September 2021

St. Simons Island is a coastal community with roots that include coastal Indian tribes, the Spanish occupation, pre-Revolutionary War America as part of the original American colonies, and John and Charles Wesley preaching on this island under the majestic oak trees. In more recent years it has developed into a coastal retreat that is known colloquially as part of the Golden Isles. As a point of reference, this part of Georgia has been a place of retreat and reflection for the Schlueter family for years.

Historical background

28th Texas Regional Carillon Conference

Chester William Cooke

Chester William Cooke, 86, died July 12 in Bath, Maine. He was born in Wallingford, Connecticut, on August 4, 1934, and was an alumnus of the Choate School, Wallingford, and the Loomis School, Windsor, Connecticut. He graduated from Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, in 1957, where he was a member of Psi Upsilon fraternity. Cooke was an officer of New Haven Savings Bank and an appraisal consultant for Connecticut Savings Bank, both of New Haven, retiring in 1992.

Five manuals? Are you kidding?

Most organs around the world have two manual keyboards and a pedalboard. Three manual organs are common, as are “four-deckers,” especially in big cities, but organs with five manuals are rare. What on earth do you do with five manuals? You only have two hands, and while clever organists can play two keyboards at once by “thumbing down” a melody, the cleverest could not possibly manage more than four at once. Can you even reach the top keyboard?

Further thoughts about rhythm