American Guild of Organists: San Jose Chapter

09/07/2019

Don't forget this recital on Friday evening, September 13th, 2019

08/08/2019

06/28/2019

Here is the post I spoke of regarding the construction and design of Bales Recital Hall at the University of Kansas in Lawrence.

About Architecture Acoustics Stained Glass Windows

06/28/2019

As a former KU organ major, I'm not surprised to hear of this appointment. KU's organ department had the luxury of creating their recital hall AFTER the design and specification of the new organ had been determined. IN the subsequent post I will provide a link to an article about that Hall: Bales Recital Hall.

An internationally established organist is joining the faculty at the University of Kansas School of Music. Olivier Latry, one of the three organists for the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, is filling the William T. Kemper Artist-in-Residence at KU for the upcoming school year, the university rece...

02/06/2018

Please join us for our 2018 Student Recital!

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11/12/2015

This weekend we have the honor of hearing from last year's Frasier winner: Nicholas Welch will give his Frasier Recital on Sunday 15 Nov. 2015 at 7 PM at St.
Mark’s Episcopal, 600 Colorado, Ave., Palo Alto, Free.

10/27/2015

Looking for a Halloween Concert NOT conflicting with trick or treating and other parties this weekend? Campbell United Methodist Church and the San AGO chapter presents:

A Halloween Concert,
Friday, October 30th
7:30pm
1675 Wi******er Blvd.
Campbell, CA

Margaret Kvamme and Michael Wright, organists

Free-will offering accepted
light reception afterwards

Prizes for best in costumes!

03/12/2015

This Friday we have an opportunity to hear one of our chapter member perform:

2015 Lenten Music
St. Joseph of Cupertino Catholic Church
20100 N. De Anza Blvd., Cupertino, CA 95014
12:15-12:45 pm
March 13, 2014 Program

1. Christ, Savior of All Healy Willan
2. Litany No. 4 Lothar Bandermann
3. Elegy No. 7 L. B.
4. I Dream of a World L. B.
5. Variations on Heinlein AnitaGraves
6. Variations on McKee Valerie Sterk
7. Fugue on St. Anne L. B

1. Christ, Savior of All
This Chorale Prelude is on a Gregorian Chant Christe, Redemptor Omnium by the great Canadian composer of sacred music of the 20th century, Healy Willan.

2. Litany No. 4
A spoken Litany involves the repetition of a phrase, with varying petitions in-between. A musical Litany repeats (many times) a motif or musical phrase in various arrangements. This Litany was inspired by witnessing the agonizing death of an animal hit by a car. The ending measures of the piece later became the beginning measures of my Requiem.

3. Elegy No. 7
Last year, a nephew of mine was murdered. This piece was written in his memory.

4. I Dream A World
This song (sung by Dan and Yvonne) is on a text by the great African American Poet Langston Hughes (1902-67). It was written for Martin Luther King day.

5. Variations on ‘Heinlein’
Traditional hymn tunes have been given names by which they are known to church musicians who might use the tune also for other hymn texts. Heinlein is the name of the tune for “Forty Days and Forty Nights.” This lovely set of variations was written by the late Anita Graves who was the Dean of the San Jose Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) for several years.

6. Variations on ‘McKee’
The song for these variations is ‘In Christ There Is No East or West’ (which is based on a Spiritual), and the composer, Valerie Sterk, is organist at Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church. I added a little Fugue for this performance using the first half of the tune as its subject.

7. Fugue on ‘St. Anne’
St. Anne is the name of the hymn tune of “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” by William Croft (1708) on the text by Isaac Watts (1719) referring to Psalm 90.

01/23/2015

Looking for a musical-filled weekend? You have 3 amazing concerts to choose from:

The Alzheimer’s Concerts are sponsored by the San
Jose Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
Three benefit concerts will be given by chapter
members and volunteers on three successive days.
You will want to hear these concerts. Bring your
friends
Admission is free. Donations go to the Alzheimer’s
Association for research.

The first concert will be held on 23 January 2015
(Friday) at St. Bede’s, 2650 Sand Hill Rd, San Mateo
at 7 30 PM. Angela Kraft Cross will play organ and
Larry and Carla Sue will be playing bells.

The second concert will be held on 24 January 2015
(Saturday) at the First Palo Alto United Methodist
Church, 625 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto at 3 PM. The
performers will be Diane Keller, organ, and Fiume de
Musica (a violin group with cello and other
instruments).

The third concert will be held on 25 January 2015
(Sunday) at the Advent Lutheran Church, 16870
Murphy Ave, Morgan Hill, at 5 PM. The performers
will be Stephen Boniface, organ, San Jose Metro
Jazz Band, Bradshaw Piano Duo, (ragtime), and the
Santa Anna Winds Quintet.