Join us on
May 5-7, 2024
on the campus of the
UNIVERSITY of FLORIDA
with this year's featured presenter,
Alvin Blount
Learning and Engagement Librarian
Georgia State University
Clarkston Campus
Alvin R. Blount is a Learning and Engagement Librarian at Georgia State University on the Clarkston Campus. He received the BA and BMus degrees from Tuskegee University and Mercer University, respectively, and later received the MMus and MSIS degrees from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, respectively. His principal organ teachers were the late Robert Parris and John Brock.
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It was in his hometown of Augusta, GA, that he served as Director of Music and Worship at St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church from 1995-2017, directing two adult choirs and accompanying the school’s choir for monthly liturgies. He combined the adult choirs on two pilgrimages to Ireland and Italy where they had the opportunity to sing in St. Peter’s Basilica on the Feast of Christ the King in 1999, celebrated by Our Holy Father Pope John Paul II. It was also at St. Mary’s that he recorded, Spiritual Pipes, a benefit cd for the St. Vincent de Paul Health Clinic, Augusta.
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After serving Roman Catholic and Episcopal parishes in Georgia and Tennessee for over thirty years, Alvin returned to UTK to study library science. Upon graduation he served as an archivist and head of Becoming Beloved Community initiatives for the Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee.
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He has been appointed for a second time to the Townsend School of Music Alumni Board of Directors, and the University of Tennessee School of Information Sciences Alumni Board of Directors. He has held offices in American Guild of Organists chapters in Georgia and Tennessee and served on the Board of Directors for the Sewanee Church Music Conference.
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You can find him on any given weekend freelancing as a substitute organist throughout the Metro Atlanta area.
Led by Professor of Music Dr. Laura Ellis, the University of Florida Sacred Music Workshop has inspired worship for 15 years by bringing internationally-known presenters to the sunshine state. The sessions vary year-to-year based on the strengths of our featured presenter, and the small size of our workshop allows each attendee to form a relationship with our presenter, professors, and students in UF's organ, carillon, and sacred music departments. Join us!
2024 Schedule Highlights
Career options as an organist, Conducting from the Console,
The History of the African American Spiritual in the US, Choral Reading Sessions, Organ Masterclass
Organ Recital by emerging artist Emily Amos, Carillon recitals by Laura Ellis and UF carillon studio members
Sunday
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Events
6:00 PM SMW Potluck with members of the Gainesville
Chapter of the American Guild of Organists
7:00 PM Emily Amos, Rising Artist Organ Recital,
University Auditorium
Monday
Events
9:00AM Coffee & Refreshments
9:30AM Workshop I
11:00AM Workshop II
12:00PM Lunch (delivered or on your own)
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1:00PM Workshop III
2:15PM Choral Reading Session
4:00PM Workshop IV
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7:00PM Alvin Blount Organ Recital
Tuesday
Events
9:00AM Coffee & Refreshments
9:30AM Morning Devotional
10:00AM Choral Reading Session II
11:00AM Workshop V
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12:00PM Lunch (delivered or on your own)
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1:00PM Optional Organ Masterclass with Laura Ellis
Please send more info:
Other Friendly Faces
J.D. Cain
Emily Amos
Christopher Pfund
Laura Ellis
At The University of Florida, we are a people of purpose. We're committed to challenging convention and ourselves. We see things not as they are, but as they could be. And we strive for a greater impact: one measured in people helped and lives improved.
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The Wall Street Journal ranked UF as the #1 public university in the United States in Sept 2023. The campus is home to over 60,000 students and nearly 5,000 faculty members. The School of Music offers Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral Degrees. Dr. Laura Ellis, Professor of Organ, Carillon, and Harpsichord, also teaches classes in Sacred Music and acts as University Organist.
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Gainesville, Florida, a "Tree City U.S.A." for over 30-years, is a city built around the University. Local State Parks, Springs, outdoor activities, and locally-owned eateries make Gainesville a unique destination in world capital of tourism.
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For more information, please visit: