News September 2006
Daniel Goltz Concert at St. Mark's Cathedral
Daniel Goltz, an extraordinary 17 year old organ student from eastern Washington, will be playing a special concert at St. Mark's Cathedral in Seattle at 3 PM on Sunday, September 18. The Pipe Organ Foundation is pleased to announce that it will be a co-sponsor for the event along with the Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society and the Seattle Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. All three organizations will together underwrite Daniel's honorarium and all three will sponsor the reception that will follow the concert.
This event is intended to encourage youth who have an interest in potentially learning to play the organ. Young people in the teenage years will be admitted for only $5 (adult tickets are $10 each). Furthermore, Daniel has agreed to allow young people to sit up in the organ loft to see him play at close range. To reserve a place in the organ loft for a young person (and a parent if desired), call (206) 323-0300, ex. 296, and leave the young person's name and phone number and also whether it is desired that a parent sit with the young person in the loft.
All tickets are available for advance purchase at (206) 325-65l00, in person at the Cathedral Shop, or online at www.ticketwindowonline.com.
Mercer Island Presbyterian Church
The III/21 electromechanical organ refurbished by the Pipe Organ Foundation is now completely installed. The photographs show the Great and Pedal organs at the front of the church and the Antiphonal organ at the back of the church. The disposition of the organ French Romantic in character, and there are 21 ranks of pipes, (+ chimes & harp), 1,386 pipes total, distributed as follows:
Great (unenclosed; middle manual)
8' Open Diapason (61 pipes)
4' Octave (61 pipes)
2 2/3' Twelfth (73 pipes)
2' Fifteenth (73 pipes)
8' Clarinet (61 pipes)
Chimes (21 tubes)
Swell (enclosed, top manual)
16' Gedeckt (85 pipes)
8' Harmonic Flute (85 pipes)
8' Salicional (73 pipes)
8' Voix Celeste (49 pipes)
2 2/3' Nazard (73 pipes)
1 3/5' Tierce (61 pipes)
16' Oboe (73 pipes)
8' Trumpet (73 pipes)
8' Vox Humana (61 pipes)
Pedal (unenclosed)
16' Bourdon (56 pipes)
16' Violone (32 pipes)
8' Octave (44 pipes)
Antiphonal (unenclosed; bottom manual)
8' Geigen Diapason (73 pipes)
8' Flute (85 pipes)
8' Viole (61 pipes)
8' Cornopean (73 pipes)
Harp (49 bars)
Note the important dates for this organ:
Sunday, September 25, 2005--Dedication of the organ at the 10:35 AM service.
Friday, September 30, 2005--Inaugural and Dedicatory Concert at 7:30 PM. This concert is free to all. Dr. Mel Butler, Canon Organist and Choirmaster at St. Mark's Cathedral in Seattle will be playing the concert. The music to be played is by Buxtehude, Bach, Messiaen, Vierne, and Sowerby. The Carillon piece by Sowerby is of special interest as it will utilize the 49 note Aeolian Harp in addition to the Cathedral Chimes. The concert will be followed by a reception.
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J. MELVIN BUTLER is Canon Organist/Choirmaster of St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, Seattle. He is also Artist-in-Residence at the University of Washington where he teaches organ improvisation and church music. From 1972 through 1991 he was Organist/Choirmaster of the Downtown Presbyterian Church in Rochester, NY. During that time he was also Associate Professor of Church Music at the Eastman School of Music, a violist with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and Music Director and Conductor of the Rochester Bach Festival Chorus. From 1968 to 1972 he was violist with the U. S. Navy String Quartet and Organist of the First Congregational Church in Washington, DC. |
Dr. Butler’s recent concert venues include Grace Cathedral, San Francisco; St. Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle; St. John’s Cathedral, Spokane; Downtown Presbyterian Church, Rochester, NY, as well as concerts in Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan. He often presents master classes and lectures on various aspects of church music, choral conducing, hymn playing, and improvisation, and has appeared as a lecturer and recitalist for several American Guild of Organists conventions. His CD’s, on the Loft label, include French on the Flentrop and Out of This World (with the Boston Brass), both recorded at St. Mark’s Cathedral; and Tournemire in Oberlin recorded on the new C. B. Fisk organ at Oberlin College. Originally from Burlington, NC, Butler received the Bachelor of Music degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, studying with Garth Peacock, and the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the Eastman School of Music studying with David Craighead.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has said of his playing: “There was no doubt about Butler’s capabilities. His performances....gave ample evidence not only of his technical ability but his creative use of registrations.”
“Dr. Butler has an unerring sense of the sonic and rhythmic capability of both organ and room and delivers it flawlessly.” The Diapason, September 2001
Dr. Butler possesses an unfailing knack of addressing a wide range of styles with perfect grace and musicianship. The American Organist, August 2001
Friday, October 28, 2005--Concert at 7:30 PM which is free to all. David DiFiore will be our guest organist for this event. Mr. Di Fiore is Director of Music Ministries at Seattle's University Temple United Methodist Church.He also is Pastoral Assistant for Music at the parish of St. John the Evangelist.
Mr. Di Fiore was a pupil of French organist, Odile Pierre. He has appeared as recitalist, conductor, accompanist, and clinician for the Archdiocese of Seattle, the National Association of Methodist Musicians, has received the award "Distinguished Graduate" from the National Catholic Education Association, has been awarded a diploma from the Mexican Government for his "extraordinary participation" for international organ festivals, and holds a similar diploma from the "Organ Days in Trnava" International Organ Festival. He also has a remarkable record of international travel to play in important organ festivals in France, Hungary, Poland, Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Austria, and Italy. His recording of French music for Ambassador Records, Les Amoureux de l'Orgue, and two of his Slovak recordings, The Grand Organ of the Castle Church in Kremnica, Volumes 1 and 2 have been widely broadcast. With his strong backgroun in French music, we are delighted to have him play our organ with its French Romantic emphasis.
Getting Involved
You are invited to be involved in the Pipe Organ Foundation. Volunteers are needed to do bench work in the Foundation facilities on Mercer Island. The work is repetitive but not strenuous and it is in a pleasant environment. Contact Carl to inquire. Financial contributions are especially welcome at this time as they would make possible the projects outlined above plus others in the planning stage. Contact us with any questions you may have.