Central’s Babcock chairs national organist convention in Des Moines

by Shane Hallengren ‘11

PELLA — Some of the world’s best organists are coming to central Iowa June 20-23 as Central College’s Mark Babcock chairs the American Guild of Organists (AGO) biennial regional convention in Des Moines.

Babcock is an associate professor of music at Central and directs the college’s A Cappella Choir.

Joining the organists will be academics and choral directors from the AGO’s Region VI, consisting of 11 Midwestern states.

The convention features concerts and workshops, among other activities for registrants. Festivities will take place at various locations around the greater Des Moines area. Public concerts include a performance of Brahms’ Requiem, June 23 at St. John’s Basilica in Des Moines, which is expected to attract more than 1, 000 guests.

“Things like this don’t happen very often in Des Moines,” Babcock said. “The last time this convention was here was 50 years ago. Most of the major musical power players in central Iowa are connected with it.”

In addition to the venue bookings, the Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) anticipates considerable boosts in the hotel and restaurant industry as a result of the convention. The impacts of the event extend beyond the music community.

It is this multi-faceted understanding of the convention that Babcock has taken throughout his lengthy three-year tenure as chair. It began when the Des Moines CVB approached Babcock, at the time the dean of the local AGO chapter, with a proposal to submit an application for the 2011 convention. After completing the application and being accepted, Babcock traveled to New York for training at the AGO’s National Office.

“There is literally a 125-page book on running a convention,” he said.

Babcock learned not only how to secure venues and performers, but to build a budget, generate grants, market the convention and organize festivities. Babcock has lead monthly meetings with his steering committee throughout the three-year process, overseeing every aspect of the upcoming convention.

However, Babcock’s passion for the organ extends back much further.

“I was fortunate enough to grow up with a grandmother who had an organ in her house,” he said.

Babcock committed much of his personal life, and eventually his academic and professional careers, to developing his talent.

“I played for 10 years before I thought I was even passable,” he said.

The organ is a complex piece of machinery with multiple keyboards, a pedal board played with the feet and hundreds of pipes that range from straw-sized to 30 feet tall and wide enough for a person to slide into. Added to this spectacle is the volume the instrument creates. Without amplification, no other instrument can create sound on the same level, Babcock said. The organ provides a musician more color opportunities than she can find anywhere else. In fact, the slow, somber music that many people associate with the organ is not the intention of the instrument at all. Most good organ music has incredibly dynamic volume, pitch and style.

The AGO convention is of course an opportunity for musicians to come together, but students also have the opportunity to network. A 1991 Central graduate, Babcock is thrilled about the opportunities this festival will present for his students. At least a dozen of them will be participating in the event in logistical roles or as choral performers or registered participants.

Babcock hopes the event inspires his students.

“Being involved with a professional organization in college makes a huge difference in what you will do after college,” he said. “It’s a place where you can experience music on a much higher level than you typically do.”