March 2002

Abundant citings of musical instruments in tales of murder

It has been nearly ten years since I updated my listings of harpsichords in murder mysteries; here are some additional citings.

New bells in Yoakum, Texas

James F. Neumann of Yoakum, Texas, wrote me about his unique
carillon installation.  He is
perhaps the only private citizen in the USA to possess a personal carillon.
Yoakum is a small town about 125 miles from Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and
Corpus Christi.  Mr. Neumann is a
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist serving local citizens.

Fabry, Inc., Fox Lake, Illinois, has completed the first
phase of a three-phase program for the rebuilding and tonal additions for the
three-manual, 26-rank Aeolian-Skinner organ at Marytown Kolbe Shrine,
Libertyville, Illinois. Phase one included a solid state conversion of the
console, new manual keyboards, and multiplex system. The console is prepared
for the MIDI resource system and tonal additions. The organ had been altered
considerably by previous technicians. Phase two, scheduled for early 2002, will
include a total releathering and several mechanical changes.

The organs of the National Shrine, past and present

The Nave South Gallery Organ and the Chancel West Gallery
Organ of the Upper Church, installed in 1965 by M. P. Möller (Op. 9702)
were the gifts of Francis Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York, the
Catholic Chaplains and military personnel of the United States in honor of the
deceased chaplains and members of the armed forces. The installation of these
instruments was the culmination of a dream that began more than fifty years
before. In 1911, then-Msgr.

The ninth biennial seminar attracted 80 participants who assembled in Paris anticipating the first week of playing time on the great instruments,lessons and classes with master teachers, participants' recitals, and the hospitality of our gracious hosts. The seminar always includes discourses about the instruments, improvisations by resident organists, and playing time for
participants.

Nearly a hundred organ historians, organ builders, restorers, curators, organists, and officials of cultural institutions convened in the Mexican city of Oaxaca from November 29 to December 3, 2001, for a congress, "The Restoration of Organs in Latin America." Organized by the Instituto de Organos Históricos de Oaxaca under the direction of Cicely Winter and Edward Pepe, the meeting centered around the old baroque-style organs of the state of Oaxaca, of which fifty-one have presently been discovered and six restored to playable condition.

The University of Michigan's 41st Conference on Organ Music, October 7-10, 2001, under the direction of Marilyn Mason, featured the music of France with the theme, "The French Connection." Most of the music presented was French or French-connected.