The New York City Chapter hosted a Pipe Organ Encounter Advanced from July 18–23. Twenty-two students from across the United States and Canada came to the Big Apple to study the King of Instruments with some of the country’s finest teachers.

On Sunday afternoon, July 18, after checking into the Saint Thomas Choir School, our headquarters for the week, the students attended a recital presented by Andrew Henderson, Mary Wannamaker Huff, Renée Anne Louprette, Nancianne Parrella, and Stephen Tharp at the Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola. Following the recital, the students enjoyed open console at the Mander organ, before returning to the Choir School for dinner and free time, which included a walking tour of Midtown Manhattan and Times Square.

On Monday morning, the students traveled throughout Manhattan for their private lessons. In the afternoon, the group traveled to First Presbyterian Church, where Dr. William Entriken and Sebastian M. Glück presented a lecture on how organ literature determines the stop list for an organ. Immediately following the lecture, chapter member and POE alumnus John Walthausen, a student at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and winner of the Region II Competition for Young Organists, presented a recital at First Presbyterian Church. At the conclusion of John’s recital, the group traveled to Saint Paul’s German Lutheran Church, where POEA Director, Paul Murray, led a lecture on the fundamentals of chant interpretation. After a pizza dinner, the students enjoyed a unique perspective of New York City from the eighty-sixth floor observatory of the Empire State Building.

On Tuesday, following breakfast and lessons, the group met at Saint Michael’s Episcopal Church, where Dr. Walter Hilse led a hands-on lecture on the analysis of two Bach fugues. Dr. Dennis Keene presented a lecture on choral conducting. POEA students comprised the choir and students volunteered to conduct under Dr. Keene’s tutelage. In the early evening, the group walked ten blocks north to the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, where James Wetzel demonstrated the Great Organ. Following dinner on the Cathedral’s campus, the students heard a brilliant recital by Christopher Creaghan at The Riverside Church, presented as a part of the church’s summer recital series. After Mr. Creaghan’s recital, the students again had an opportunity for open console. Upon returning to the Choir School, the students played an organ trivia game “Who Wants to Be an Organist”, hosted by Paul Murray, along with celebrity panelists, chaperones Raymond Nagem, Kevin Neel, Nicholas Russotto, Leslie Smith, and Fred Teardo.

On Wednesday, the students did not have morning lessons. Instead, they were given a tour of the rare instruments collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which includes the 1830 II/16 Appleton organ. Special thanks to Larry Trupiano, curator of the Appleton organ, for leading the tour and allowing the students to play the organ. Afternoon lectures took place at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, where Dr. Andrew Henderson presented a lecture on French classical organ literature and Mr. David Enlow presented a master class on service playing. A catered buffet dinner was served at the Church of the Holy Family before a hymn festival led by Robert Ridgell. Following the hymn festival, participants had an opportunity to request their favorite hymn. In the course of two and a half hours, nearly fifty hymns were sung.

On Thursday, following their morning lessons, the students participated in two workshops at the Church of the Holy Family: improvisation, led by Mr. McNeil Robinson, and choral accompanying, led by Dr. John King. Mr. David Enlow led a panel discussion on AGO Certification, where the students received useful information on the Guild’s Service Playing and Colleague exams, with the encouragement that they could easily earn one or both certificates. Walking back to the Choir School for a final dinner, the group stopped at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, where Mr. Daniel Brondel, Associate Director of Music at the Cathedral, demonstrated the mighty Kilgen organs. After dinner, the students returned to Fifth Avenue, where Mr. Frederick Teardo played an awe-inspiring recital at Saint Thomas Church, employing both the Arents Memorial Organ and the Loening-Hancock Organ. Open console on both instruments followed the recital.

Early Friday morning, students were packed and moved out of the dorms before traveling to their lessons. After lunch at the Choir School, two student recitals were held simultaneously across 73rd Street, one at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church and the other at Rutgers Presbyterian Church. The two recitals enabled all students to perform. Each performance exhibited first class talent and musicianship. The recitals were the official conclusion of the POEA and students returned home fatigued, having absorbed much during their week in New York City.

Gratitude is expressed to the chaperones, workshop presenters, faculty of the POEA: Daniel Brondel, Dr. Claudia Dumschat, Dr. William Entriken, Dr. Stephen Hamilton, Dr. David Hurd, Dr. Matthew Lewis, Renée Anne Louprette, McNeil Robinson, Stephen Tharp, William Trafka, and Christopher Creaghan, faculty chair; Maria Helena Tharp and Michael Goodman, chaperone coordinators; Dr. Tina Frühauf, coordinator of background checks; Dr. F. Anthony Thurman, chapter treasurer; Mary Wannamaker Huff, POEA registrar; Dr. Andrew Henderson, publicity coordinator; David Enlow, program chair; Cleveland Kersh, food services coordinator; Saint Thomas Choir School, Father Charles Wallace, headmaster, Ruth Cobb, director of admissions, and Heidi Thomas, chef; Frank Crosio, past dean and Keith S. Tóth, current dean who made the POEA a great success for the students and for the chapter.

Paul J. Murray