Charlotte Summer Recital Series

The Charlotte Chapter has had a hugely successful Summer Organ Recital Series for many years. All are invited to these concerts. This year the series received excellent publicity on the radio and in print. Patrick Pope, the sub-dean, was interviewed about the Summer Series as well as the POE. Here is a link to that radio interview:
The concert schedule is as follows:

2008 Charlotte Chapter AGO Summer Recital Series
For further information contact Gay Pappin, Summer Series Coordinator, at gpappin@carolina.rr.com or see www.CharlotteAGO.org
All concert times are 7:30 p.m., unless noted otherwise.

July
6 - Christopher Brayne
Christ Church, Episcopal
1412 Providence Road

13 - Charlotte POE Opening Event
James David Christie
First Baptist Church
301 S. Davidson Street

20 - Kenneth & Sharon DeBoer
Sardis Presbyterian Church
6100 Sardis Road

27 - Darwin Shaver
Plaza Presbyterian Church
2304 The Plaza

June
1 - John Apple
Westminster Presbyterian Church
101 Colville Road

8 - Stephen & Susan Talley
Covenant Presbyterian Church
1000 E. Morehead Street

15 - Student Recital
Myers Park Presbyterian Church
2501 Oxford Place
Featuring the Stigall ScholarshipRecipients and students of the
Charlotte Chapter AGO

22 - Matthew W. Noonan
Ascension Lutheran Church
1225 E. Morehead Street

29 - RSCM Evensong (4:00 p.m.)
Myers Park Baptist Church
1931 Selwyn Avenue

August

3 - C. Justin Smith
First Baptist Church
301 S. Davidson Street

10 - Henry Lebedinsky
St. Alban’s Episcopal Church
301 Caldwell Lane, Davidson, NC

17 - Timothy Belflowers
Myers Park Baptist Church
1931 Selwyn Avenue

24 - Leon Couch
Covenant Presbyterian Church
1000 E. Morehead Street

31 - Larry Stratemeyer
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
1621 Dilworth Road, East

Congratulations to our successful exam candidates!

Certification is a very important part of the Guild; in fact, it's part of our mission statement. I would like to publicly congratulate the people in our region who successfully passed exams this past year:

Associate (AAGO)
Ivan Frazier, Northeast Georgia Chapter

Colleague (CAGO)
Marty Barstow, East Carolina Chapter
Robert Knupp, Jackson Chapter
John S. Palmer, Memphis Chapter
Joy A. Smith-Briggs, Northeast TN-Southwest VA Chapter
Casey Whaley, Independent Member

Service Playing (SPC)
Christin Baker, East Carolina Chapter
Mary E. Dixon, Southwest Florida Chapter
Glenda Fuhrmann, Western North Carolina Chapter
John M. Gentry, Atlanta Chapter
Thomas A. Ingui, Treasure Coast Chapter

For the certification requirements for 2009, please check out the July issue of The American Organist, or go to the certification page on the AGO website.

Region IV Annual Meeting

During the national convention of the AGO, held this past month in the Twin Cities, we had a wonderful meeting of our region. After a roll call of chapters (Nashville won with the most members present!), I introduced the seven District Conveners and two Regional Coordinators for our region, and thanked them for their work, along with the Regional Nominating Committee.

Our region was well represented at the national convention, with the following people: Cal Johnson was installed on the National Council as Treasurer and Councillor for Finance and Development; Jonathan Hehn performed a Rising Star recital; and Herb Buffington was awarded Third Prize and the Audience Prize at the National Competition for Organ Improvisation. In addition, the following people from our region presented workshops and/or recitals: David Arcus, Joby Bell, William Gudger, Wilma Jensen, Roy Roberts, Herndon Spillman, Calvin Taylor and Charles Tompkins. We are very proud of the talented people in our region!

I was pleased to report that registration for the Pipe Organ Encounter (POE) in Charlotte this summer is full. The Macon, GA Chapter will host our region's POE in 2009.

Roy Roberts, Co-coordinator of the January 2010 Mid-winter conference in Sarasota, spent time promoting that event. (Please note that this will take the place of our usual summer convention next year.) The Greensboro, NC Chapter is preparing to host the 2011 summer regional convention. And, of course, Nashville is gearing up to host the 2012 National convention!

Along with reminding those present about the International Year of the Organ, Organ Spectacular, the Annual Fund, the Endowment Fund, and Officer Report Forms, throughout the meeting I intermittently drew names for 6 different prizes. In order to receive the prize, the winner had to answer a question. Appropriately, the last question was this: Name one person in the AGO who has supported you in the past year. John, who had just been honored for passing the Guild's Service Playing Exam, answered that there were not one, but two people - those who had helped him (with free lessons and monthly classes) to prepare for the exams. We could not have ended the meeting more perfectly than with that example of what the Guild is all about - education, striving for excellence, and mutual support and inspiration.