This month’s Membership Matters includes the first “Activities and Interests” posting, where musical accomplishments, hobbies, and current projects of Northshore AGO members are showcased. An interview with Morgan Simmons and pictures of his exquisite needlepoint talent follows.
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Curiosity! Some years ago Studs Terkel quipped, “Curiosity didn’t kill this cat.” I’m another surviving feline! The perennial quest for knowledge is the motivating force gets the juices flowing. A crossword puzzle is a regular component of the breakfast routine that is supported by a dictionary and atlas that rest on the chair adjacent to mine. No smart phone!
What was something that recently brought you great joy?
Having our most recent great grandchild Vivienne (number three) squeeze my offered finger — assurance that the family will go on for another generation.
What is the best piece of advice someone gave you?
That’s a difficult question to answer because I’ve been blessed by an abundance of wise family members and a host of caring mentors throughout my life. In the musical realm I remember the admonition from my revered piano teacher of teenage years saying: “speed is the easiest thing to acquire if your technique is secure”. I often think of that adage when hearing young performers race through compositions, while sacrificing musical subtitles.
The words of the trainer in the movie “Chariots of Fire” have stuck with me for years and have curbed the temptation to judge others’ behavior: “You can’t put in what God left out”! Nature wins over nurture most of the time, but the promise that sustains me is the unconditional love of God for ALL humanity!
What aspect of active music making do you miss the most?
Leading congregations in the playing of hymns! Hands down! For me that opportunity Sunday by Sunday was the highlight of my week. As an early teen, I had the privilege of serving as the pianist for the Methodist Youth Assembly at Huntingdon College in Montgomery. Hearing a chapel full of young people sing hymns as I played ignited my interest in hymnody, which continues to the present – the wedding of head and heart, text and tune and sharing that powerful marriage with fellow worshipers.
What organ that you have played has lasted in your memory?
On Sunday April 29, 1956 Mary and I, along with our 10 month-old son, had the thrill of attending the Laurenskerk in Alkmaar, Holland which houses what many consider the finest organ in the world, one built in 1646 by van Hagenbeer and Franz Caspar Schnitger. Here is an excerpt from my log:
After the service Piet Kee, the organist, let me try the organ and although the action is tracker it isn’t too stiff. The stops look much like the ends of spooled bedposts and pull out about 3 or 4 inches. The tone is magnificent and, of course, very clear. The acoustics are just right for the organ.
What other musical experience holds a special place?
In December of 1955 I had the opportunity of a lifetime: attending the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King’s College Chapel Cambridge with Boris Ord conducting. Seated in the choir stalls, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Entering that building is, in itself, a religious experience, but with the addition of glorious music enhanced by unparalleled acoustics, there are no words adequate to describe the resulting grandeur.
What are three things you are passionate about?
Family, respect for all humankind and respect for the natural world!
How did you discover a love for needlepoint and how many hours do you do it a day on average?
During World War II, my father’s youngest brother was sent overseas for almost five years, and his wife and baby daughter came to live with my grandmother. My Aunt Sara brought with her a classical musical record collection and the art of needlepointing. I was enamored of both; the bug has continued to bite all these years later. Since I don’t rest easily in “downtime”, needlepointing fills the void. I would say that I spend an average of two to three hours a day with a needle and wool/silk/metallic/pearl cotton stitching.
Which needlepoint project has been the most fun or gratifying to date?
There are two pieces that vie for top choice: a tapestry of Middle East design that hangs in our entrance hall and “The Burning Bush” tapestry that hangs in the new addition to Fourth Church in Chicago.
What else would you like us to know?
The gratitude that Mary and I feel for our long association with our fellow members of the North Shore Chapter of AGO. I have been associated with the Guild since I joined the student chapter at DePauw University in 1947. It has been a sustaining force for both my personal and professional life, and for that I will be eternally thankful.
