A New Start: Choir, Church, Guild

In recent years, I have come to depend on Mike as (in effect) assistant director and head proctor of the youth choir; now he is gone to college. He was, in a sense, the last of a “generation” in the choir, a group that began with Jennifer and Meredith, and included Mark and Edgar as well as Mike. They all sang in the choir right through high school, and all of them were strong choristers who led by example.

The mantle of leadership falls now to Tom, Ken, and Max among the boys; Lucy, Caleigh, and Elise among the girls, with Ted and Michael as the leaders for a large group of new treble boys. Of this group, Tom is the only one in high school; the others are all younger.
We do have new singers, eleven of them at Wednesday’s rehearsal: six girls and five boys. They were enthusiastic, and the overall sound was good. It will be a young choir this year, very different from last year’s group.

I can see that these new choristers, along with an excellent group of second and third year choristers, are the foundation for the future. In a few years, I hope that they will be wearing the red ribbons, going to the RSCM courses, leading by example in the choir and in life. It may be that I can see them through; I will be seventy when these first-year choristers graduate from high school. I hope I can make it that far.


Our parish is entering a new generation, too. On Candlemas this past winter, we received a new Rector. Nora joined us a few weeks ago as director of Christian Formation. Carol and Ellyn are retiring from the office staff. Of the “old-timers,” only three of us remain: John, Raisin, and me. I have learned that Nora is just as good at her work as Meg (who preceded Nora in her position). I love working with most of these people. With the rector, time will tell.


Yesterday, as the new secretary of the local chapter of the American Guild of Organists, I recorded the minutes of the executive board. The dean, sub-dean, treasurer, and secretary are new to their positions. I commented to the dean at the end of the meeting: “I have no idea what I am supposed to do.” “Neither do I,” she said. She had just conducted a well-organized and productive meeting, which seems to me a good start. All of us will need to figure it out as we go.

There was a time when I was active in the AGO; I served as chapter dean for three or four terms back in the 1980’s and 90’s; I was on this chapter’s executive board for one term about ten years ago. But since then, I have shied away from Guild work; I have hardly attended any meetings, after they moved them to Sunday evenings some years ago. I agreed to be secretary largely out of regard for the past-dean, Melanie, who has done much to hold things together these recent years.

I saw yesterday that I have been wrong to stay on the sidelines. There is much to do, and it will be good to work again with my fellow organists. As we discussed at the meeting, many organists look at the Guild and ask “What’s in it for me?” The AGO does offer help at all levels of training and ability, for those who seek it. But the proper question would be “What can I do to help?” The Guild is probably the only group that stands up for the organ and its music. It is the only place I know where I have found consistent support in my work, through good times and bad -- friends who have listened to me, advised me, helped me. And there is more...

When I was getting started, there was a man, Ralph M., dean of the local chapter there in West Virginia, whose license plate was for many years “MrAGO.” If anyone ever deserved such a term, Ralph was the guy. His cordial welcome to me as a scruffy twenty-something from out in the sticks (I had driven about two hours to get to a meeting) was part of what made me an organist. He helped steer me toward the Guild’s certification exams, and I was able to complete the Associate’s Exam before applying for graduate school. That was part of what got me in, because my credentials were lacking. I remember meeting with the dean of graduate studies during my interview and audition: “So... who have you studied with on organ?” “No one. I have taught myself.” [I did have a bachelor's degree in piano, as he could see from my papers.] Long silence ensued as he frowned at me. “Now, you know that Westminster Choir College is an important school. We accept only the most qualified applicants. And you think you can get in without any prior study?” I shrugged my shoulders and gave no answer; what could I say?

The AGO had given direction to my organ study by means of the certification exams. Because of that, I was able to go into my audition, the dean’s words still in my ears, knowing that I had already passed an examination generally considered equivalent to a master’s degree in organ. The organ faculty certainly knew what that “A.A.G.O.” meant on my application. They were willing to overlook my serious deficiencies in pedal technique, listen to my playing with an open mind, and accept me into their school.

“What can I do to help?” I can carve out time in my schedule -- even as I attempt to cut back on other things -- to try and be “Mr. AGO” for someone else. I can do my small part to keep this chapter going.

“The harvest is plenteous, but the laborers are few.”