Fall 2025 Seminars
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Online – 11 a.m. Eastern Time
"Improvisation and the Music of Jean Langlais" – Dr. Ann Labounsky
Discover the artistry and insight of legendary French composer and organist Jean Langlais in this captivating seminar with Dr. Ann Labounsky, FAGO. Filmed at Duquesne University’s Danchenko organ, the program explores Langlais’s distinctive musical styles—ranging from strict, structured forms to the freedom of chant-based and folkloric works—and reveals his inventive use of personal names as musical themes. Dr. Labounsky, a former student of Langlais, shares rare firsthand stories and demonstrates improvisation techniques he taught, including forms and motives any organist can apply. This engaging presentation offers both inspiration and practical tools, inviting musicians and music lovers alike to delve deeper into the expressive world of Langlais’s music.
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Online – 11 a.m. Eastern Time
"Organ Registration" – Dr. Brendan Conner
This seminar, presented by Dr. Brendan Conner, offers a practical and in-depth guide to organ registration for church musicians. Using clear demonstrations, it explores the tonal qualities and uses of principal, flute, string, and reed stops, and addresses when to mix different scalings for optimal effect. Participants will learn strategies for Sunday morning hymn playing, including effective piston setups, swell box techniques, and tasteful embellishments to support congregational singing. The session also covers graded swell registrations for anthem accompaniment, offering a step-by-step approach for building sound while aiding choral tuning. Finally, it examines registration principles for various national styles—French classical and romantic, English romantic, and German baroque—showing how to adapt these traditions to different organs and service needs. This seminar is designed to equip organists with both the technical tools and musical insight to elevate their liturgical playing
Saturday, November 15, 2025
Online – 11 a.m. Eastern Time
"A Pastoral Approach to Transforming Parish Music to a More Sacred Style"
– Dr. Myrna Keogh
Dr. Myrna Keogh’s seminar offers a practical, pastoral roadmap for transforming parish music into a more authentically sacred style—rooted in the Church’s liturgical tradition yet sensitive to parish life and pastoral realities. Drawing on decades of experience in seminaries and parish work, she outlines a gradual, multi-year plan that fosters beauty, reverence, and congregational participation through careful repertoire choices, thoughtful integration of chant, alignment with Church documents, and collaboration between pastor and music director. Participants will gain concrete strategies for introducing change in a way that inspires rather than alienates—focusing on what can be added and enhanced rather than simply removed. Whether you are a priest, music director, or parish musician, this presentation will equip you with both the vision and the practical tools to guide your community toward a richer, more prayerful musical life.
