New Music Festival

A Message from Edwin Taylor

The Tampa Chapter of the American Guild of Organists is sponsoring a New Music Festival on Sunday afternoon, June 14, at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church, 13312 Cain Road, Tampa.  Featured will be 12 organists and 40+ singers from throughout the Tampa, Clearwater, and St. Pete AGO Chapters, joined by two trumpets, French horn, trombone, tuba, timpani, and percussion (players from both The Florida Orchestra and The Florida Wind Band), playing and singing various of the published and unpublished anthems, hymns, descants, solos, duets, and organ and piano works of Saint Mark’s Music Director, Edwin R. Taylor. 

If you would like to sing in the Festival Choir for this glorified anthem-reading session, you will rehearse only the one time … at 2:00p that day, and must RSVP to edwinrtaylor52@gmail.com by Monday, May 18.  Choir participants will be sent, via e-mailed PDF’s, the unpublished scores for personal review and rehearsal in advance.  If you would like only to attend the ‘performance,’ the Festival begins at 4:00p.  Whether you participate in the singer track or the attender track, you will go home from this one-day free spine-tingling event with some fresh and singable unpublished pieces.  If you should register to sing in the choir, you will in addition go home with copies of four just-published anthems, compliments of GIA Publications.

While there is no cost for participation or attendance at this New Music Festival, a free-will offering will be accepted.  This is a non-robed event, and a picture will be taken for publication in The American Organist magazine.  Tampa AGO you to be a part of this roof-raising and memorable afternoon.  A Reception will follow in the church’s Atrium.  Attention directors, organists, and singers:  make notes on your printed program … GIA, like at all anthem-reading sessions, hopes to derive some sales as a result of their offering you gift copies of these pieces.