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Ben Bloor, organist of the London Oratory Church and Westminster School and second-prize winner of the 2018 Boston Bach International Organ Competition, will return to Boston for a recital at First Lutheran Church of Boston on Sunday, June 18 at 3pm. His program will include works of Bach, Sweelinck, Scheidemann, Muffat, Purcell, Stanley, and Müthel. Admission is $20/$10 at the door.
Ben Bloor is the Organist of the London Oratory Church where he accompanies the professional adult choir for weekly Mass and Vespers and oversees the famous Downes/Walker organ. He combines this with a busy freelance recital career and the post of School Organist at Westminster School, where he teaches organ and plays for services in Westminster Abbey. Previously, he held organ scholarships at Derby Cathedral, St George’s Chapel Windsor Castle, New College Oxford and Westminster Cathedral, and was the Assistant Sub-Organist at Rochester Cathedral. Ben was the winner of the 2012 Northern Ireland International Organ Competition, and a semi-finalist in the inaugural Wadden Sea International Organ Competition held in Denmark in January 2017. He was awarded second prize in the Boston Bach International Organ Competition 2018 and also the Canadian International Organ Competition in 2021. Ben holds a First-Class Honours degree in Music from the University of Oxford and the Limpus prize for highest marks in the 2013 FRCO examinations. He is a recipient of the Worshipful Company of Musicians’ Silver Medal for his contribution to organ-playing and is a Junior Fellow of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
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Boston Library Offers Franck “Verset in Fm” for download
In honor of Franck’s 200th year, Carl Klein, Boston Organ Librarian, scanned this “Verset in Fm” of Franck’s and put it on the Library website for all. It’s out of copyright, so this offering is legal.
This was part of a group of pieces for church organists initially issued in several volumes under the title of L’Organiste, and “pour Orgue et Harmonium.” But it is not in the 59 pieces of that collection, although in identical typeface and lettering. Belwin-Mills reprinted L’Organiste in facsimile in 1975, with an interesting introduction by Carleton Russell. Barbara Owen has recommended use of some the pieces from this volume as preludes or offertories over the years. The low pitched bass lines of these collections could easily be played on pedals if one wished.
What is interesting is that these relatively short and uncomplicated pieces, intended for Franck’s colleagues and students who were church organists, were his last works, published serially in August and September of 1880. It may simply have been written for a later volume that was not completed. Apparently more were composed, but not published until after his death in November of that year. Well, Bach’s last works were chorale preludes, thus also intended for use by his fellow church organists.
~ Carl Klein and Barbara Owen, Boston Organ Library
To download the music, click here
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Code of Ethics
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2020 – 2022 Officers and Executive Committee
Our Chapter has elected the following people as Officers of our Chapter:
Dean: Mitchell Crawford
Sub-Dean: Cathy Meyer
Treasurer: Daryl Bichel
Secretary: Joshua T. Lawton
Registrar: Jeffrey Mills
Members at Large- Class of 2024
Don Hodgkins
Christine Hogan
Jonathan Wessler
Members at Large – Class of 2026
Sean Glennon
Andrew Scanlon
Deans of Our Chapter
The Massachusetts Chapter was founded in 1905. Our first Dean was George Albert Burdett (pictured here). Our website now has photos and biographies of all of our past Deans. You may view that resource by clicking here.
If you have any additions or remembrances of past Deans to add to our page, please contact us.
The History of the American Guild of Organists in Massachusetts by H. Winthrop Martin is being digitized. This resource includes Deans’ biographies from 1905 through 1954, along with programs and recitals held during those years. The full history of those years is available now by clicking here
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