Christ Church School of the Arts!  As the next phase in our continuing effort to increase awareness of music and the arts in Norwich, we are opening a school of the arts at Christ Church.  We began our expansion of musical activity with the founding of the Chamber Music at Christ Church series in 2006, and continued with the installation of our new landmark sanctuary organ in 2008.  Now our attention is turning to education, and we hope to have the school up and running by the summer of 2009.  Beginning with a core of students that are currently in my piano studio, we will be expanding our enrollment and our musical offering to include strings, woodwinds, voice, classical guitar, and music and movement - to name a few.  To that end, I am seeking professional, classically trained musicians who would like to be involved in our school.  We have much space at Christ Church, many classrooms in which to teach, and boundless energy for music making.  Please contact us directly for more information on how to become part of this exciting new venture! 

New Organ at Christ Church!  The new sanctuary organ was officially dedicated on Sunday, November 30th, to great acclaim.  A widely customized Rodgers TM968, the Opus 1724 organ (fondly called "Béatrice") has met with much applause and much joy.  I'd like to thank everyone at Rodgers and at Marshall & Ogletree for all their work and loving craftsmanship.  This instrument was first heard in the summer of 2008, at the National Convention of the American Guild of Organists in Minneapolis, before it went back to the factory to be expanded and customized to the specifications planned for Christ Church.  It is now a five division organ of 130 speakings stops, divided into three manuals and pedal.  The solo division is "floating", and can be assigned to any of the keyboards.  Its output was doubled, spreading the sound of the organ over a massive twenty channel speaker system that spans the sanctuary from the western wall to the chancel.  Stop by the ten o'clock service on Sunday morning to see (and hear!) what all the fuss is about, and to get a tour of this wonderful new instrument!

Update - New Compositions!  Recently completed are three new works for piano: a "Prelude and Variations" (subtitled A Musical Gallimaufry), an "Epithalamium", and a "Menuet à la manière de Ravel".  "Three Studies in English", a miniature song cycle based on poems by Wilde, Keats and Merrill, is nearing completion.  The piano suite "Le Printemps", a four-movement collection of dances aimed at intermediate keyboardists (and with tongue firmly in cheek), is also complete.  Keep an eye on this site for premier information in the near future.  For questions regarding commissions and publication, please contact me directly.

Keyboard Studio Openings: I am once again accepting new students to my piano studio: all levels of ability are welcome, ages 8 and up.  Lessons are comprehensive, and cover everything from technique and theory to style and interpretation.  A wide variety of keyboard methods are used, and are custom-tailored to the individual needs and strengths of each student.  Organ lessons are also available.  For more information, please contact me directly. 

Support the Fine Arts in Southeastern CT!  Check out Chamber Music at Christ Church!  In an effort to bolster the arts in the quickly expanding and redeveloping city of Norwich, the “Chamber Music at Christ Church” series was founded in 2006 by Christ Church's organist and choirmaster Jesse N. Glaude, and the Reverend S. Scott Hankins, rector.  Designed to showcase the musicians of eastern Connecticut and to create programs of lesser known and rarer works within the classical repertoire, the series aims to contribute to the growing cultural life in the downtown district and beyond.  For more information, please contact the Christ Episcopal Church office at 860.887.4249.