Quimby/RCYO Chapter Competitions

News Flash! 5 brave Region VIII chapters will offer the required official Chapter Competition required to send contestants to Salt Lake City! Full details in next newsletter! ALL CHAPTERS please publish these sites boldly in order to have your students have a chance. (See below.)

Meet your District Convener(s)

"What or Who is a District Convener? Officially, district conveners cooperate with the Regional Councillor to "supervise and coordinate the work of the Guild in the states or districts they oversee." Chapters: please make sure your new District Convener receives a copy of your newsletter!

Meet Betty Jean Bartholomew, District Convener for Oregon

Betty Jean is a Regional Superstar! No stranger to Region VIII, she served as Regional Councillor for 6 years, and Convention Chair for one national convention (Seattle), and three Regionals (Seattle and Eugene)!

Dean Emeritus of Seattle and Eugene chapters, Betty Jean was also regional Professional Concerns Chair for 4 years. She is a past president of the Association of Anglican Musicians, former Northwest Representative of the Royal School of Church Musicians, and Coordinator for the Leadership Program for Musicians in Oregon.

In her church career, she is currently Director of Music and Organist at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Eugene (four choirs), where they have recently raised money for a new Brombaugh pipe organ (2004).

Five children, five grandchildren, are close to her heart. In her spare time she conducts choral and church music workshops around the country. As District Convener, she is ready to visit, encourage and/or assist chapters.

Meet Arle Lohof, District Convener for Idaho and Montana

Arle (pronounce AR-lee) Lohof is a one of those former teachers that finds herself in retirement busier now than ever. In 1957 as a young college student, Arle joined the Yellowstone (then new) chapter at the inspiration of Betty Turner, local respected organ diva.

Arle challenges herself every time! She has studied organ with David Dahl summers at PLU and with Dr. Fred Binckes FAGO, of Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT. She has attained the Service Playing Certificate (SPC), and the Colleaque Certificate (CAGO). She plays a Zimmer mechanical action organ at First English Lutheran Church in Billings, MT.

Later Arle allowed herself to be elected Dean of a chapter that is planning on hosting a Regional Convention! [We look forward to more news about this soon!] Arle's Chapter is unique! Members attend from nearby Wyoming -- you have to know Big Sky Country geography!

Married for 44 years, Arle has two adult children (one living in Paris). She enjoys her three grandchildren. Husband Armand says they have the correct number of pets: "ZERO!"

You may address Mrs. Lohof at "3005 Lohof Drive!" (Street name due to the estate of her family, long-time ranchers, and not her being an organist, so all organists, please do not expect equal treatment.)

Coming in a future issue, our other District Conveners! And other officers, as well!

Region VIII Composer featured in "The Organist's Companion"

Composer Robin Rokey's (Eugene, OR) settings of "Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley" and "The Ash Grove" appeared in the July and Sept. 2002 issues of the Organist's Companion. Subscription information available at Warner Bros. Music Shop www.warnerchappell.com/wcm/mshop.jsp. Toward the bottom of the Music Shop web page, click on "Product Title," enter "Organist's Companion" as your search criterion, then click on "go." Way to go, Robin!

Membership Appeal to LDS organists. . . Come, Come Ye Saints!

Around the Region . . .

(the part of the newsletter where YOU make the news!)

• Yellowstone Chapter (804) started the year with a Taize worship description and sample service, writes Arle Lohof, Dean.
• Seattle chapter (812) has a Voice Message Center at 206-362-9157 for information on chapter events, placement/substitute/ordering music, or to leave messages officers.
• Les Bois chapter (Boise, Idaho, 802) invited Bill Hesterman from the Salt Lake City Convention Committee to come North and share thoughts about the coming 2003 Regional Convention in Salt Lake City, write Gary and Patricia Nelson, co-deans.
• Eugene chapter (805) just completed a survey of fees for weddings and funerals, perhaps they will share the results if you ask: "Robin Rokey"
• Spokane chapter (813) offered members a slide-show recap of the Philadelphia Convention, writes dean Howard Stoess. [Careful Howard, everyone will want you to visit their chapters to share your visual convention highlights show!]
• Tacoma's (814) e-newsletter (in Microsoft Word), produced by Paula Schmitz, proudly and colorfully announces Dr. Susan Ferré's program 11/18, at Trinity Luth. with a map by MapQuest. Is getting to programs a problem in your area?
• Columbia Basin chapter (809) (Tri-Cities) hosts their 23rd Annual Choral Festival on Dec. 8, at 4:00 p.m., writes Dean Mary Esther Lippold.
• Pullman-Moscow chapter (811) member, Susan Billin, publishes a extra-fine chapter directory, including a chapter history beginning in 1974, plus a list of all educational resources for sharing. Way to go!

Organ Smorgan My Regional Councillor visit . . .

Dr. Lois Harrison, chapter Education Coordinator, organized a wonderful and thoughtful program with much premeditation and thorough forethought. She kindly invited her favorite Regional Councillor to attend! Enter, the "Keyboards!"

• Schoenstein pipe organ (celebrating its 10th birthday), well-demonstrated with a Frescobaldi Canzona by Ginni Peterson, who also explained "how" pipe organs work.
• Kimball Reed Organ* demonstrated by Bob Bullwinkel who presented a comprehensive history of the reed organ. (*Actually the church's first organ, 1895, only recently and fortuitously rescued from an antiquarian shop.)
• Baldwin electronic theatre organ, recently-donated! Ably demonstrated by Joe Gustin, who spoke about what special features are found on the theatre organ.
• Proteus synthesizer enhanced by Macintosh computer and sound module, demonstrated by David Weck.
• and the lovely grand piano, played by Amy Lou Carton.

Three memorable musical events concluded this program. . .

• The "Organ Class" performed! What is the "Organ Class?" This is a group that meets monthly to discover what it is like to play the organ through free monthly lessons. Only requirement: You bring in a hymn to share. Graduates of this program include Andy Ullrich, who performed "C-Cipher" by Held.
• Visiting organist from Scotland, Stuart N. Mair, performed Bach and Whitlock on the Schoenstein organ.
• The grand finale was called "A Timeless Celebration" for all keyboards together commissioned from student composer, David Weck, (Southern Oregon U.), combining Schoenstein pipe organ, Baldwin theatre organ, Kimball Reed Organ (replaced by piano due to tuning problems), and the Proteus synthesizer.
• Publicity and Hospitality were a big part of this adventure thanks to the very capable Paulette Burkhalter and Gigi Sharrow.

I think many chapters could put together an outreach program like this. Why not "think big -- think outside the box," as somebody once said.

Come, Come, Ye Saints!

Message from your Salt Lake Regional Convention Planning Committee 2003

New Convention Center Organ to be featured
Picture courtesy of: www.UntraveledRoad.com
Click for larger view.

Janet Griffin, Convention Co-Chair writes:

Dear AGO Friends: As part of our Regions 8 and 9 Convention this June, we are pleased to continue the century-old tradition of a daily half-hour organ recital at noon in the LDS Tabernacle on Temple Square.

An additional half-hour organ recital will be held at 2:00 P.M. on the new Schoenstein organ in the LDS Conference Center. In keeping with the established format of the recitals, each artist will perform an arrangement of the Mormon hymn, Come, Come, Ye Saints as well as an arrangement of an old melody.

The Convention has commissioned arrangements of eight folk hymns to be played during the Old Melody "slot". These eight Pieces will be published and available to purchase at the convention. All of these arrangements are extremely playable and useful for both service and recital music.

We have also commissioned Mack Wilberg to compose a piece for Children's Choir, organ and brass. This work will be performed Monday, June 16th at the opening service at the Assembly Hall by the International Children's Choir.

Visit our web page www.SLCAGO.ORG

Newsletter Editors note . . . The above graphic of the new Convention Center organ may be used by you in promotion of the coming Regional Convention in your own newsletters if your include the credit and permission line. "Picture courtesy of: www.UntraveledRoad.com" Let's get graphic!

November in your Chapter

(If you haven't already attended to these)

1. Contact all members who have not renewed.
2. Last issue of TAO is coming for those who have not renewed.
3. Contact potential new members in the area, and invite them to a chapter meeting.
4. Promote chapter-level RCYO competition. (Sites to be announced next issue. )
5. Executive committee should set the special dues amount (in effect Feb--March)

December in your Chapter

(Get a head start on?)

1. TAO subscription year begins.
2. By December 31 the Executive Committee should appoint the Nominating Committee. (If your chapter has a two-year rotation cycle, then this is for odd-numbered years.)

Assignment for Next Time . . .

1. Continue to report on how you distribute your chapter newsletters (still waiting)
2. Number of copies sent? Via e-mail? By regular-mail?
3. Do you use bulk mail? Interestingly, so far only three (3) chapters do!

Coming next newsletter:

1. Chapter Competition details -- where to send your "brightest and best!"
2. Guild Certificate Exams -- where the spring exam centers will be.
3. Postponed till next time: Meet remaining District Conveners.
4. Postponed till next time: How to put your Chapter Newsletter on-line.
5. Postponed till next time: True Story from Portland, Oregon.

Sincerely, Walter Krueger, Region VIII Councillor

Previous months' newsletters archive:

• October www.teleport.com/~wkrueger/region/Reg8News-v1n2-oct02.html
• September www.teleport.com/~wkrueger/region/Reg8News-v1n1sep02.html

Do not read: How many organists does it take to change a lightbulb? Two. One to change the bulb, and one to complain that the switch doesn't have any combination pistons. I told you not to read this.

Pipe up with your thoughts.

The "wise gargoyle" me fecit, mmii.