Dear Seattle Chapter Members and Friends,

 

I recently had the privilege of joining St. James Cathedral’s Pilgrimage to France and Rome as the organist for daily services from March 10-20. The journey tested my resourcefulness and flexibility but offered rich opportunities for reflection in places of deep historical and musical significance.

 

This experience reminded me that the organ has withstood centuries of cultural change, political unrest, revolutions, and shifting musical tastes. I was particularly struck by this on March 16, as I listened to organ music at St. Sulpice and Notre-Dame-de-Paris. My ‘Parisian Organ Pilgrimage’ continued with a visit to St. Clotilde, where Jean Langlais, Charles Tournemire, and César Franck once played. The day ended with a chance to play the organ at St. Séverin, in the Latin Quarter, whose 1745 organ case houses an instrument by Alfred Kern, built in 1963 in the French Classic style, popularized by Michel Chapuis. 

 

In Rome, the organ resonated daily inside St. Peter’s Basilica and other churches, many of which host their own regular recital and concert series.

 

Returning home, I’m encouraged by the vitality of our local organ scene in our Seattle, Bellevue, Edmonds, and Everett region. I hope you find time to experience your own ‘organ pilgrimages,’ whether by attending local recitals, our AGO chapter events, or even traveling abroad.

 

The organ is alive and well in concert halls, churches, and schools worldwide. Let’s continue to celebrate and support this global tradition, both at home and abroad!

 

Sincerely,

Chris

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Chris Stroh, Dean Seattle Chapter of the American Guild of Organists