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Two Distinguished Canadian Organists Pay Homage to Schweitzer
and Bach
The 5th Anniversary Performance of Words of Albert Schweitzer
and the Music of Bach, on October 14th, will present Peter Letkemann
of Manitoba, and Christopher Dawes, Director of Music and Organist
for St. James' Cathedral in Toronto.
Peter Letkemann has given solo organ recitals throughout Canada,
in Germany, and in the United States.
Peter writes: "I became acquainted with Albert Schweitzer's life
and thought at the age of fourteen. His example inspired me to
study the organ and theology, and to pursue a career in church
music. Many years later, when I was able to visit the Schweitzer
Haus in Gunsbach, France, to play the organ in the village church,
to wander over the hills of the region he loved so much, and to
sit next to his monument on the hillside overlooking the Munster
valley I felt that I had found the 'Heimat' denied me as a refugee
child."
Christopher Dawes is a graduate of Queen's University School of
Music, and Fellow of the Royal Canadian College of Artists.
About Schweitzer, he has in numerous public addresses, said: ..."his
commitment to the human condition informed by the arts is inspirational
to artists who give freely their most fundamental human expressions
for the nurture of a society that seems only rarely to understand
either them or the ideals they serve, but nonetheless continues
to support their contribution to life and truth. Moreover, Schweitzer
seems to draw artists and all people beyond their preoccupation
with the immediate to the greater values and ideals which make
us truly one global family in art and faith."
Dr. Jordan Tang Will Conduct Premiere of Paths of Peace Symphony
Dr. Jordan Tang, conductor of the Paducah Symphony in Kentucky
and the Music Director and Conductor of the Jackson, Tennessee
Symphony, will be the guest conductor of the Nashville Symphony
Orchestra when they present the world premiere of "Symphony No.
l - Paths of Peace" by Michael Alex Rose, as the grand finale
of Symposium 2000 on October l5.
Paths of Peace is dedicated to the Life and Work of Albert Schweitzer.
On June 1st I was honored when the composer presented me a copy
of the manuscript , inscribed, "To Thurston and Georgianna, whose
vision made this possible - with great affection and abiding thanks."
Paths of Peace is a work for large orchestra in five movements,
featuring soprano and baritone soloists. (See Michael's notes
on the symphony in Newsletter #15, April.)
Michael Alec Rose is Associate Professor of Composition at Blair
School of Music, Vanderbilt University. He received his Bachelor
of Arts and Master of Arts Degree from the University of Pennsylvania,
and his Ph.D. from the Eastman School of Music. He received the
Victor Herbert/ASCAP award in 1985 and has received fourteen consecutive
annual ASCAP awards since 1985.
Program
Suite No. 3 -J.S. Bach
Brandenburg Concerto #3 -J.S. Bach
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor -J.S. Bach
Intermission
Symphony No. 1 - Paths of Peace
-Michael Alec Rose
Support Symposium 2000
Producing an event of this magnitude is extremely costly and although
we have received some funding, including the National Endowment
for the Arts, we are still facing a deficit. For your contribution,
your name will be listed in the beautiful "Symposium 2000 Commemorative
Program Book" as a Symposium 2000 Patron. Your donation is tax
deductible so won't you please help. Thank you for your interest
and support.
e-mail us: symposium2000@webtv.net
250th Anniversary of J.S. Bach's Death - July 28, 1750
Letter written to members of the Nederlandsche Bachvereeniging
(Dutch Bach Association) on their twenty-fifth anniversary, Naarden,
Holland
• Lambaréné - 30 July 1946
I deeply regret that I cannot join you when you celebrate your
anniversary September 13 and the following days. For various reasons
it is impossible for me to go to Europe now.
It was so kind of you to name me Eere-Voorzitter (Honorary Chairman) together with Prof. G. van der Leeuw. I thank
you from the bottom of my heart.
You paid me this honor because you knew that I have always been
deeply interested in your Bachvereeniging. I heard about it when
it was only just starting.
Then during frequent visits to your country, I had opportunities
to see the deep understanding of your musical circles for Bach's
art; I also saw how extensively the Bachvereeniging cultivated
and implemented the interest in the Maestro of St. Thomas.
On the days of your festivities I will be with you in spirit,
sharing your delight that after the difficult years and your nation
have endured you may now again experience days on which spirits
are uplifted in beautiful celebrations.
Bach's art is being appreciated more and more, and the number
of people to whom it is important is steadily increasing. I see
these signs as auspicious for the development of a future spiritual
life.
The great esteem for Bach shows that the people of our time still
have a sense of simple, upright, perfect, and genuine values and
true depth, and that spiritual energies are still operative in
our world, which is ruled by so many external and foolish ideals.
Spirituality is needed by our time and ourselves
Bach is a spiritual educator through the spirit of the religious
texts that he so movingly set to music, and through the spirit
of his music per se.
Wherever his music has an impact on people, it influences them
spiritually. Bach is a precious gift to our time, one of the lights
that shine through the darkness in which mankind today must seek
the road to a deeper spirituality.
May all of you who celebrate this Bach festival in Naarden delight
in the splendid gift and return spiritually enriched to your everyday
lives.
-Albert Schweitzer
Bach's Music Highlights Christoph Wolff's Talk on Bach
Christoph Wolff, Professor of Music, Dean of Harvard Graduate
School of Arts and Sciences, will speak at The Blair School of
Music, Vanderbilt University, October l0. His talk is entitled
Bach in Leipzig - The Everyday Life of a Thomascantor.
Following Wolff's talk, Bobby G. Taylor, Associate Professor of
Oboe at Blair and principal oboe, Nashville Symphony Orchestra,
will present Bach's Concerto for Oboe d'amore in A Minor, in three
movements. He will be accompanied by Polly Purcell Brecht, Adjunct
Instructor in Harpsichord at Blair and member of faculty: Middle
Tennessee State University.
Taylor and Brecht will be accompanied by a string section and
those musicians will be announced later.
Symposium 2000 - World Peace through Reverence for Life will feature
many distinguished speakers during the l6-day event, sprinkled
liberally throughout with the music of the master.
Albert Schweitzer International Conference
October 13-14-15
This will be a landmark event and people will be coming from around
the world. In the last newsletter you read about some of the speakers,
including British author James Brabazon who will deliver the keynote
address at the luncheon on October l4, and Naomi Tutu, Bishop
Tutu's daughter.
We are pleased to announce additional speakers: Dr. Marvin Meyer,
Co-director of the Albert Schweitzer Institute at Chapman University,
Orange, California.
Actor Hugh O'Brian who will speak the "words" of Schweitzer in
Words of Albert Schweitzer and the Music of Bach, on Saturday evening, will speak at the Conference about his
visit to Schweitzer's Hospital in l958 and the founding of the
Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership.
The inspiration to establish the Schweitzer Hospital in Haiti
came when William Larimer saw a 1947 Life Magazine article about
Dr. Schweitzer and his African Hospital. We are honored to have
Dr. Henry Perry, Director of the Haiti Hospital. He has wide experience
with community health programs in Bolivia, Bangladesh and across
the globe.
Nikkie Lindberg and Jenifer Grant of the Albert Schweitzer Institute
for the Humanities will make a presentation on educational programs
for children which are being developed at the Institute.
A beautiful concert will be presented Sunday afternoon by pianist
Christiane Engel and violinist Jiri Tomasek. (See newsletter June,
#17 for data on them.)
Program
• Partita No 2, BWV 1004 -J.S. Bach
In D Minor - Last Movement, Chaconne
• Sonata for Piano and Violin, K.V. 296
-W.A. Mozart
In C-Major - Allegro Vivace,
Andante Sostenuto, Rondeau: Allegro
• Sonata for Piano and Violin, K.V. 304
-W.A. Mozart
In E-Minor - Allegro, Tempo di Menuetto
• Sonatina for Violin and Piano, Opus 100
-Antonin Dvorak
In G-Major - Allegro Risoluto, Larghetto,
Scherzo Molto Vivace, Finale: Allegro
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