Pipe Organ Encounter 2011

Boston POE Advanced and Technical
July 17-22

Throughout, people were on the edge of their seats listening to each note, and several said afterwards that it was one of the finest organ concerts they’d ever attended, and encouraged us to do this more often.
Christian Science Sentinel, August 15, 2011
On Nathan Laube’s open night performance at
The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston for Boston POE 2011

These laudatory comments were echoed throughout the week for superb teaching, dynamic performances, and impeccable organization at Boston POE A and T, 2011. Advanced Director, Chris Lane, began with this vision and high goal – to bring the organ into the musical mainstream by presenting a week of electrifying organ performances, classes and lessons. Through the efforts of 33 students, 12 faculty, performing artists, organ builders, steering committee and myriad volunteers this goal was mightily achieved. It was a glorious collaboration.

POE A and T presented a unique opportunity to all involved to study organs and their construction side by side with performance and repertoire. T and A students lived together, had meals together and attended performances and special activities together, but attended specialized classes, workshops, lessons and tours which were designed to work together to enlarge the learning experience for all.

Twenty-two Advanced students were selected from 40 auditioned applicants. They were joined by eleven Technical students who travelled from as far away as Hawaii. Students for this urban POE lived in Miller Hall, a modern high-rise dormitory with sweeping views of the downtown area and the Charles River at Suffolk University on Boston’s Beacon Hill with panoramic views.

Four hundred people sat captivated at the opening concert by Nathan Laube Sunday evening at The Church of Christ Scientist. The 23-year old played works of Bach, Mendelssohn, Liszt, and Reubke with fire on the 4 manual Aeolian Skinner (mod Phelps) organ – an instrument with 13,389 individually hand-crafted pipes – the largest instrument in New England.

Each morning after breakfast – the Technical students, led by Jonathan Ortloff, went their own way. At the workshop of C. B. Fisk in Gloucester, the students took many workshops with the master craftsman and each came home with a flue pipe he or she had voiced. They studied Electro-pneumatic organs at the Spencer Organ Company with Nelson Barden, and formed a pipe chain to help install flue pipes in the new Fisk installation at Memorial Church, Harvard. They visited the Boston University Symphonic Organ, the EM Skinner organ at United Parish, Brookline, a new Fisk installation at Christ Church, Andover and the huge organ at Holy Cross Cathedral.

Five Rising Stars and a young chapter member lived in the dorm with the students and did an amazing job guiding the students through city streets and subways to reach the church venues for performances, lessons, and practicing – including all the major organs of Boston and Cambridge such as Trinity Church, Church of the Advent, Old West, Old South, Busch Hall, First Church, Cambridge, to name just a few.

I was astounded by the quality of the faculty, both in professional acumen and in personal charm and enthusiasm. Its no surprise that accomplished artists have voluminous and incisive knowledge to convey; but that doesn't guarantee that they can do so. They really connected with the students. I had too much remembered the prima donna image of the artist/genius - how refreshing to see such collegiality and genuine love of the craft and of teaching.
Jeffrey Smith, Professor, Emmanuel College

The faculty needed no introduction – Faythe Freese, James Higdon, David Higgs, Paul Jacobs, Ann Labounsky, Jack Mitchener, Christa Rakich, Shelly Moorman-Stahlman, Alan Morrison, Peter Sykes, Todd Wilson, Chris Youmg. In addition to lessons, the faculty taught workshops on Improvisation, Practice Techniques and Body Awareness, Career Tips, and Accompanying and Service Playing.

Students had many opportunities to try organs big and small from Peter Sykes’ chamber organ to the Skinner at The Mother Church. The vision for the week included exposing the students to all the faculty either in lessons or master classes. At lunch, students were paired with their chaperones and faculty for their Monday and Tuesday lessons. They then travelled via the MBTA transportation system – or on foot in Harvard Square to their lesson and practice facilities. These included the most notable organs in Boston and Cambridge.

After lessons, the students again travelled to their Master Classes where they were exposed to different faculty and groups of students. The Master Classes were a wonderful opportunity for the students to learn from each other as well as from the faculty – and those I observed imparted a real sense of fun and camaraderie. The collegiality of the week was most palpable during these sessions. One had the sense of one generation handing over it’s world view, wisdom and wit to a future generation of faculty.

Throughout the week, students took their meals in a variety of places and many local churches hosted our meal preparations. Memorial Church, Harvard, hosted a congenial evening repast, and our first opportunity for faculty, students, and volunteers to gather socially and hear about the evening’s movable Faculty Recital –beginning at the Richards-Fowkes organ at First Lutheran Church in Boston’s scenic Back Bay. The audience then had a delightful walk to The Church of the Advent at the foot of Boston’s historic Beacon Hill to hear the Aeolian Skinner. The festivities concluded at King’s Chapel House with a Reception for Donors and Benefactors where there was plenty of thanks to go around.

Tuesday morning the students had a Backstage Tour and Organ Crawl at Symphony Hall, followed by open console at The Mother Church with Nathan Laube – a seminal and thrilling POE experience for the students. I had to follow Nathan on the biggest organ in New England with my Career Workshop! As I worked with the students, I learned something interesting – when queried What is the single most important thing about you? – most said their faith or their friends and family – only 2 answered music.

It was an amazing evening. I kept thinking about all those luminaries of the organ world in that one room - the principal teachers from all the major conservatories. Then realizing that we also had the crowd we might be seeing at just such an event 30 years from now - and we are just learning their names!!
Edwin Lawrence, Dean Berkshire Chapter

At Old West church Young Artists Christopher Gage, Raymond Nagem, Kevin Neel, Caroline Robinson, and Susanna Valleau each played a newly commissioned work suitable for the students to play. It was an unprecedented evening, not just because the Rising Stars all played new compositions written just for the occasion, but for the intersection of the generations of musical leaders in the organ world in the United States. The performers, students, composers, staff and faculty celebrated the Young Artists with a Reception afterward, where the Ice Cream Cake was most popular.

On Wednesday, students boarded a bus for The Groton School where Jonathan Ambrosino gave a presentation on The American Classical Organ from the school’s Aeolian Skinner and Todd Wilson gave a class on Accompanying and Service Playing. Another bus ride and we were in the beautiful Shanklin Music Hall built specifically to house the Wurlitzer Theater Organ built for the Boston Metropolitan Theatre, now The Wang Center, for an entertaining presentation by Jonathan Ortloff ending with his hilarious transcription of Springtime for Hitler, from The Producers. (You can find Jonathan playing this piece at the Shanklin on YouTube.)

The faculty recital at Methuen Music Hall showcased another instrument for which the hall was built. The original Walcker organ, moved from the Boston Music Hall, and eventually rebuilt my EM Skinner in 1946-47 resides in a magnificent hall which showcases a different artist each week in it’s Wednesday concert series. The history of the hall and the organ comprise a wonderful testament to the eternal appeal of the organ, art and architecture, especially as they are combined in this inimitable hall.

Thursday the students went on-site at Harvard’s Memorial Church with Fisk Organ Company to get an up close look at the installation of the new organ. The technical students had the opportunity to form a ‘pipe chain’ moving pipes into the hall. Students and faculty participated in a question and answer Panel Discussion on College Admissions.

Students and a few lucky faculty members converged on the Hampshire House for a fun break as they boarded a Boston Duck Tour. The evening’s festivities concluded with a great treat - Peter Krasinski’s improvisation at the console at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Boston for the showing of the silent film The Cameraman.

The weather was the week’s villain with daily temperatures in the high 90s most days and culminating with 103 degrees officially in Boston on Friday – the hottest day since 1926 – and most of our venues were not air-conditioned. Nevertheless, the students played through the afternoon temperatures for the Friday recitals at Old West Church and Church of the Advent before departing for home and inspired practicing.