Charles W. Steele, minister of music and organist at Brevard-Davidson River Presbyterian Church, Brevard, North Carolina, retired July 8 after over seventeen years of full-time service in the position.
A native of Virginia, Steele earned a Bachelor of Arts degree (with honors) and a Master of Arts degree in music from Radford University, where he studied organ with Carl Gilmer. Later, he earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Kentucky, Lexington, where his organ study was with Schuyler Robinson. Prior to returning to graduate school in mid-life, Steele served for 16-1⁄2 years as director of music and organist at First United Methodist Church, Brevard. He also served several years as an adjunct instructor of organ at Brevard College.
Steele is an active member of the American Guild of Organists, having served as a board member of the former Bluefield Chapter, board member and dean of the Western North Carolina Chapter, and dean of the Blue Ridge Chapter. He was an interest session presenter at the 2011 Region V AGO Convention in Lexington, Kentucky; the 2012 national AGO Convention in Nashville, Tennessee; and the 2016 national AGO Convention in Houston, Texas. His article, “Southern Harmony Revisited—In the Pew and on the Organ Bench,” was published in the January 2011 issue of The Diapason.
Steele lives in the mountains of western North Carolina with his wife, Patricia Black, a pianist in the Brevard area.
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