The American Organist magazine article about UVAGO 2026 POE

Utah Valley 2026 Pipe Organ Encounter – July 20-25, 2026

When the Utah Valley Chapter of AGO hosted a Pipe Organ Encounter in 2016 I had recently retired from a career of teaching kindergarten. I had started taking organ lessons because I wanted to be able to play the organ in the temple of my faith. Unknown to me was the fact that my teacher was the Dean of the Utah Valley Chapter and they were putting together a POE. She asked me if I would be the secretary of the POE committee. I agreed and fulfilled my responsibilities, not really understanding all that everyone else on the committee was doing. During that POE in July 2016,  I was a driver and a chaperone for some of the days. Wow! What an experience that was. I learned so much about the organ, just being an onlooker, it was amazing. I was convinced of the importance of Pipe Organ Encounters.

I remained active in the chapter and was the secretary for at least six years. After COVID I heard Don Cook, a member-at-large and the head of the Organ Department at Brigham Young University, suggest many times, that we should host another POE. In 2024, when I was asked if I wanted to continue as secretary, I told them I was happy to be secretary, but I really wanted to do something to help so we could host a POE. A few weeks later they asked my if I would be the “Director” of our POE. I was in shock! Me, a kindergarten teacher, be the director of a POE?  I did not know how to do that! The board members said they would help me, so I agreed. And help me they did! They helped me put together a committee of wonderful people, all much more knowledgeable about the organ world than I was. The POE Committee did include many of the board members. They had great ideas and resources. I found that my job was to keep things going and find ways to pull together their ideas and make them happen. I will not pretend that it was easy, but it has been a wonderful, rewarding adventure for me.

One of the first things we needed to do was to find a place where the participants could stay. As we looked around we found that dormitories at Brigham Young University, which was our main location, were not an option. BYU sponsors too many summer youth programs to house anyone else. We looked into Timp Lodge, about twenty minutes up Provo Canyon, and decided that would be great. There was a large room downstairs with tables for eating, a nice kitchen, lots of chairs and couches, a ping pong table, a foosball table, lots of games, and a piano. There was one large room upstairs at one end for the boys, and another large room on the other end for the girls. Since it could easily accommodate up to thirty participants for the standard rental fee, we decided to set that number as a limit. We did not anticipate that many, so planned for twenty in our budget. By the first of April we had thirty applicants! What a surprise, and a blessing. We welcomed twenty-three boys and seven girls. There were fifteen participants from all over Utah, fourteen from all around the US, from sea to shining sea. One participant was from Canada! Some had no experience with the organ, and others had taken lessons for up to eight years. While we were at the Lodge the piano was in use constantly, until 10:00 PM, Quiet Time. The group worked it out so twenty-three boys could share three showers without any problems. On Saturday, the last day, when there were lots of things to do to clean the Lodge before we could check out, everyone worked together to get it all done, and quickly too. They did so much all week long to help out so our POE could be successful. Isabelle Demers, our visiting artist, commented that they were an exceptional group, committed, willing and eager to learn.

One late afternoon, as we were returning to the Lodge, we drove the participants, and any faculty that wanted to join in, to Aspen Grove to hike the three-and-a-half miles through the mountains to beautiful Stewart Falls and then on to Timp Lodge. We wondered if it would be asking too much of the participants from sea level, but they all made it and said they enjoyed it. It was beautiful, and not too hot as it was threatening rain. Some hikers got a bit of a shower, buy enjoyed the fresh air.

Accepting thirty students meant that we needed six more pipe organs than were available at Brigham Young University. Don Cook, our Facilities Coordinator, really dug in, found and arranged for six pipe organs in chapels of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that were close to BYU. We also needed six more faculty members, and Neil Harmon, our Faculty Coordinator, contacted and arranged for six more qualified teachers. The faculty was excellent! They related quickly with their students, met them at their level, and helped them find success. Neil worked out a schedule so lessons were on a different organ each day and that added to the variety of experiencing different organs. Our faculty consisted of Heidi J. Alley, Millie Camire, Mark Campbell, David Chamberlin, Clay Christiansen, Elizabeth Forsyth, Valerie Harris, Nora Hess, Connor Larsen, Valerie McDougal, Macy Miller, Kimberly Moody, Sheri Peterson, Benjamin Tischner, and Lynn Thomas.

Besides the daily forty-five minute private lessons, which are the heart of a POE, all  participants were able to have console time at The Tabernacle Organ at Temple Square, The First United Methodist Church, and St Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Salt Lake City, as well the unique tracker organ in the Provo Central Stake Center. While in Salt Lake City the attendees attended a mass in the Cathedral of the Madeleine, “The Solemnity of Saint Mary Magdalene”, and enjoyed the organ music and pageantry of that event.

Brigham Young University has a wonderful carillon tower. The POE participants visited the tower in groups of six, twenty minutes for each group, while BYU graduate student Sam Call presented a carillon concert for an hour and forty minutes.  Sam designed the tour that way so the participants could really get the feel of the carillon and try it a little. Afterwards one participant reported that he really enjoyed the carillon, but recommended that BYU create a practice room for it so students could practice without an audience.

There were also recitals each day. Monday, James Welch presented a recital at the Oak Hills Stake Center in Provo. Tuesday, five faculty members presented a recital at the Provo Central Stake Center.  On Wednesday Andrew Unsworth was the recitalist at the Tabernacle Organ. Thursday five more faculty presented a recital in the Choral Hall at BYU, and on Saturday the remaining five faculty members presented a recital in the BYU Concert Hall on the Latourneau organ.

Thursday evening, Isabelle Demers, the visiting artist for the POE, presented a superb concert in the BYU Concert Hall on the Latourneau organ. Her concert, open to the public, was noted by many organists in attendance as the best concert they had attended in a long time. Isabelle made that organ sing with such perfection and clarity. It was definitely a world-class performance and a highlight for the POE students. The participants were then able to visit with Isabelle at the reception following her concert.  The students had also participated in a masterclass led by Isabelle earlier in the morning and enjoyed her warm personality and excellent teaching.

Our Pipe Organ Encounter culminated in two student recitals in the BYU Concert Hall on Friday evening, separated by one hour. Unfortunately one participant was sick Friday morning and had to go home. But every other participant, from beginner to accomplished, performed. It was delightful and inspiring to be in attendance. Between the two recitals there was a dinner for all participants, faculty and families. Such a delightful feeling permeated that one hour, with students, faculty and families all visiting together. Feeding one hundred and fifty people in one hour was truly an accomplishment for our Service Coordinators and very much appreciated.

On Saturday morning, amid the preparation for going home, we managed one more recital, featuring the last five faculty members, on the Latourneau organ. That meant that every student was able to observe and enjoy their teacher perform. The very last event was a fun and entertaining, no-organ, variety show created and performed by the participants. Everyone enjoyed the many other entertaining aspects of the participants’ personalities.  Then, with “chatboxes” formed, everyone said their warm goodbyes, agreeing that it was a wonderful week well spent.

Submitted by Dorothy Jensen, POE Director
Utah Valley Chapter AGO