February 1996

When Martin Neary succeeded Simon Preston as Westminster Abbey's Organist and Master of the Choristers in 1988, a distinguished career reached its logical (if dizzying) pinnacle. But to paint a picture of Martin Neary as the prototypical English cathedral organist would truly miss the mark.

Taylor & Boody Organbuilders, Inc., of Staunton, VA, has built a new organ, the firm's opus 24, for Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, in Staunton. The two-manual organ comprises 24 stops and 1,420 pipes with space prepared on the windchests for five additional stops. The choir and organ are situated at the rear of the sanctuary.

Part 1 was published in the January, 1996 issue of The
Diapason.

Profile: Germantown, PA

In Philadelphia's historic Germantown on Germantown Avenue
at High Street stands the First United Methodist Church of Germantown. In the
tower hangs the 50-bell Shelmerdine Memorial Carillon.

Latin-American Conference of Organists and Organ Builders

The fifth annual Conference of the Brazilian Association of
Organists and Organ Builders coincided with the third annual Latin-American
Conference of Organists and Organ Builders in Porto Alegre, Brazil, from
September 6-10, 1995. The amount of activity in the organ world in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay has grown considerably in recent years: the Association now has a membership of approximately 150 from around South America.

Organ restoration topics were featured prominently at the
1995 AIO convention in San Jose. Monday's lectures included Jonathan
Ambrosino's overview of Bay Area organbuilding and Edward Millington Stout's
video presentation of his 1886 Odell restoration for St. Joseph's Cathedral in
San Jose. The group then travelled to the cathedral for a recital by James
Welch, which included a number of shorter pieces appropriate to the organ's
vintage.