Local Organists Stay Busy Through Church and Guild Performances

The organ at Saint Andrews Catholic Church gets a lot of use by multiple organist throughout the year.
The organ at Saint Andrews Catholic Church gets a lot of use by multiple organist throughout the year.

Consider the plight of the church musician. As a professional worship leader, this musician often has no colleagues – unless you count the pastor. So when the musician is an organist, you’ll often find him or her in the American Guild of Organists, AGO for short. Although a strong national organization with many local groups, it seemingly flies under the press radar. So that very few people know about it or what it does in their own hometowns.

Therefore, the leadership of the Roanoke chapter works to bring AGO into the notice of more music lovers here. They have planned year round organ centered events starting this fall. If you come to even one you’ll doubtless encounter the current president (a k a dean), Debra LeBrun.

This energetic Massachusetts-born 53 year old attends annual AGO national programs. Locally, she works with those she calls her “key board members,” Kelly Wheelbarger, Karen Jones Harwood, Joe Kennedy, Judy Clark and Melissa Hudson. They set up events for the public as well as some just for members to share musical ideas. And they run scholarship fundraisers so they can help organ students, too.

LeBrun comes from a family where no one played any instrument, but at age five she auditioned for and joined her church’s choir. She also started sitting at the piano with an organist neighbor. “I had to beg to get lessons,” she says, but “I don’t remember ever not reading music. They did teach music in school, so I just picked it up there and from choir and my neighbor.”

A LeBrun went on to Syracuse University for an organ performance degree, although her father had wanted her to follow his profession as an accountant. “But I knew from high school days I wanted to be an organist.” So she added a master’s degree in organ from the University of Illinois.

After she and her computer engineer husband Steven worked their way through graduate school they ended back in Massachusetts where she worked as the Minister of Music of the Littleton Congregational Church. Twenty-four years later she accepted the job as director of music ministries at Raleigh Court United Methodist Church. “We were looking for someplace with milder winters and lower living costs.”

Roanoke gave them those benefits but not less work for her. She continued her strong interest in and devotion to handbell choirs, now leading three of them. In addition to playing the organ for all the services she heads the choirs and an instrumental group. And teaches organ. Ronnie St Clair, an adult student, studies regularly, and she keeps up with former student Zach Bowyer, now in college. Looking back on her career so far, she says, “I don’t stop.”

LeBrun’s “key” group has finalized a year’s worth of AGO plans, starting with the fall unit called “Two at Two.” Both concerts start at two– despite the AGO tradition of a four o’clock start – to accommodate each church’s prior schedules. Both are rededications to showcase various improvements.

September 21 at two, at the Windsor Hills United Methodist church, features Karen Jones Harwood playing. The next is October 19 at two at the Raleigh Court United Methodist Church, featuring Debra LeBrun. A reception follows each concert, plus the opportunity for any AGO member to stay and play afterwards.

November 9 brings back the popular hymn singing program at Greene Memorial Church. This year’s theme? Works by Fanny Crosby [1820-1915], the blind poet who wrote countless faith-filled songs such as “Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine!”

Carrying on a long-standing tradition to celebrate St. Lucia’s day, various choirs will perform at 7:30 PM on December 12 at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church. That night the church is offering a Swedish supper beforehand at moderate cost. Since you’ll need reservations make sure you watch for AGO notices if you want to include that.

The hard-working organists have too much to do for the Christmas season at their own churches, so they’re skipping the rest of December and resting in January. February will feature a Friday night silent movie with organ music by Pennsylvania’s Paul Flekenstein, as part of St. John’s Episcopal Church’s Corner series.

March will be taken up with preparations for the Easter season, so the group will celebrate April with a field trip to Rocky Mount to the Fulcher Organ Company. They’ll hold their annual banquet in May with a visiting recitalist to be announced. So if either or both of these appeal to you, be watching for notices.

Then comes summer again, with the King of Instruments summer Sunday afternoon concerts.
So these hardworking AGO members bring Roanoke music lovers programs to look forward to all year long. Three cheers for AGO!

by Priscilla Richardson, MA, JD, and author of “Speak Don’t Freak,” now available at Amazon.com

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