About Us

The Holland Area Chapter of the American Guild of Organists was formed in September of 1985.  We are made up of around 30 organists, music directors, church musicians, and organ enthusiasts.  Our programs are open to all, and we seek to support one another professionally and provide avenues for organ music to thrive in the Holland area. 

The mission of the American Guild of Organists is to foster a thriving community of musicians who share their knowledge and inspire passion for the organ.

The American Guild of Organists (AGO) is the national professional association serving the organ and choral music fields. The Guild serves approximately 20,000 members in 330 chapters throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia.  Founded in 1896 as both an educational and service organization, the Guild seeks to set and maintain high musical standards and to promote understanding and appreciation of all aspects of organ and choral music.

Schedule of Guild Events - 2018 - 2019

September 23, 2018 (Sun) - Exchange Student Cultural Presentation - 3pm

Hear presentations from high school students from Kazhstan, Krygzstan, and Tunsia, including music played on the ancient stringed instruments  Dombra and Komuz

October 15, 2018 (Tues) - An evening with Grand Rapids composer Raymond Haan and his music - 7:30pm

Local chapter members will play organ works by area composer Raymond Haan, and he will discuss his works.  There will also be copies of his collection of Funeral music published by Augsburg Fortress (now out of print) available for interested organists to take home. 

November 5, 2018 (Mon) - Organ Plus - sharing our favorites, finding new treasures - Central Ave CRC - 7:30pm

Bring your favorite Organ-plus repertoire to play for each other (Organ + instrument, organ 4 hand, or organ and piano), or just come to listen and get ideas (we will share the list in an upcoming newsletter)

December - no meeting!

January 6, 2019 (Sun) - 5pm - Holiday Potluck - Julia Collingsworth house

Bring a dish to share and let's celebrate having made it through December!  We will also sing together from the Oxford Book of Carols.

February 4, 2019 (Mon) - 7:3opm - Introducing the New Console, the Lending Library, and some Chorale favorites at First Reformed, Holland - 7:30pm

Rick and Cheryl Van Oss will lead us in chorale reading session with some of their favorites, and also show off the new console in the sanctuary, and take us on a tour of  the new lending library of organ and chorale works at First Reformed

March 1, 2019 (Fri) - 7:30pm - Dr. Mary Cohen, University of Iowa - About Prison Choirs - Hope Church - 7:30pm

Dr. Cohen, a professor of music education at the University of Iowa and founder of the ground-breaking Oakdale Community Choir - a combined group of incarcerated, as well as volunteer community singers - will speak about arts in prisons, especially the innovative new idea of prison choirs and how they change lives.

March 25, 2019 (Mon) - 7:30pm - Linda Graham, Professor of Dance at Hope College, on Sacred Dance - 14th Street CRC

Linda has been active in sacred dance for many decades.  She will address how to incorporate dance into a worship service, offer best-practices for musicians working with dancers, and help us understand the possibilities within sacred dance.  Both for those who have worked with dancers before, and for those who have not! 

April 30, 2019 (Tues) - 7:30pm - Clergy-Musician Relations - Pastor Gordon Wiersma and Musician Brian Carder of Hope Church 

In the second part of our successful series, we will hear from another local musician-clergy team who have an enviable relationship - Brian and Gordon will discuss what works well, how they have collaborated so successfully together for decades, offer tips for the rest of us, and answer questions about their working systems and relationships

May 19 (Sun) - 5pm - Members Recital on the newly installed organ at Second Reformed in Zeeland

Come hear your favorite Holland organists performing some of their favorite works

June TBD  - Spring Potluck

Other Local Organ Events of Note

 *Fri, Oct 27, 7:30pm – Holland Symphony with Dr. Huw Lewis at Hope College (the Jack) – Rheinberger Organ Concerto and Jongen Symphonie Concertante

 *Sun, Nov 4 at 1pm – Grace Notes at Grace Episcopal Church - Hope grad and former Grace Church Holland organist Alfred Fedak 

*Sun, Nov 4 at 3pm - Rietberg Recital at Third Reformed - Larry and Carla Sue on Handbells, with Linda Strouf on Organ 

*Tues, Nov. 6 – 7:30pm – Veteran’s Day Concert: War and Peace - also celebrating the radio program Pipedreams' 35th Anniversary in the fall of 2018
Rhonda Edgington (with James Sailers, DMA Tuba) at Hope Church  

*Sun, Dec 2 at 3pm - Rick van Oss, Free at Three Advent Recital at First Reformed

*Sun, Dec 2 at 5pm - Rhonda Edgington Advent Recital at Hope Church 
*Sun, Jan 13 at 2pm – Grace Notes at Grace Church - Linda Fulton

*Sun, Feb 10 at 2pm – Grace Notes at Grace Church - Jane Bosco

* Sun, March 24 at 3pm - Grace Notes at Grace Episcopal - Nick Palmer and friends performing original works by Palmer

*Sun, March 24 at 5pm - Second Reformed in Zeeland - Ronald Krebs (VP of Reuter Organ Company) part of the organ rededication series

* Tues, April 2 at 7:30pm - Nicole Simental - Donia Recital Series at Hope College, Jack Miller Center for Musical Arts

*Sun, April 5 at 7pm - Rhonda Sider Edgington - Tulip Time Organ Recital at Hope Church - Dutch organ music through the ages

*Sun, May 19 at 3pm - Grace Notes (The Final Concert) - Steve Jenkins and Friends

If you have events for this page, please email dean Rhonda Edgington, or newsletter editor Paul Dalman (see the Contact Us page).