I was born in Burlington, North Carolina, the second child of four. My father was a minister in the United Methodist Church, and I remember at a very young age watching the organist at the Pittsboro UMC play the organ and then going home to imitate the manual...
This past Sunday, as we all know, was Palm/Passion Sunday. We ended the service with “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”, to focus the congregation toward Holy Week. I’ve always been impacted by the text to the last verse of that hymn: “Were the whole realm of nature...
A notice from ONCARD very recently informed us that Alan Whaley is our newest eager member. He would therefore be our 101st member! Please be sure to welcome him! This reminds us that all current members, whose membership renewal date is July 1, 2014, will soon...
February 22, 2015, 3:00 pm St. Giles Episcopal Church 3025 Walters Avenue, Northbrook, IL 60062 CLERGY-MUSICIAN RELATIONSHIPS: Rivals or Teammates? Collaboration between clergy and musicians is vital to the ministry of the Christian church, particularly in worship. ...
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH CONCERT SERIES 302 N. Dunton Avenue Arlington Heights, IL 60005 January 17, 2016 4:00PM Northwestern University Community Ensemble Northwestern’s premier gospel choir in a concert honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. FIRST...
It’s election time! The North Shore AGO board is excited about a great slate of candidates we have for you: Andrea Handley, Dean Sharon Peterson, Sub-dean Christine Kraemer, Secretary Laurie Stivers, Treasurer Kathy Roderer, Board member , 3-year term Bev Sheridan,...
I began studying piano at the age of 9 and was thrilled to find something that interested me since sports really wasn’t my thing. I had always been interested in the organ because of its variety of sounds and really wanted to study the organ, not the piano. Luckily,...
Music has always been at the center of Christian worship, and before that, in the Judeo temple liturgical tradition. You would then expect that pastors, priests and rabbis would have opportunity for a close working relationship and a collegial friendship with their...
No pithy thoughts this month! I just want to draw your attention to numerous news items: Chapter members had a gratifying and informative time together on Sunday tackling one of the issues of our profession – relationships between clergy and church musicians. Read...
April 11, 2015, 5:00 pm San Filippo Estate Barrington Hills, IL David Schrader in concert Enjoy house touring and a classical organ concert with organist David Schrader on the Sanfilippo Wurlitzer, the world’s largest theatre organ. Experience the world’s finest...
Many of you will remember the great success of the 2006 National AGO Convention in Chicago. A splendid group of AGO members from the Chicago, Fox Valley and North Shore Chapters worked diligently to arrange for inspired music-making, educational opportunities and...
We all know that volunteerism has been on the rise for several decades in North America. Collecting “community service” hours is now even common in secondary and higher education and in courts of justice. I myself, however, like to believe that participation in...
There are so many little things that we share with each other as organists that no one else understands completely. My favorite is the typical goodbye that people frequently utter on a Friday, when you’re leaving Starbuck’s or any other store – “Have a nice...
Sunday afternoon, April 26, was sunny and brisk both inside and outside St. Ita’s Roman Catholic parish on North Broadway in Chicago. Yun Kyong Kim’s splendid recital drew an appreciative audience of 150+, and their standing ovation was well-earned. Kim allowed the...
The costs surrounding the Sunday, April 26th organ recital by Yun Kim at St. Ita's amounted to approximately $2000. This included Kim's contract, travel expenses, program printing, reception caterer and reception beverages. Generous in-kind services included...
At the age of seven, I took my first keyboard lessons from my mother on a “pump organ” (i.e. harmonium) in the middle of nowhere in the middle of Africa – my parents were missionaries in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. My mother was a good pianist, so she and...
Music has always been at the center of Christian worship, and before that, in the Judeo temple liturgical tradition. You would then expect that pastors, priests and rabbis would have opportunity for a close working relationship and a collegial friendship with their...
Many years ago I was asked to play a piano solo at the church my family attended, Rogers Park Presbyterian in Chicago. This was during the summer when the choir was on hiatus, and I had taken several years of piano lessons by that time, so I gladly obliged. A...
It was a blustery, frigid evening, but inside 516 Greenwood Street in Evanston, a warm and festive party was underway for about thirty members and spouses, thanks to the wonderful hospitality of our Dean, Andrea Handley, and our Chaplain, David Handley. Blazing...
Thanks to the wonderful news you've read by now in this month's Dean's Column, our chapter is very fortunate to have a very solid bank balance at present of $45,344.36 - $33,411.24 of which is the amount our chapter just received from the dissolution of the ChicAGO...
It was a blustery, frigid evening, but inside 516 Greenwood Street in Evanston, a warm and festive party was underway for about thirty members and spouses, thanks to the wonderful hospitality of our Dean, Andrea Handley, and our Chaplain, David Handley. Blazing...