Present an "Organ Spectacular" Event

As you probably know, the AGO has declared the 2008-2009 program year as the "International Year of the Organ." Many chapters are currently planning their programs for the upcoming year, and I encourage you to plan an extra-special event on October 19, 2008, the date of the "Organ Spectacular." You will be able to take advantage of international advertising to a very diverse potential audience, and will have the excitement of participating in the "world's largest organ recital"!

In the most recent issue of The American Organist, the IYO national committee offers the following "Noteworthy Strategies for Success" in planning your Organ Spectacular event:

• Assess your community - its people, its organs, its performance venues.
• Plan appealing programs designed to reach NEW audiences of all ages - explore performance space options, including public venues, concert halls, schools, shopping malls, houses of worship.
• Collaborate with others - instrumentalists, vocalists, dancers, visual artists, educators, TV/radio personalities, community leaders, local celebreties - to create and produce unique and stimulating concerts.
• Advertise the premiere of our winning composition - a new organ and instrument work written for this celebration - be sure to invite your newspaper's music critic to the performance!
• Visit the IYO website - for a listing of creative program ideas, as well as helpful information on publicizing your event.
• Submit your concert information - for AGO website inclusion. E-mail it to Harold Calhoun at hc@agohq.org (and copy me as well, so that I can list it on the Regional calendar that is part of this blog).

Most of these are good tips to keep in mind for all AGO programs. Your national headquarters is working hard on the International Year of the Organ. It's going to be a very exciting year!

Let's all join together to create a "buzz" for the IYO year that will carry forward for years to come. The first step: plan now to make October 19, 2008, a special day of celebration in your corner of the world of organ and choral music!