Peter Collins, British organbuilder, died October 24, 2015, after a brief illness. Born in 1914, Collins established his own organbuilding firm in 1954, after serving as apprentice with Bishops of London and Rieger of Austria. During his career he was well respected for his neo-classical mechanical-action instruments. Some of his more notable installations include instruments for St. David’s Hall, Cardiff; St. Peter Mancroft, Norwich; and Queensland Conservatorium, Brisbane, Australia. Other instruments made their way to Norway, France, Germany, the United States, China, and Korea. His final installation was finished in 2015 for the St. Albans International Organ Festival, his second for the festival. The earlier instrument, finished in 1989, was inspired by the work of Gottfried Silbermann.
Robert Morton Cundick, Sr., organist and composer, died January 7 at the age of 89. He was a long-time organist of the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he accompanied the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and was frequently heard on the weekly broadcast, Music and the Spoken Word. Cundick was born in 1926 in Salt Lake City, and by the age of twelve, he began service to his congregation as organist. He became a student of Tabernacle Organist Alexander Schreiner. After service in the United States Merchant Marine in World War II, Cundick attended the University of Utah, where he earned BFA, MFA, and PhD degrees from the university, the latter in composition. During his studies, he married Charlotte (Cholly) Clark, who was his organ student. In 1957, Cundick joined the faculty of Brigham Young University. In 1962, he was called to London, England, to serve as organist at the new Hyde Park Chapel of the Latter Day Saints, where his duties included a daily organ recital and broadcasts. After two years’ service there, he returned to Brigham Young. He served as an organist to the Mormon Tabernacle for 27 years.
In 1970 he was the first recipient of the American Guild of Organists’ S. Lewis Elmer Award, granted each year to the person who attains the highest score in either the Associateship or Fellowship examination. Cundick oversaw the 1980–83 installation of a 3-manual mechanical action organ by Robert Sipe in the Assembly Hall, the 1985–89 renovation of the 5-manual organ in the Tabernacle, and the design of the 1993 2-manual Casavant organ in the chapel of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.
Following retirement in 1991, Cundick and his wife served as Directors of Hosting for the BYU Jerusalem Center in Jerusalem, Israel. Cundick was an avid composer and supporter of Mormon and Utah composers. In 2004, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints presented its Pearl Award of Lifetime Achievement to Cundick. Cundick’s compositional work spans numerous genres, including cantata (The Song of Nephi) and oratorio (The Redeemer). Robert Cundick is survived by his wife Cholly, children Robb (Laurel), Tom (Betsy), Ann Adams (Rob), Ruth Jackman (Dave), and Dave (Kim); brother Bert and sister Carol Hoopes (Grover), 23 grandchildren, and 38 great-grandchildren.
Dutch organist, composer, and conductor Jacques van Oortmerssen died November 21, 2015. He was 65. Born in 1950 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, he studied at the Conservatory of Rotterdam, where he completed his soloist diplomas for organ, as a student of André Verwoerd, and for piano as a student of Elly Salomé; he did postgraduate study with Marie-Claire Alain in Paris. Awarded the Prix d’Excellence in 1976, he won the first prize the National Improvisation Competition in Bolsward, Netherlands, in 1977, and was runner-up in the Tournemire Prize in St Albans.
Oortmerssen served as professor of organ at the
Conservatory of Amsterdam since 1979. In 1982 he succeeded Gustav Leonhardt as titular organist at the Waalse Kerk in Amsterdam, where he played the 1734 Christian Müller organ. Oortmerssen performed and taught at major festivals around the world and served as visiting professor at numerous European conservatories, as well as on the advisory board of the Göteborg Organ Art Center (GOArt) at the University of Gothenburg. His many recordings include the organ works of J. S. Bach (only nine volumes were released), and the works of C.P. E. Bach and Johannes Brahms.
Dennis P. Schmidt, 66, of Narragansett, Rhode Island, died October 19, 2015, at Rhode Island Hospital. Born in LeMars, Iowa, he was the son of Ruth E. F. (Hilgeman) Schmidt of Omaha, Nebraska, and the late Rev. Walter K. Schmidt. A graduate of Dana College from which he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1999, Schmidt earned master’s and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Michigan and a Master of Divinity from Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. Schmidt performed in recitals around the world; his programs included the complete organ works of Bach. An active member of the American Guild of Organists and the Association of Anglican Musicians, he served as a church organist in numerous parishes. Dr. Schmidt served as the executive director of the Bach Festival of Philadelphia and wrote two books to accompany the Hymnal 1982. He was the author of numerous reviews and articles for The Diapason.
Dennis P. Schmidt is survived by his wife, Susan E. Hoag-lund, his mother, daughters Julia G. S. Hoaglund and Anne Meiliu S. Hoaglund, both of Narragansett, sisters Linda B. Duda of Omaha and Diane Christenson of Marana, Arizona. Gifts may be made in Dr. Schmidt’s name to the organ program of the School of Music at the University of Michigan, 1100 Baits Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48190. ν
