From the Dean

	Keith S. Tóth, Dean

Dear Colleagues,

I hope that 2014 has gotten off to a fine start for you all in spite of the very cold, wintry weather that we have been enduring here in New York City.

Sadly, due to a large snow storm, we had to cancel the Improvisation Symposium featuring Dr. William Porter that was scheduled for Tuesday, January 21. The Program Committee is working with Dr. Porter to reschedule this event hopefully in the near future.

February now brings us the next event in the life of the chapter, our annual Presidents’ Day conference on Monday February 17. This year’s conference will focus on Johann Sebastian Bach. The featured artists for this exciting conference will be organists Kimberly Marshall and James Kennerley and harpsichordist Kenneth Weiss in addition to instrumentalists performing on period instruments. We are thankful to John Cantrell and the parish of St. Michael’s Church for hosting us on February 17. Details about the day may be found later in this newsletter and at the chapter’s website. Thanks again to David Enlow and his committee for planning this spectacular conference.

The 2013-14 Annual Directory of the New York City Chapter was mailed from the printer in early January. This is the earliest that the directory has been produced in quite some time. Hearty thanks to Len Levasseur for producing another handsome directory for the chapter. Hearty thanks also to Bernadette Hoke (directory advertising coordinator) and Registrar Larry J. Long for the many hours they have put into the directory. I am personally appreciative of having such diligent members on the Executive Board such as Bernadette and Larry!

In early January the trustees of the chapter’s Centennial Millennium Fund (Christopher Babcock, Louise Basbas, Dr. Neal Campbell, Brian Regan and Keith S. Tóth) met to review all grant proposals received by the published deadline of December 31, 2013. This is the first time in the history of the fund that the trustees have met to disperse funds. Thirteen proposals were received by the deadline. The fund has generated enough income since 1996 to allow for $20,000 in disbursements this year. In accordance with the published guidelines for grants, the trustees focused on those proposals that had the greatest impact on promoting the organ as a musical instrument to the general public. On behalf of the trustees, I am happy to announce those receiving grants from the fund for the 2014 calendar year:

AGO Headquarters for development of their new website (www.agohq.org) that will promote the work of the Guild and the organ internationally. ($7,500) Boston AGO 2014 national convention for development and promotion of their “Family Organ Encounter Day” on Saturday, June 21 which is programming an exciting and extensive free, hands-on outreach day for children and families. ($7,500) The Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ in supporting and promoting major concert, outreach and educational events in celebration of the return in September 2014 of the restored Kotzschmar Organ in the Merrill Auditorium in Portland, Maine. ($5,000)

I am also happy to announce that a firm process is now in place to receive and act upon grant proposals each year going forward. Many thanks to the trustees of the fund for their oversight of this precious asset on the chapter’s behalf.

In closing, the Board joins with me in sending our very best wishes to you. We look forward to seeing you during the Presidents’ Day Conference, “Bach Perspectives”.

Respectfully yours,

Keith S. Tóth
Dean

Next Chapter EVENT:

	Kimberly Marshall
	Kenneth Weiss
	James Kennerley

Presidents' Day Conference

MONDAY • 17 FEBRUARY 2014

Bach Perspectives

9.00–10.00 Hall -- Breakfast catered by Balthazar Bakery

10.15–11.15 Hall -- Kimberly Marshall Ornamentation from Buxheim through Bach

11.30–12.30 Church -- Kenneth Weiss Reflections on Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier

12.30 Lunch on your own

2.00–3.30 Church -- Kimberly Marshall Italian Influences and the Stylus Phantasticus

4.00 Church -- Closing Concert – Bach Trio Sonatas

James Kennerley, harpsichord
Cynthia Roberts, violin
Katie Reitman, 'cello

Members from the Past

Chris Babcock correctly identified our colleague Robert Russell in the last issue.

The photograph appeared in the November 1965 issue of The American Organist announcing his appointment as organist and choirmaster of the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, Queens, which the caption further states is the oldest continuously active Presbyterian congregation in the United States, having been founded in 1662.

Bob studied at Wagner College, Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University, and the Royal School of Church Music in England. He is best known to us for his long tenure (1973-2003) as the visionary organist and choirmaster of Christ & St. Stephen's Church near Lincoln Center, where he was known for his imaginative programming of commissioned works and for establishing a program of Fellows in Church Music, the list of which includes many well-known organists in the profession today.

Can You Identify This Member From the Past?

. . . now deceased?