Evening star., 1948-06-13
.HOWes to Lead
Organ Institute
DuringSunmer
By Alice Eversmon

It has been long time since word
was had of Arthur Howes, for many
years orsanist at st. Johns Church.
Lafayette square. Now q member
Of the music faculty of the Phillips
Academy, Andover, Mass, he is also
director of the Organ Institute which
announces o summer session from
July 10 to August II at Andover-
Methuen. Mr.. Howes, whose EFFORTS
here were to restore the finest In
church music and preserve purity OF
style in its performance. will have
as associates Arthur Poister Of ober-
lin College Conservatory Of Music,
Carl Weinrich of Princeton Univer-
sity, and Ernest White Of the Church
of st. Mary the Virgin IN New
York City, ..
The summer sessions are designed
principally for professional organ
lists and teachers Of advanced stand
ing and form something OF q grad
|uate school, where the ideas ana
practices Of several organ recitalists
will be studied. However. scholar
ships are available for qualified stu
dents, donated by the H. Willard
Gray Publishing Co., G. Donald
Harrison, organ builder; Edward r.
Searles and Moses T. Stevens. Stu
dents will live in the dormitories OF
Phillips Academy and practice on
the organs of church and schools IN
Andover and Lawrence.
Fine Organ to Be Used.
Chief interest centers in the fine
organ in Methuen which will be
used for master classes and recitals.
The plans for it were made by an
international commission of organ
lists. Work was begun on it In 1887
by the Walcker Co. OF Ludwigsberg.
Germany, and finished flve years
later. The Civil War, then in prog
ress, caused concern as to its safe
arrival in this country, but, after
careful testing in the factory, 1t was
finally shipped to Boston IN 1858.
It was one of Boston's prize possess
sions until the growth OF the Bos-
ton Symphony crowded 1t on the
Music Hall stage.
1t was not until the beginning OF
this century that the organ was
used again. At that time the late
Edward F. Searles purchased 1t and
brought it to his estate in Metauen.
A new hall was built and here the
beautiful instrument in its elabo-
rately carved case has an acoustically
ideal home. The case supports the
brilliantly polished tin pipes OF the
32-foot open diapason, one OF the
few sets of such pipes in the world.
The daily master classes OF each
teacher will cover technique, regis
tration, Interpretation and methods
of practice. Two recitals will be
given at the end of each week.
Students will be given opportunities
to play on the famed organ for
criticism of the faculty. The reper-
toire to be discussed will extend
from the forerunners of Bach TO
contemporary composers.
A Ofeat Meulum OI EApTo0siUhs
A growing interest in the organ
lis evident among composers ana
performers. It's remarkable powers
have always appealed to musicians
| of broad vision who find in its great
range of effects more satisfying
means of their own individual artis-
tic expression. Yet its subtleties
are not so frequently stressed IN
instruction and this remains a field
to be more fully explored by per-
| formers on the instrument. This
country, which has led in develop
ments of the instruments itself. has
an active association concerning
itself with the organist's problems In
the American Guild of Organists.
| AS is necessary, organ recitals are
held in churches, and therefore draw
limited audience. The superb
literature of this king OF instru-
ments" and the many fine perform
ers before the public today deserve
a .place in the major activities OF a
musical season. Concerts in a place
where a sizable audience could AZ
tend would enlarge universal kroM.
edge of this particular branch II
music. The Organ Institute is doing
il it's bit toward perfecting the art