrations on the organ. |
Presenter: Aaron David Miller
Location: First Baptist |
| |
| M22 Basic and Creative Organ Registration |
| Toward understanding the organ as an ensemble of colors, this workshop will explore the creative use of available sounds in combination, in solo, in counterpoint, and in support of other instruments and voices. Included will be topics such as interesting combinations (gap registrations and super couplers are NOT excluded!), working with less-than-adequate instruments, getting the most from the stops you have, and finding effective accompaniment sounds. A special emphasis will be organ music that is related to congregational song. |
Presenter: David Cherwien
Location: Gethsemane Episcopal |
| |
| M23 New Gems and Old Treasures |
| Dr. Wilma Jensen will present this class playing some of the organ literature on her handout while lecturing from the console. An extensive search was made to find literature of varying styles, including music by some of today’s well-known composers writing for the church. A short portion of the class will focus on newly published editions containing out-of-print compositions. |
Presenter: Wilma Jensen
Location: Westminster Presbyterian |
| |
M24 Rediscovering Hugo Distler: Organ and Choral Music for Small
Performing Forces |
| The music of Hugo Distler, a pivotal and influential figure in church music in 1930s Germany, has particular relevance for churches with small choral and instrumental forces. The social, cultural, and political milieu surrounding Distler, as well as the personality traits that inform his music will be briefly examined. Singing and playing techniques for Distler’s music will be described, and demonstrations of his organ and choral music for small forces will be presented. Suggestions for teaching Distler’s choral music to amateur singers will also be offered. |
Presenters: Kristina Langlois and Mary Kay Geston
Location: Westminster Presbyterian Chapel |
| |
