 |
Closing Banquet at Waldorf=Astoria Hotel
Click on most images to enlarge |
American Guild of Organists
60th National Convention
New York City
June 25–29, 1956
The Sixtieth Anniversary National Convention of the American Guild of Organists was held in New York City from June 25-29, 1956. Hosted by the New York City Chapter, the convention was organized by Robert Baker and Virgil Fox, co-chairmen; Miss Roberta Bailey, convention manager; M. Searle Wright, chairman of the program committee, and many other committees staffed by chapter members. Convention attendees stayed in the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel.
Click here to view the Convention Booklet.
Reviews of the convention: The Diapason (Aug. 1956) and The American Organist (Aug. 1956)
Featured venues, artists and lecturers included:
| Sunday, June 24 (pre-convention) |
• |
Cadet Chapel, West Point Military Academy – John A. Davis, Jr., organist |
• |
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Newark (dedication of Schantz organ) – Pierre Cochereau, organist |
• |
St. Paul's Chapel, Columbia University – Oratorio Society of New York; Clarence Snyder, Robert Elmore, M. Searle Wright, Frank Scherer, conductors; Clarence Snyder, organist |
| Monday, June 25 |
• |
St. Thomas Church – Pierre Cochereau, organist |
• |
St. Bartholomew Church – Guild Festival Choral Service; combined choirs of St. Bartholomew, Calvary and St. Mark's-in-the-Bouwerie churches; Harold Friedell, director-organist; Frederick Swann and David Hewlett, organists |
| Tuesday, June 26 |
• |
St. Thomas Church – Choral Morning Prayer; St. Thomas Choir of Boys and Men; William Self, organist and master of the choir; Edward A. Wallace, service organist; David R. Fuller, organist |
• |
The Riverside Church – Donald McDonald and George Faxon, organists |
• |
James Memorial Chapel, Union Theological Seminary – Chapel Choirs; Ifor Jones, director; Albert Russell, organist |
• |
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine – Charlotte Garden, organist |
• |
The Riverside Church – Riverside Church Choir; Louise Natale, soprano; John Fleming, baritone; brass and timpani ensemble; Richard Weagly, director; Virgil Fox, organist |
• |
Paramount Theatre "Milkman's Matinee" – Ray Bohr, organist, with extemporizations by M. Searle Wright, Ray Kleve, Richard Purvis, Virgil Fox, and Pierre Cochereau |
| Wednesday, June 27 |
• |
Central Presbyterian Church – Wilbur Held, organist, playing the 1957 AGO examination pieces |
• |
Central Presbyterian Church – Forum on Teaching Methods and Materials: Harold Gleason and Catharine Crozier, co-chairmen; Mildred Andrews; Robert Noehren; Leslie Spelman; and Vernon de Tar |
• |
St. James Church – Forum on Composition and its Relation to Church Music: Otto Leuning |
• |
Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church – Examinations and Music-Making: William B. Mitchell |
• |
St. James Church – Alexander Schreiner, organist |
• |
Lewisohn Stadium – New York Philharmonic-Society; Oratorio Society of New York; William Strickland, director; Claire Coci and George Thalben-Ball, organists |
| Thursday, June 28 |
• |
Hunter College Auditorium – E. Power Biggs, organist, and instrumental ensemble |
• |
Christ Methodist Church – Lecture: Rhythm and Tempo: Curt Sachs |
• |
Assembly Hall, Temple Eman-El – Forum: Choral Techniques & Repertoire: Vernon de Tar |
• |
St. James Church – Claribel Thomson and Oswald Ragatz, organists |
• |
Temple Emanu-El – George Thalben-Ball, organist |
| Friday, June 29 |
• |
Church of St. Paul the Apostle – The Paulist Choristers; Rev. Joseph R. Foley, choirmaster; Frank Campbell-Watson, organist |
• |
Waldorf=Astoria Hotel – Lecture-Demonstration: Trends in European Organ-Building: Dirk A. Flentrop, lecturer; Donald Willing, organist |
• |
St. Bartholomew Church – Lecture-Forum: Worship, Architecture and Acoustics: Ray Berry |
• |
Church of St. Mary the Virgin – Emily Ann Cooper (Arkadelphia, Ark.), organist, winner of 1956 AGO National Competition |
• |
St. Bartholomew Church – Clarence Mader, organist |
• |
Temple Emanu-El – Sabbath Evening Service: Emanu-El Choir; Robert Baker, director-organist; Herman Berlinski, organist |
• |
Waldorf=Astoria Hotel – Convention Banquet and Closing Festivities; Anna Russell, comedienne |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Flentrop Orgelbouw B.V.
Zaandam, The Netherlands (1956)
Mechanical key and stop action
1 manual, 6 stops, 7 ranks
This one-manual positief organ was built for a lecture-demonstration given by Dirk A. Flentrop in a meeting room of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Mr. Flentrop spoke on "Trends in European Organ-Building" and the organ was demonstrated by Mr. Donald Willing. The organ had six manual stops and pull-down pedals.
Kurt E. Röderer, then an employee of Flentrop Orgelbouw, installed the positief organ. Following the convention, the organ was sold to Fenner Douglas for his Oberlin, Ohio residence. Mr. Röderer moved the organ to Oberlin, and then decided to stay in the U.S. The Flentrop organ was later acquired by the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and is extant (with two added pedal stops) in Fairchild Chapel, as shown in the photo. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Manuaal – 54 notes (C-f''')
|
|
Cymbel I-II ranks |
| Notes |
Pitches |
Pipes |
| C - A |
1/2' |
10 |
| A# - b |
2/3' |
14 |
c' - f' |
1', 2/3' |
12 |
| f#' - f'' |
1-1/3', 1' |
24 |
| f#'' - f''' |
2', 1-1/3' |
24 |
| |
|
84 |
|
|
8 |
|
Holpijp |
54 |
|
|
8 |
|
Quintadeen |
54 |
|
|
4 |
|
Prestant |
54 |
|
|
4 |
|
Roerfluit |
54 |
|
|
2 |
|
Gemshoorn |
54 |
|
|
| |
|
Cymbel I-II ranks |
84 |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Pedaal – 32 notes
|
|
| |
|
No stops; pull-downs only |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Schlicker Organ Company
Buffalo, N.Y. (1953)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 28 stops, 13 ranks
On Thursday, June 28, organist E. Power Biggs and an instrumental ensemble presented a program of Sweelinck, Soler, Handel and Mozart in the Hunter College Auditorium. Mr. Biggs played his traveling organ, dubbed "The Cambridge Portativ," that was built by the Schlicker Organ Company in 1953. This organ was later refurbished by Schlicker — who added an 8' Principal (12 pipes) and 1-3/5' Terz (45 pipes) — and sold to a private individual for his California residence. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes
|
8 |
|
Gedeckt |
|
2 |
|
Principal |
|
8 |
|
Quintadena |
|
2 |
|
Rohr Floete |
|
4 |
|
Octave |
|
|
|
Mixture II-III ranks |
|
4 |
|
Rohr Floete |
|
8 |
|
Krummhorn |
|
2 2/3 |
|
Nasat |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Positiv Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes
|
8 |
|
Gedeckt |
|
2 |
|
Quintadena |
|
8 |
|
Quintadena |
|
1 1/3 |
|
Larigot |
|
4 |
|
Rohr Floete |
|
1 |
|
Siffloete |
|
2 |
|
Rohr Floete |
|
|
|
Cymbal II ranks (C-B repeating) |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
|
16 |
|
Untersatz |
|
2 |
|
Rohr Floete |
|
8 |
|
Gross Gedeckt |
|
1 1/3 |
|
Nasat |
|
8 |
|
Gedeckt |
|
|
|
Mixture III ranks |
|
4 |
|
Octave |
|
16 |
|
Ranket |
|
4 |
|
Bourdon |
|
8 |
|
Krummhorn |
|
4 |
|
Quintadena |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjustable Combinations
|
| |
|
Entire Organ: Pistons 1-2-0 |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stop Analysis |
| |
|
|
Pipes |
16 |
|
Untersatz |
44 |
8 |
|
Gedeckt |
61 |
8 |
|
Quintadena |
73 |
4 |
|
Octave |
61 |
4 |
|
Rohr Floete |
73 |
2 2/3 |
|
Nasat |
61 |
| |
|
Mixture II-III ranks |
171 |
| |
|
Cymbal II ranks |
24 |
16 |
|
Ranket |
32 |
8 |
|
Krummhorn |
61 |
| |
|
Total |
661 |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sources:
The American Organist (Aug. 1956). Reviews of the 1956 AGO National Convention programs.
Christie, James David. Electronic correspondence (Aug. 24, 2009) regarding the Flentrop organ (1956) in Fairchild Chapel, Oberlin College.
Convention Booklet of the 1956 National Convention of the American Guild of Organists. Courtesy Stephen Schnurr.
The Diapason (Aug. 1956). Reviews of the 1956 AGO National Convention. Courtesy Stephen Schnurr.
Flentrop Orgelbouw B.V. web site: www.flentrop.nl
Gober, Hal. Information and disposition of I-II Cymbel stop on Flentrop organ (1956).
List, Ken. Electronic correspondence (Aug. 29, 2009) regarding pipecounts of the Schlicker organ (1953).
Owen, Barbara. E. Power Biggs: Concert Organist. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1987. Specifications of "The Cambridge Portativ," Schlicker Organ Company (1953). Courtesy David Scribner.
"Roderer Organ Company, Inc.," The Stopd Diapason, Vol. 5, No. 4 (Aug. 1984):39. Chicago: Chicago-Midwest Chapter of the Organ Historical Society. Courtesy David Scribner.
Whitney, Craig. All The Stops: The Glorious Pipe Organ and Its American Masters. Cambridge: Perseus Publishing, 2003.
Illustrations:
AGO Organ Library at Boston University. "Cambridge Portativ" Schlicker Organ (1953). Courtesy Barbara Owen.
The Diapason (Aug. 1956). Convention Banquet at Waldrof=Astoria Hotel, 1956 AGO National Convention. Courtesy Stephen Schnurr.
Gober, Hal. Flentrop organ (1956) shown in Fairchild Chapel, Oberlin College, Ohio (2009). |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
