From the Dean

	Keith S. Tóth, Dean

Dear Colleagues,

Our Presidents’ Day Conference, Bach Perspectives, was a grand success. A sizable attendance from morning through the last afternoon event gained much from the scholarly research presented by organist Kimberly Marshall and harpsichordist Kenneth Weiss. Board member James Kennerley and a trio of instrumentalists performing on period instruments finished our conference with an elegant performance of Baroque chamber music including a couple of J.S. Bach’s organ trio sonatas arranged for chamber ensemble. The chapter is indebted to Sub-Dean David Enlow and his program committee for organizing such an important and well-executed conference. We are also most grateful to John Cantrell and the clergy and staff of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church who graciously hosted us on Presidents’ Day.

On March 1, the chapter presented our 2014 Organ Day for Pianists. This day of workshops and private lessons has proven to be most valuable to pianists either pressed into serving as organists or generally wanting to learn more about playing our instrument. We are thankful to Eric Birk, Dr. Andrew Henderson and Bernadette Hoke for presenting workshops at this event. I would also like to express our appreciation to the First Reformed Episcopal Church and Bernadette Hoke for hosting this event. Heartfelt gratitude to all chapter members who volunteered their time to teach the private lessons at this event.

Our next chapter event will be on Monday, March 31 at 5:00PM when the chapter presents Dr. William Porter in an improvisation symposium and recital at The Brick Church. More about this event may be found later in this newsletter.

I am most thankful to all who completed our survey regarding a potential bid to host the 2020 National AGO convention. Although the responses were very positive, it was the opinion of the exploratory committee (Kyler Brown, chair: Christopher Babcock, Douglas Keilitz, Deanna Muro) and the Board that the chapter needed more time to properly prepare for a bid to host a national convention (the deadline for the 2020 bid proposal was this March 1). Thus, the board ratified the exploratory committee’s recommendation that we not submit a bid for the 2020 convention. The committee and the Board hope that the newly elected board after the spring election will consider taking the necessary steps to bid for the 2022 national convention. Many thanks to Kyler Brown and his committee for all of the diligent work that they put into the wonderfully crafted questionnaire and other research involved with the bid process.

Members in good standing with the chapter will have already received a separate email with the proposed slate of officers and board members for the upcoming chapter election. As articulated in that email, our election process also allows for nominations from chapter members in good standing. A reminder that any properly submitted nominations from the membership must be received by chapter Secretary Sebastian M. Glück by Friday, March 14.

We once again enter an intense period for those of us involved in sacred music. Please accept my very best wishes to all for profound music making over these next weeks.

Respectfully yours,

Keith S. Tóth
Dean

	William Porter

Next Chapter EVENT:

MONDAY • 31 MARCH 2014

Improvisation Symposium

with William Porter

Members from the Past

Gottfried H. Federlein in 1932

There were several attempts at last month's member from the past, but no one correctly identified Gottfried Federlein (1883-1952) in last month's issue.

Federlein is best remembered as the organist of Temple Emanu-El from 1915-1945, first at the former temple at Fifth Avenue and 43rd Street, playing the J. H. & C. S. Odell organ, and then at the present location at Fifth Avenue and 65th Street when the congregation merged with Temple Beth-El, where he played the large new Casavant organ.

Federlein also served several churches in the metropolitan area including Marcy Avenue Baptist Church in Brooklyn, the Church of the Incarnation, Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Trinity Church and the Society for Ethical Culture in New York, and Central Presbyterian Church in Montclair, New Jersey.

He studied at Trinity School and the Institute of Musical Art where his teachers included Edward Biedermann, Percy Goetschius, and Louis V. Saar. He was the composer of many works in various genres for the church, synagogue, and concert hall, and was a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers. He earned the FAGO in 1904 and served the Guild in several capacities, including sub warden, as the position of vice president was then known. In 1915 he received the AGO's Clemson Prize for best anthem for mixed voices and organ.

Can You Identify This Member From the Past?

. . . now deceased?