Donald Wayne Dumler, age 77, died March 20 in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Born in 1938, he joined the staff of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City in 1970 as associate director of music. In 1990 he was appointed principal organist of the cathedral, and in 2012 played his forty-third Christmas Midnight Mass, a service that has been broadcast worldwide on television, radio, and the Internet. Dumler played for over 900 services a year in the cathedral, including the Masses celebrated during Pope John Paul II’s visits to the cathedral in 1979 and 1995.
Born in Oklahoma, Donald Dumler had early training with Curtis Chambers in Oklahoma City. He studied with Mildred Andrews at the University of Oklahoma and with Vernon de Tar at the Juilliard School. In addition to numerous recitals throughout the United States, Dumler made two recordings and performed with the Juilliard Orchestra and the American Symphony Orchestra in both Carnegie Hall and Philharmonic Hall (now Avery Fisher Hall) at Lincoln Center. In 2009, Dumler played to a more than sold-out crowd in Oklahoma, with a closed-circuit broadcast to accommodate the crowds.
Upon retirement on May 1, 2014, Donald Dumler was named Principal Organist Emeritus of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, in recognition of 43 years of service. His tenure was the longest of any musician in the cathedral’s history.
Donald Wayne Dumler is survived by his sister, Shirley Geis, brother-in-law Donald Geis, nephews Ken, Mark, and Scott Geis, and niece Laura Ackermann. A Donald Dumler memorial scholarship is being established. Mass was celebrated in Donald’s memory on May 9 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City; staff organists played some of his favorite organ repertoire, and former and present cathedral choristers sang.
David Clark Isele died June 25; he was 70. Born April 25, 1946, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he was a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music (studying voice with Howard Hatton and organ with David Boe), Southern Methodist University (studying choral conducting with Lloyd Pfautsch and organ with Robert T. Anderson), and the Eastman School of Music (studying composition with Samuel Adler).
From 1973–79, he served on the faculty of the University of Notre Dame, where he founded the Notre Dame Chorale and was conductor of the Notre Dame Glee Club. From 1980–2011 he served the University of Tampa as professor of music, composer in residence, and director of choral and vocal activities, founding the Collegiate Chorale, Women’s Glee Club, and OPUS, a musical theater ensemble. Isele composed more than 100 works, for orchestra, solo instruments, chorus (large works and anthems), voice, and chamber groups. He is known especially for the “Lamb of God” of his Holy Cross Mass, and his Psalms for the Church Year. Isele was also active as a conductor, organist, and church musician. His organ works Prologue and Conjugation and Cognitions have had European premieres; the latter was recorded for Swiss National Radio.
J. Reilly Lewis, conductor of the Washington Bach Consort and music director of the Cathedral Choral Society, died June 9. He was 71. Lewis served since 1972 as organist and choirmaster at Clarendon United Methodist Church, Arlington, Virginia. In 1977 he founded the Washington Bach Consort. Since 1985 Lewis had served as music director of the 140-voice Cathedral Choral Society; under his leadership, more than 20 new works were commissioned, and the group made nine recordings.
Born in 1944 in California, Lewis moved with his family to Arlington at a young age. His career in music began before the age of 10; he served as a choirboy at the Washington National Cathedral. He earned a bachelor of music degree from Oberlin College and two advanced degrees, including a doctorate, from the Juilliard School of Music.
J. Reilly Lewis is survived by his wife, Beth Lewis, of Arlington; a daughter from a previous marriage, Lauren Lewis, of New York; and a grandson.
Stewart W. Skates of East Hartford, Connecticut, passed away May 9 at age 75. Born in Northern Ireland, Stewart began in the organ business as an apprentice for Belfast City Organ Pipe Works. In 1960, at age 19, he sent letters looking for employment in America, to Aeolian-Skinner, Schlicker, and Austin. He received offers from all three, and told me that he conditionally accepted the offer from Aeolian-Skinner, but the response from Austin’s Vice President Percival Stark was so welcoming that he decided he would go to Hartford. Austin graciously provided ocean passage and shipped a tool box and his personal effects. He was also to receive housing on arrival until he was able to secure an apartment on his own. The housing provided by Austin was the downtown YMCA.
Arriving at Austin on April 2, 1960, he found that the company was only manufacturing reeds and occasional mixtures, or small other pipework, and various mitering and repairs. His mission was to build the pipe shop into a going concern. His first instrument was Opus 2332, the 120-rank organ for St. Joseph Cathedral in Hartford. Since that time, he built pipework for over 450 organs. His final stop, recently completed for Austin Opus 2798 at the Church of St. John Vianney in Houston, Texas, was a 4′ Spiel Flute, a special Austin-scaled flute of similar character to a Koppelflote. On his bench remains the metal arranged out and scribed for a Nazard for the same instrument.
Stewart was a wonderful person with a great sense of humor and fierce devotion to his craft. Every nuance in pipe design was carefully documented on various scale sticks and notes. He would usually arrive around 4:30 a.m., and occasionally over coffee he and I would chat about “the old country,” cats, boats, “the old company,” and the “state of the union.” Some days, work would not begin for quite a while, depending on the depth of conversation required! He can be seen in a cameo on the History Channel’s episode of Modern Marvels—LEAD, which featured the making and voicing of organ pipes here at Austin.
Stewart is survived by Myrtle, his wife of 55 years, daughter Kimberly (Paul) Serksnas, son Scott (Lisa), four grandchildren, sister June (Willie) Humphries, and brother-in-law Desmond (the late Maude) McMurray.
—Michael B. Fazio, President & Tonal Director, Austin Organs, Inc.
