OVERVIEW
Minnesota Historical Society
American Guild of Organists. Twin Cities
Chapter.
Guild records.
1910-2001.
Organizational records including minutes,
committee files, financial information, membership directories, concert
programs, and convention material documenting a Twin Cities area chapter of the
American Guild of Organists that was founded in 1910.
2.0 cu. ft. (2 boxes).
See Detailed Description section for shelf
locations.
HISTORICAL NOTE
The American Guild of Organists was founded in 1896, and is
headquartered in New York City. It is an educational and service organization
organized to advance the cause of organ and choral music, to elevate the status
of church musicians, and to maintain standards of artistic excellence among
organists and choral conductors. The organization offers professional
certification in organ playing, choral and instrumental training, and theory
and general knowledge of music.
The Twin Cities Chapter was organized in 1910 by George H. Fairclough
as the Minnesota Chapter. Their first public program was held at the Church of
St. John the Evangelist in St. Paul on March 15, 1911.
Sometime between 1958 and 1959 the Minnesota Chapter was reorganized
as the Twin Cities Chapter. Today the Twin Cities Chapter is composed mainly of
church organists, choir directors, teachers, students, and organ builders in
the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. Additional Minnesota chapters
have been organized in the Arrowhead, southeastern, and southwestern
regions.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
Charter (1910), minutes (1910-2001), membership directories
(1949-1997), miscellaneous financial records (1936-1967, 1995-1998), committee
files (1957-1999), correspondence (1958-1985, 1992-2000), concert and recital
programs (1911-2000), and convention materials (1949-1994) documenting the
organization and activities of the Twin Cities chapter of a national
professional association of organists and choir directors.
The collection also includes a variety of printed material from the
American Guild of Organists including membership brochures, circular memoranda,
information regarding certification examinations, manuals and guidelines for
chapter organization and programming, and compensation guides for church
musicians. A video recording and educational materials created by the Wichita,
Kansas chapter to introduce children to the pipe organ are also included.
Concert programs associated with the dedication of new organs contain
information concerning organ design and construction. Dedicatory programs
dating from the 1970s contain information concerning organs designed and built
by Charles Hendrickson of St. Peter, Minnesota.
ARRANGEMENT
These documents are organized into the following sections:
- Administrative Records
- Subject Files
RELATED MATERIALS
Pipenotes, the newsletter of the Twin
Cities Chapter is available in the Minnesota Historical Society serials
collection.
The score of twenty-six choral works that were commissioned for the
Guild's national convention held in the Twin Cities in 1980 are available in
the Minnesota Historical Society library.
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
Topics:
Music -- Minnesota -- Societies, etc.
Organ (Musical instrument) -- Minnesota.
Professional associations -- Minnesota -- Twin Cities
Metropolitan Area.
Music -- Minnesota -- Performance.
Church music -- Minnesota.
Place:
Twin Cities Metropolitan Area (Minn.).
Persons:
Hendrickson, Charles.
Organizations:
American Guild of Organists.
American Guild of Organists. Minnesota Chapter.
Types of Documents:
Concert programs -- Minnesota -- Twin Cities Metropolitan
Area.
Occupation:
Organists -- Minnesota -- Twin Cities Metropolitan
Area.
Church musicians -- Minnesota -- Twin Cities Metropolitan
Area.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series
here]. American Guild of Organists. Twin Cities Chapter Records.
Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional
examples.
Accession Information:
Accession number: 14,575; 15,652; 15,790; 15,881
Processing Information:
Processed by: Kathryn A. Johnson, February 1992; Monica Manny
Ralston, March 2002
PALS ID number: 09-00023619
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Administrative Records
151.F.19.13.B
1
Charter,
1910.
Minutes,
1910-1952, 1960-1962, 1971-1974, 1980-1982, 1989-2001.
13 folders.
Dean's correspondence,
1951-1953, 1958-1985, 1992-1996,
1998-2000.
8 folders.
Committees:
Committees and related papers,
1957-1981.
Civic Center Organ Restoration Committee,
1973.
Education Committee,
1995-1996.
Hospitality Committee,
1995-1996.
Professional Concerns Committee,
1991-1999.
5 folders.
Program Committee,
1988-1996, 1998-1999.
3 folders.
Financial:
Budget and finances,
1995-1996, 1997-1998.
2 folders.
Receipts and disbursements,
1929-1942, 1946-1960.
3 folders.
Miscellaneous accounts,
1946-1953.
Treasurer's annual reports,
1947-1965, 1996.
1 folder and 1 volume.
Membership:
Card file,
[1917-1952].
Card file: Transfers, withdrawals, delinquents and
deceased,
[1917-1952].
143.B.15.4F
2
Correspondence,
1944, 1950-1954.
Directories,
1948/1949-1952/1953, 1954/1955,
1957/1958-1959/1960, 1961/1962-1964, 1971, 1973/1974-1974/1975,
1976/1977-1977/1978, 1979/1980, 1981/1982-1984, 1987, 1989, 1990/1991,
1996-1997.
5 folders.
New member's packet,
2000.
Transfers and new members,
[1917-1952].
Transfers, corrections, and updates,
1976-1981.
2 folders.
Operating procedures,
2000.
Subject Files
143.B.15.4F
2
Children's pipe organ project,
1997.
1 folder containing 1 video recording.
Concert and recital programs,
1911-1953, 1957, 1960-1966, 1969-1978,
1980-1986, 1998, 2000.
8 folders.
Concert and recital programs: Guild anniversaries,
1960, 1986, 1996.
Conventions:
Miscellaneous national conventions,
1962-1982.
National convention (Twin Cities), 1980:
Executive Committee minutes and related papers,
1978-1981.
Choir of St. Paul's Cathedral, London,
1978-1980.
Program and related papers,
1980.
National convention (Dallas): Program and related
materials,
1994.
Miscellaneous regional conventions,
1961-1985.
Regional convention program,
1949.
Regional convention program and committee papers,
1954.
Regional convention committee papers,
1974-1975.
Regional convention program and related papers,
1975.
Regional convention program and registrants,
1989.
Kimball municipal organ (Minneapolis),
undated.
Minnesota state deans meetings,
1986.
100th anniversary gubernatorial proclamation,
1996.
Photographs: Portraits of Twin Cities Chapter deans,
undated and [1938-1939,
1996-1998].
Printed Material:
American Guild of Organists,
undated and 1949-1999].
6 folders.
Minnesota organs,
[1970s].
Student scholarship competition,
1992-1995, 1999.
Survey of organists and choir directors,
1961.
Westminster organ project,
1999-2000.