AN ACTIVE FAITH
David Macbeth, Director of Music Ministries will be completing the AGO Associate Level Certification Exam on June 1-2 in Washington, D.C.
“I’m sorry sir, your test results were positive… you’re a… nerd.” Not that a test was needed to hand me such a prognosis!
Many in the congregation are aware of my affiliation with 
the American Guild of Organists. The organization has roots dating to the 1890’s, and seeks to preserve and advance the art of organ and choral music. The AGO does not fall into the category of a union, rather it is truly a guild: a collection of like-minded individuals who seek to better the craft through mutual support, education, collaboration, and promotion.
One of the AGO’s earliest actions was the implementation of a certification system for those who wish to publicly confirm their performance and knowledge-based skills. This is quite beneficial for individuals already working in the profession and unable to pause their careers for additional university training. The guild offers four levels of organ performance and knowledge certification, and one specifically for choral conducting.
The four organ performance levels roughly follow the standard university degrees (associate, bachelors, masters, doctorate) with the titles of Service Playing, Colleague, Associate, and Fellow. The Choir Master certification stands alone at a masters degree level of difficulty.
Back in 2015 I decided to give the Choir Master exam a try, and successfully passed. Considering how specialized the knowledge base is, it didn’t surprise me to find out only 15 of us took the choral exam that year across the country (and only three of us passed!). In an average year the organ certifications are slightly more popular with approximately 20-30 individuals testing for each level nationwide.
So it is basically an organ and church music nerd test… and I’m trying my hand at the masters level organ performance exam (Associate of the AGO) next week!
Without getting too deep into the weeds, the exam at the associate level seeks to challenge the performer’s knowledge and manipulation of the instrument, historic performance practices across a wide range of repertoire, ability to musically lead in a congregational setting, and demonstrate a deep knowledge of the mechanics of music. Written exam elements on composition, counterpoint, music history, organ history and construction are then contrasted with juried performance of repertoire, hymn playing, improvisation, transposition, sight-reading, and more. And don’t worry, the test is only two days long!
I’ll be heading to a church in the Washington, D.C. area for the exam on June 1 and 2, with the location being hidden from me until the testing week. Advance practice time on location is strictly limited, along with only minimal knowledge being shared regarding the organ I’ll be testing on. Who knew the deep pipe organ community was so “cloak and dagger”?
Why go through all this? Well, ‘why not’ is as good of an answer as any. Within the professional church music community the AGO certification levels do indeed hold as much weight as additional degrees. The AGO and other denominational music associations then use this information to provide guidelines for employees and congregations when negotiating annual contracts.
But for me that’s not really the point. All of my degree work has been in the area of choral music education, not organ performance. My skills and knowledge of organ playing have come from 20+ years of church music experience and personal study. Adding this credential to my resume has encouraged me to “up my game”, pushing me to add new skills and repertoire I would have not otherwise had a reason to pursue.
This coming Sunday, May 28, I’ll offer an extended postlude to the 10 a.m. service as a dress rehearsal of the most significant pieces required for the repertoire performance portion of the exam. I’ll perform a few works by Bach, Howells, Dacquin, and Kerr, and ask everyone to join in an example of a big congregational hymn. All are welcome!
When will I know if I passed? The phone call will come sometime in June, and hopefully I’ll need a new picture frame for the piece of paper by September!