“Celebrating American Guild of Organists 125th Anniversary Past and Present” on Sunday afternoon, November 14 at Trinity United Methodist Church in Wilmette was a remarkably successful and inspiring event! A short video by National staff member Elizabeth George effectively introduced the program with slides and text about the founding of the national organization in 1896. North Shore Chapter members Andrea Handley, Steve Folkers, Jill Hunt, Matt Doran, Marianne Kim, Christine Kraemer, John Mackey, and Derek Nickels, played music composed by some of the early founders and also by living composers Lee Nelson, Morgan Simmons, and Marianne Kim, members of our own chapter!
Longtime chapter member Kirstin Synnestvedt delighted the audience of organists and Trinity church folk with her storytelling, a unique selection of hats, and a song, George and Ira Gershwin’s “They Can’t Take That Away from Me.” Morgan Simmons conducted the audience/choir in a heartfelt rendition of Peter Christian Lutkin’s “The Lord Bless You and Keep You.”
Our sincere thanks to the performers; the program committee; Judy Kohl, Isza Wu, Adrienne Tindall, and Christine Kraemer; Richard Clemmitt, video and printed program; Adrienne Tindall, post concert snacks; and host Trinity United Methodist Church, Andrea Handley, organist.
Committee Chairs 
Group photo of performers and composers 
Submitted by Christine Kraemer