May 1996

Lawrence DeWitt, former chair of Miami University's music department, died on February 14 at Good Samaritan Hospital, Cincinnati, OH. Born in Muskegon, MI, on June 17, 1934, Mr. DeWitt earned a bachelor's degree from Hope College. After serving in the Army for three years, he earned a master's degree from the University of Michigan and a doctorate from Indiana University. He had taught at Hiram College, Hiram, OH, and at Morningside College in Sioux City, IA, before being appointed to Miami University, Oxford, OH, in 1978.

The Joseph Dill Baker Carillon in Frederick, Maryland, has been renovated recently and expanded to 49 bells. The carillon began as the last chime cast by Menneely and Company of Water-vliet, New York, in 1941. The chime of 14 bells was installed in a neo-Gothic tower of reinforced concrete and granite. The tower stands in the middle of Baker Park, a linear, downtown park. The tower is 16 feet square at the base and stands 70 feet.

The present article complements a longer article written for
The Diapason (August, 1993, pp. 12-13) on the four organ sonatas of
Teisutis Makacinas.

This article will examine the evolution of the changing emphases in organ methods, their relationship to changes in organ construction and the musical tastes and sophistication of American religious and musical society, and how they reflect the development of the role of the organist in American society. This exploration will begin with publications to about 1850 that focus on the role of the organist as a player of hymns and accompaniments.

Gabriel Kney & Co., Ltd., London, Ontario, has built a new organ for St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Boone, NC. The planning and installation of the organ in the congregation's new sanctuary provided a rare opportunity for early cooperation among architect, music committee, organ builder, and consultant. The result was an edifice, seating about 250, with a warm acoustic and smooth sound decay of just under two seconds, favorable for music, congregational singing, and clear, unassisted speech intelligibility.