This spring is our election of officers. The proposed candidates are listed
below. In April each member will receive a ballot in the April issue of Pipe Notes.
Please fill them out and send them to your newsletter editor for tallying. We
extend a HUGE thank you to Marilyn Polson for contacting people and completing this
slate of willing officers.
Dean - Sherri Matthew
Sub Dean - Andrew Lawrence
Secretary - Marilyn Polson
Treasurer - Alan Walker
Executive Committee
Lynette Combs
Carol Jones
James Cassarino
Our Artist-of-the-Year, Karen Miller, will present a recital at the Stowe
Community Church on May 4 at 4 p.m. This will be followed by our Vermont AGO
Chapter annual meeting. Results of balloting will also be available.
Margaret Gramling of Strafford, a sometime Chapter member, died on February 14
at the age of 78. She was the organist at the Greater Hartford United Church for
eight years.
First United Methodist Church of Burlington, Vermont (21 Buell Street)
announces its Lenten Thursday noon recital series. These free programs are held
from 12:15 to 12:45. Light refreshments will be provided.
March 6 Francois Clemmons, Alexander Twilight Artist-in-Residence at
Middlebury College, will sing "The Life of Christ"
by Roland Hayes.
March 13 Tentative, program of organ and liturgical dance.
On Sunday, March 16 at 4 p.m., there will be a concert at Grace United
Methodist Church in Plainfield, Vezmnt. Betsy Brigham, soprano, Andrea
Brightenback, oboe and English Horn, and Lynnette Combs, organ will perform music by
J.S. Bach, Vaughn-Williams, Calvin Hampton, and others. The organ is a recently
restored 1873 Hook and Hastings, with a single manual and three ranks. Admission is
by donation.
On Sunday, April 6 at 4 p.m., Lynnette Combs will give a recital of organ
nusic by French composers at the Stowe Community Church in Stowe. She will perform
works by Jehan Alain, Vierne, Messiaen and others. Admission is by donation. This
recital will also be given in Barre on May 25 and in Bennington on June 1. For more
information, contact Lynnette at (802) 426-3850.
The Freelance Family Singers, the Woodstock area community chorus, will hold
its 30th Anniversary celebration concerts on Saturday, May 3 at 7 p.m. and Sunday,
May 4 at 3 p.m. in the First Congregational Church, Elm Street, Woodstock. These
concerts will include music for the full chorus, a guest appearance by the
University Chorus of the Upper Valley, and performances by vocal and instrumental
ensembles. The concerts are free with donations of non-perishable items for the
commity Food Shelf suggested; refreshments will be served. The director of
Freelance is Ellen Satterthwaite. Please call her at (802) 457-3980.
The First Baptist Church of Burlington, VT is seeking a new chancel Choir
Director (adult). The choir is an enthusiastic and experienced group of 18 - 22
covering SATB and rehearses weekly on Thursdays, 7 - 8:30 p.m. The choir sings
every Sunday from Sept. - mid-June and for special services (Christmas Eve, Maundy
Thursday, etc.). The Director would work closely with the Organist and Director of
Music, Dr. Susan Summerfield, and other church small ensembles. The organ is the
1864 E. & G. G. Hook tracker, restored in 1996. Salary will be negotiated on the
basis of education and experience. Contact Marty French, Music Committee Chair, at
(802) 863-3014 for more information.
The Charlotte Congregational Church, UCC will be in need of an organist as of
early March 2008. This person will be needed to provide music planned in
conjunction with the Pastor and Music Director for worship services two Sunday
mornings a month for a congregation of about 100 people. Services are at 10:00 to
11:00 a.m. A stipend of $125.00 for each service is offered. The organ is a two
manual, tubular pneumatic action instrument built by Estey in 1925. Contact person for
this position is J. Donald Schultz, 180 Pierson Drive, Shelburne, VT 05482-6440, phone
number (802) 985-2658 or e-mail:
jdonaldschultz@comcast.net
Ascension Lutheran Church needs an organist to play the organ and/or keyboard
at all regular church services and special services and oversee organ maintenance.
The successful candidate would be a Lutheran or one who is willing to learn the
Lutheran traditions and liturgy. The church organist is responsible to Pastor Nancy
Wright with oversight from the Worship and Music Committee. Please contact the
pastor at the church. The phone number is (802) 862-8866 and e-mail is:
revnancywright@earthlink.net
An organist is needed the beginning of March for the West Lebanon
Congregational Church, West Lebanon, New Hampshire. The organist accompanies the
choir (but does not direct the choir). There is one Sunday, 10:00 a.m. service with
choir rehearsal at 8:30 a.m. There is no mid-week choir rehearsal. It is a two
manual tracker organ, that was fully reconditioned in 2000. Salary negotiable.
Please contact Traci Ladue at (603) 448-1364.
The deadline for the April issue of Pipe Notes will be March 20. If you
have spring events to share, please send them to your newsletter editor soon so
others can enjoy the events in your area, too. And it's not too early to think about
summer events and getting them announced in the newsletter so members can save the
dates on their calendars.
The following excerpt might solicit a smirk and a knowing nod from some of our
membership. Taken from Mark Twain's (Samuel Clemens') Tom Sawyer, this is a Twain
commentary on church choirs, especially those seated in galleries:
"The congregation being fully assembled, now, the bell rang once more, to warn
laggards and stragglers, and then a solemn hush fell upon the church which was only
broken by the tittering and whispering of the choir in the gallery. The choir
always tittered and whispered all through service. There was once a church choir
that was not ill-bred, but I have forgotten where it was, now. It was a great many
years ago, and I can scarcely remember anything about it, but I think it was in some
foreign country."
