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famous organist resigns...

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adri

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famous organist resigns...

PostTue Aug 28, 2018 2:53 pm

You reap what you sow, the saying goes....

AGO's "International Performer of the Year 2017" James David Christie resigned from Oberlin College and Worchester's Holy Cross amidst accusations by former students that he had been sexually abusive with many students.

First we have the Me too movement. Hollywood on fire. USA and the world on fire.

Secondly we have the new revelations of more Catholic Priests abuses in Pennsylvania and the Pope's visit to Ireland, apologizing for past abuses.

And now we have revelations of gay abuses in the workplace, such as colleges, in sports, in politics, etc.
(Several Oberlin professors resigned)

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Corruption in the form of abusive lust.

This is bad and sad news for the victims, no doubt about that, but good news that our international culture of abuse, whether sexual, racial, gender-based, religion-based, verbal, etc. is all showing major signs of finally being cleaned up as it cannot and will not be tolerated and thrive anymore.

One can only hope that eventually men and women will not steep to the use of prostitutes any longer.

How many more organists will be forced to resign, nobody knows. In this age of generalizations and guilt by association, finger pointing will grow. Alas. This aspect I really dislike. I really dislike any form of false accusations, guilt by association, phobias, prejudices, etc.

A friend once jokingly asked me if I was gay, because he had read an article in the NYTimes that there was a growing shortage of organists in the USA as so many had already died of AIDS. I did see a copy of that article. He didn't make that one up.

A recent article online tells us a story of plenty of sexual abuses in the classical musical world. A personal opera singer friend of mine who was gay, died of AIDS. It's hard to deny this reality.

How many priests and other clergy will have to resign, no one knows. How many more public will reap what they sow, we don't know.

How all this will affect organ culture at large remains a big and serious question. How many churches will close additionally worldwide becomes an even more acute question in addition as to what happens to the organs, etc.

In England, many churches have closed or been demolished. In Holland, many have become museums, cultural and concert halls, and are owned by third parties. But interest in the organ is down from decades ago. How many will walk out of the Catholic Church remains to be seen.

Let's nevertheless have a heart of not judging, but forgiving, not covering up, but cleaning up with unconditional love. Not with massive trials, accusations, anger, revenge, etc., but with wise forgiveness, therapy, and with rebuilding goodness.

Let's wish our organ culture a good and abusive free future!
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engrssc

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Re: famous organist resigns...

PostTue Aug 28, 2018 3:14 pm

Maybe wrong, but isn't this stretching the definition of General Discussion - A discussion forum for anything even marginally Hauptwerk-related.? :roll:

Rgds,
Ed
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Grant_Youngman

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Re: famous organist resigns...

PostTue Aug 28, 2018 3:26 pm

I'm not sure what any of this has to do with prostitutes, or gay or straight or HIV. Abuse has proven itself to be a wholly egalitarian (and certainly destructive) thread in society. Organists, conductors, dock workers, teachers, lawyers, tech gurus, doctors, politicians, priests, not priests … take your pick on any spectrum you choose.

I'm also not sure this is a sensible topic for this forum, other than the fact that one organist may have shamed himself, resigned and joined the growing ranks ..
Grant
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adri

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Re: famous organist resigns...

PostTue Aug 28, 2018 3:52 pm

engrssc wrote:Maybe wrong, but isn't this stretching the definition of General Discussion - A discussion forum for anything even marginally Hauptwerk-related.? :roll:

Rgds,
Ed


Oh there have been posts/discussions here really not related to HW at all; mine I feel "marginally" is.

Organ cuture in general I believe is a worthy topic.
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adri

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Re: famous organist resigns...

PostTue Aug 28, 2018 3:58 pm

Grant_Youngman wrote:I'm not sure what any of this has to do with prostitutes, or gay or straight or HIV. Abuse has proven itself to be a wholly egalitarian (and certainly destructive) thread in society. Organists, conductors, dock workers, teachers, lawyers, tech gurus, doctors, politicians, priests, not priests … take your pick on any spectrum you choose.

I'm also not sure this is a sensible topic for this forum, other than the fact that one organist may have shamed himself, resigned and joined the growing ranks ..


I agree that abuse is the dark side of human history, but this story hits much closer to our organist home...

Whether he is the only one now who is going to being shamed, I doubt. This is the time in our history when the skeletons are coming out of the closet, which is a very good thing.

Will it affect organ culture? Yes and no. Depends how you and I react to it.

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