January 14 at 2:30PM
This concert will display new music being written by composers that are still alive. It will mostly aimed at local organists in the area, but the invitation is extended to all music appreciators. There will be works performed by Paul Ayres (based in UK), Brenda Portman (based in OH), Andrew Carter (based in UK), Paul Fey (based in Germany), Christa Rakich (based in CT). The goal of this concert is to provide music that is practical, listenable, and usable at Mass and other religious services. Many will be hearing these works for the first time ever. Join us with this moment of firsts.
The American Guild of Organists (AGO) is a national organization of organists and choral conductors. In our region, the library of this organization resides at our Cathedral. The library in the past has been a compilation of organists that have passed from our midst and donnated their personal library. As with technology, there are always new discoveries and updates to any scholarly editions of music. This makes the donnations outdated, and makes the people who use the library uninterested in what it contains.
But we are giving it new life and enlivening a stronger connection between the music-writers and performers. The library now contains several new works by organ composers that people in the AGO can access and try out. This is an opportunity to see if it "fits under their fingers" before they may want to purchase the music. This makes the library a bit more attractive to the local organists and makes it more usable. The conversations and communications it takes to get this kind of project moving with some momentum is the exact thing building the bridge between composer and performer. The composers hear our feedback on some of the music available, and continues to compose useful music for us at our Masses and other religious gatherings (AGO is not specifically catholic).
For AGO Members, there will be a time with the library, and for members to use the organ. As this instrument and space can be quite intimidating to some organists, we ask that you respect the personal time of the AGO Members on the organ.