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.
Although much has been written about Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, it is still difficult to understand why (apart from his church music) so little of his output of over 200 compositions is often performed—in particular, his organ works, which include the Six Occasional Preludes (o
Much has been said and written about conservation of historical organs, but fine old instruments, and even newer ones in good condition, continue to vanish at an alarming rate, taking with them a precious part of our musical heritage. Conservation work, no matter how thorough, cannot ensure an organ’s survival.