Local church's organist earns AGO degree

Sat, Jul 4, 2009    to del.icio.us

Caron Farmer, director of music for St. John's Episcopal Church in Grand Haven, was recently awarded the associate degree of the American Guild of Organists — the second-highest certification awarded by the organization.

Farmer has served for the past six years as organist and director of the church's adult choir, handbell choir and brass ensemble. She is the keyboard accompanist for Camerata Singers and a former dean of the Muskegon-Lakeshore Chapter of the AGO.

Only two other organists in the history of the local chapter of the guild, Arnold Bourziel and Dorothy Sheets, have ever held the associate degree.

The examination involves two parts: playing three assigned works from the organ repertoire, and writing music and answering questions to display the applicant's broad musical knowledge. Farmer passed the playing portion of the exam a couple of years ago. She passed the written portion June 5.