Winchester Chapter

American Guild of Organists


“TO FOSTER A THRIVING COMMUNITY OF MUSICIANS WHO SHARE
THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND INSPIRE PASSION FOR THE ORGAN“

WAGO Newsletter 2025

EN CHAMADE  March 2025
N E W S L E T T E R
THE WINCHESTER CHAPTER
AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS

WAGO Celebrates Women Composers March 21 —
a Dinner, Progressive Concert and Dessert Event Participate in celebrating over 900 years of Women Composers! 

 The Dinner is catered and will be served from 5:45-6:30 at The First Presbyterian Church,

followed by a 7pm concert in the sanctuary, beginning with a Suite for Organ written by WAGO organist Beverly Clarke, which she never got to play before she died last year.  This is followed by a delightful half hour plus of Choral music written by some of your favorite Christian women composers, and then at 7:50, the second concert will feature music of Fanny Mendelssohn, Clara Schumann through composers born in the 20th century with selections for organ, piano, harpsichord, oboe, clarinet and flute.

The tickets are $50, covering the catered dinner and a $14 donation to the WAGO scholarship fund.  Even though the cost of the dinner is more than our last Dinner event, we have not increased the ticket price. The tickets are available online by going to 

wago.ludus.com

It will pull up our “Celebration to Women Composers” event ticket sales window.  I have already purchased my tickets so I know it works.  There is a $3.25 service fee per ticket charged by ludus.

We will be looking forward to seeing you at the dinner, and enjoying some time to visit over pie after the concerts.

From the Dean of Winchester Chapter of the American Guild of Organists   March 11, 2025
 
Dear fellow AGO members, fellow musicians, and friends of Dr. Steven Cooksey:
 
    Dr. Stevem L. Cooksey, beloved organist, teacher, and friend passed away on Monday, March 10  2025 around 10:35 AM.  He had a short stay in the Valley Health Hospital in Winchester where he was diagnosed with kidney failure.  His options were to keep on a regimen of dialysis multiple times each week or to stop all invasive treatments and let nature take its course.  He chose the latter and some of his visitors said that he was sure he had made the right decision. He was then moved into a lovey, bright room at the Villiage at Orchard ridge nurcing care unit. 
 Born on May 2, 1941, he was weels short of his 84th birthday..
 
    I have been gathering many stories and memories from among the people who loved him best. Testimonials have come from so many of his students, university colleagues, musicians, and personal friends.  Dr. Cooksey gave back many times over what he received.  He thought of himself as a mediator and arbitrator. He liked cooperative solutions and was successful in carrying that feeling to whatever he was managing at the time. 
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