This festival existed before America was even invented,” exclaimed Roy Massey, organist emeritus of Hereford Cathedral and nine times conductor-in-chief of the Three Choirs Festival. We were standing beside the statue of Edward Elgar, in a corner of the cathedral gardens. For each festival at Hereford, Ruth Massey places a wreath of flowers around Elgar’s neck, and then stops by every day to water it. The Three Choirs Festival is an annual summer event shared between the Gloucester, Hereford, and Worcester cathedrals.
Thomas H. Anderson, 86, of North Easton, Massachusetts, died December 30, 2023. Born May 25, 1937, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, he met his late wife Susan in Belfast, where they grew up on the same street.
American Organ Institute, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
A revolution in Norman: how a visionary idea is transforming the organ industry
Many in the organ community have likely heard about the American Organ Institute (AOI) at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. Fewer have had the opportunity to experience the institute first-hand. For many years, I have had the privilege of knowing the faculty and staff of the AOI personally and professionally and am grateful for the chance to share some thoughts about this visionary program.
