Bach Marathon

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Bethlehem Lutheran Church
1100 West Grace Street, Richmond

Organists and musicians from the area
3:00 – 6:00 p.m

The event is free and open to the public. Free parking is available at the West Broad Street VCU Parking deck (enter at Harrison Street), Grace Covenant and St. John’s UCC parking lots. Performances of Bach’s Music will take place in 25-minute segments on the hour and half hour. The performance will include organists from Richmond area churches, Virginia universities, and historic Williamsburg. The program will also include the Virginia Girls Choir, a choir comprised of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod churches in Richmond, vocal soloists, and instrumentalists all based in the Richmond area. For further information, please contact Cheryl Van Ornam at ago_stoplist_cvo@yahoo.com.

Observations on the Organ Works of Mendelssohn

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church
1627 Monument Avenue, Richmond
Wm. A. Little, Lecturer and Christopher Martin, Organist

6:00 p.m. – Fellowship
6:30 p.m. – Dinner
7:30 p.m. – Program

Wm. A. Little, Professor of German and Music, Emeritus, University of Virginia, and Editor of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Complete Books for the Organ, 5 Volumes (Novello, 1987-1900), will present a lecture on the organ works of Felix Mendelssohn. Christopher Martin, Director of Music at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, will perform selected works by Mendelssohn which correspond to lecture by Mr. Little.

Student Recital

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Seventh Street Christian Church
4101 Grove Avenue, Richmond

Scholarship Students

6:00 p.m. – Fellowship
6:30 p.m. – Dinner
7:30 p.m. – Program

The final program of the year will include music by the Scholarship Students.

Past Programs

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
815 East Grace Street
Richmond, VA
SING A NEW SONG: RECENT TRENDS IN HYMNODY

Presenters

Deb Loftis, Executive Director of the Hymn Society of America

David Sinden, Organist and Minister of Music at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

Deborah Loftis, the Executive Director of the Hymn Society of America, will discuss recent and emerging trends in hymn writing, in regard hymn texts and tunes. Over the course of the presentation, we will sing many examples of these recent trends.

At the dinner hour, there will be the Installation of Richmond Chapter Officers for 2011-2012.

Schedule for the Evening
6:00 p.m. – Gathering
6:30 p.m. – Dinner
7:30 p.m. – Program

Morning Workshops with Bruce Neswick, FAGO
Associate Professor of Music
Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University

Saturday, October 8, 2011

St. Michael’s Episcopal Church
8706 Quaker Lane, Richmond
9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Bruce Neswick will offer three morning workshops including: organ improvisation, organ literature for the church year, and children’s choir rehearsal techniques. The workshops will last approximately an hour and ten minutes in length and will include a twenty minute break in-between sessions. This format allows participants to pick and choose which workshop(s) they wish to attend. A box lunch will be available (reservations taken prior to event) after the second workshop.

Download flyer and registration form

Hymn Festival
with Bruce Neswick, FAGO
Associate Professor of Music
Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University

Sunday, October 9, 2011

St. Michael’s Episcopal Church
8706 Quaker Lane, Richmond
5:00 p.m.

Bruce Neswick will present a hymn festival on the newly installed Taylor and Boody pipe organ at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church. This program is in conjunction with the inaugural year celebration concert series for the new organ at St. Michael’s Church.

Download flyer

Organ Showcase: The 100th Anniversary of The Kimball Organ at Leigh Street Baptist Church

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Leigh Street Baptist Church
517 N. 25th Street, Richmond

Larry Robinson, Donald Traser and Bob Ford
9:45 a.m. – coffee/pastries(complimentary)
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon – Program

The Kimball organ (30 ranks) at Leigh Street Baptist Church in Richmond was dedicated November 16, 1911. It is most appropriate that the Richmond Chapter commemorate this historic organ and church. The original console was replaced in 1964 with a Reisner console installed by Larry Walker. Donald Traser, our Chapter Historian and a former organist of the church, will present a historic account of the organ and will play a piece by Leslie F. Watson who dedicated the organ in 1911. Larry Robinson, current organist /choir director, Bob Ford, and Richmond Chapter scholarship recipient Connor Wood will perform on the organ works by Boëllmann, Rowley, Ravel (piano/organ duet) and Alain. Members of the congregation will be invited to share in this celebrated day.

Reservations: paul.honaker@bonairbaptist.org – by Wednesday, November 16

Holiday Open House:
An Evening with Leslie Watson,
The 2nd Dean of the Richmond Chapter
(191?-1916)

Monday, December 5, 2011

Home of Richard and Jeanne McNeil
4600 Nine Mile Road, Richmond

6:00 p.m. – hors d’oeuvres
provided by Chapter members
7:30 p.m. – Program
Led by Richard & Jeanne McNeil
and Donald Traser, Chapter Historian

The residence at 4600 Nine Mile Road was the home of Leslie Watson, Richmond Chapter’s second dean from 191?-1916. Jeanne McNeil, the great-granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Watson, has graciously opened her home to our Chapter in December. Both Leslie and his wife, Laura, were organists and held the AAGO certification. After an hors d’oeuvres buffet provided by members of the chapter, Jeanne, her husband Richard, and Donald Traser, our Historian, will give a short tour of this historic home, show historic photographs of the home and their family, play recordings of Leslie Watson’s music, and tell other stories of the Watsons’ intriguing lives.

RESERVATIONS ARE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY – email paul.honaker@bonairbaptist.org no later than Thursday, December 1, 2011

Due to limited parking at the McNeil residence, shuttle service is being arranged in the parking lot of K-Mart at 4715 Nine Mile Road. The shuttle will be available from 5:45 – 6:15 p.m. and after the program.

Directions to K-Mart – Take I-64 East out of Richmond. Exit at 193B (Nine Mile Road, East). At top of ramp, go 1.2 miles, passing the Masonic Home on your right. At stoplight, turn right onto Meadow Spring Road. (Pep Boys is on your right.) Parking Lot to K-Mart is on your left.

To learn more about Beth Elon, the 1890 home of Leslie and Laura Watson, please view the video “Foundations In Time: Henrico’s Architectural Treasures.” (Beth Elon is featured beginning at 27:00 minutes.)

Evening Worship

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
6000 Grove Avenue, Richmond
Dan Moriarty, Director of Music

5:30 p.m. – Evensong
6:30 p.m. – Dinner
7:30 p.m. – Program

The evening will begin with a special Evensong sung by the Virginia Girls’ Choir at 5:30 p.m. After dinner, Dan Moriarity will discuss various styles of evening worship employed by the church from traditional forms of Evensong and Compline to the more recent Celtic liturgies and worship that includes music from the Ecumenical Community of Taizé in France.