Organ Historical Society - New Orleans Chapter NEWS

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IN THE NEWS

An Invitation from our Friends at
The Jackson, Mississippi, Chapter, AGO

Woodworth Chapel, Tougaloo College
Thursday, March 1, 2012, 7:30 P.M.
David Oliver, Organist at Morehouse University in
Atlanta, GA, with the Tougaloo College Concert
Choir, directed by Kathy Castilla.

This is the
AGO 26th Annual Choral-Organ Festival
Free admission.
Any questions? (601)362-3235 or gag1391@aol.com
Their website: www.agocal.org

Gifts To Our Chapter

We express appreciation to the following people who gave gifts over and above to our chapter this past year. Linda Fulton, Peter Picerno. Dr. Carolyn Clawson, Earl and Naomi Markey and Benjie and Bob Branson.

New Treasurers

Benjie and Bob Branson have agreed to take over as our new co-treasurers in 2012. We thank Fred Lawson for his many years of loyal service. Fred still maintains his home in New Orleans but spends much time traveling and enjoying a condo in Houston as well.

New Orleans Organ Crawl

Though we have not firmed up the details, we are planning on a New Orleans Organ Crawl for all members as well as for our friends in Jackson who have graciously hosted us in Jackson.

110th Anniversary of Parker’s Kilgen

Though none of us want or hope to live to see 110, for a properly built and maintained mechanical action organ, it happens all the time. The caveat is that, as the vagaries of taste in organs change, either sensible people or the restraints of small budgets allow these organs to remain. Too often, as the pendulum of fashion swings back and forth, well meaning people fiddle with the integrity of an organ with ultimate results that it is pretty much destroyed. An electronic organ promises a quick solution, but too often is a flash in the pan. This hardly seems prudent in comparison to the same funds being used to restore or maintain an existing pipe organ. Parker Memorial United Methodist Church, on Nashville Avenue, is a modest building and congregation, which happily is located in the epicenter of "The Silk Stocking District" of fashionable New Orleans neighborhoods. It has a small but dedicated congregation who had Roy Redman do extensive renovation of their 1910 Kilgen mechanical action organ. Roy was helped at this end of things by a great deal of help from members of our New Orleans Chapter of the Organ Historical Society. Roy's late wife and native New Orleanean, Sharon Redman, stenciled the lovely facade pipes of the organ.

An original installation, the New Orleans OHS Chapter sponsored and underwrote a recital last October to commemorate the organ's 110th anniversary. To say that the Kilgen at Parker Memorial is not a grand organ is an understatement. On the contrary, it is a modest organ. Those of us of a certain age remember when the washing machine brand, Maytag, was known for its longevity and reliability. We have, over the years, referred to the little Kilgen at Parker as "our Maytag organ." And indeed, it does keep playing, and playing.

The New Orleans Chapter was thrilled to invite and have Peter Picerno come to New Orleans from Miami to play. He selected what appeared to be a very ambitious program for such a small organ consisting of Lubeck, Vierne, Pergolesi, Elgar, Kemner and Bach. Both Peter and the Kilgen proved themselves to be completely up to the job. He played not only with precision but also with great nuance and musicality. It was a joy to see what an artist such as Peter could do with our little Maytag. We all appreciate Peter's hard work as well as his willingness to come to be with us.

Following the recital, in the best New Orleans tradition of never going hungry, the Chapter provided a lovely reception, which included a decorated birthday cake for the Kilgen.

Travers Koerner

St Matthew Concert

As with any group which is completely volunteer and which sets its dues at a bare minimum, there are limits to what the New Orleans Chapter of the Organ Historical Society can do and sponsor in terms of recitals and events. So it is with a great deal of pleasure to recognize and thank Central St Matthew United Church of Christ for a splendid celebration of the 30th anniversary of the installation and dedication of their Hook & Hastings organ.

Thirty years is a long time in anyone's book, and both New Orleans as well as St Matthew United Church of Christ have changed greatly. As with most of us who live here, the most significant event for both the City and the Congregation was Hurricane Katrina in 2005. St Matthew UCC, a stalwart and fine congregation who's heritage was the Evangelical & Reformed denomination which had merged with the New England Congregational Church to form the United Church of Christ. One of their sister congregations, the historic and important predominantly African American Central United Church of Christ on Bienville Street was decimated by the storm. Extending the right hand of Christian fellowship, St Matthew invited the congregants of Central to come to worship with them. As things evolved, both congregations were moved to unite into a combined single one, and thus was formed Central St Matthew UCC.

Thirty years ago, our own Rachelen Lien was the Music Director at St Matthew. With a great deal of courage and even more faith, she and the St Matthew congregation put their trust in a young organ builder from Fort Worth, one Roy Redman, who assured them that a 1905 Hook & Hastings tracker organ which had already served two congregations could come back to life as a good organ for St Matthew. The church leaders contracted for the organ and also made significant and major renovations to their Sanctuary to accommodate both the organ and most any musical offering.

On November 20th, 2011, Central St Matthew celebrated the 30th anniversary of the organ. Though parking was almost impossible due to the Poor Boy Festival at the same time on Oak Street, the church was filled with interested people, but even more so with members of the church. It was so nice to see them there and know that they realize what a gem they have.

This writer had not heard the organ in many years, and I was stunned at the comprehensiveness and beauty of it. It was a fine program that consisted of recital pieces as well as congregational involvement singing several hymns. The Central St Matthew Music Director, Dr Lucian Zidaru, began with Bach works for manual. Ryan Celestin followed with the grand Now Thank We All Our God. Norman Maunz showed his absolute precision works by Martin, Guilmant, Bach, and Lubech.

Finally, the day concluded with Rachelen Lien, who's prescience brought the organ to New Orleans some thirty years ago, mounted the bench. It was a joy on the part of all of us to have her back where it all started. She played Buxtehude, Brahms, Bach, Dandrieu, and Zipoli.

The concert concluded with recognition of Roy Redman who brought the organ to New Orleans and who has faithfully maintained it. And finally, the Central St Matthew Choir provided a lovely reception to conclude a lovely day.

Travers Koerner

St Louis Cathedral Façade Available

Our friends at the Holtkamp Organ Company who built the present organ at St Louis Cathedral have contacted us offering the façade of the prior St Louis Cathedral organ. You may contact Chris Holtkamp at (216) 741-5180 for more information.

River Road Crawl

In early November Travers Koerner and I set out for an organ crawl along both sides of the Mississippi River. Tommy Becknel, a recent member of our chapter met us at St. Peter Church in Reserve. The church is a handsome building with a nice balance of old and new. Unfortunately, there was no plan for a pipe organ when the church was built. The acoustics are wonderful but with no loft and no space up front it would take quite a bit of ingenuity to place an organ here.

Next we crossed the river to St. John the Baptist Church in Edgard where there is a Hinners tracker organ, 8 stops built in Pekin Illinois in 1921. OHS members discovered this organ in the 1980’s and found it in unplayable condition. Members of our chapter along with Roy Redman spent several days doing renovation. Lenora McCrosky demonstrated the organ at the 1989 national convention.

The acoustics are wonderful in this building and although the organ is very small for the room it acquits itself very well. On this trip we found the organ badly in need of maintenance. It is possible that with the priest’s support we might return it to better days. The organ is played for one mass every week .We have a special connection to this church. Former Biggs Fellow Jason Pedeaux’s grandmother, Sybil Pedeaux was organist there for many years. Jason also played the Hinners for our Organ Odyssey in 1994.

Our next stop was St. Michael’s Church in Convent. The oldest organ in LA., this is our pride and joy, an 1856 Henry Erben tracker. Roy Redman restored the organ in 2006. Grant Hellmers of Richmond Virginia rededicated it with a recital. Because of its rarity and original condition an OHS Citation was presented to the church in 1997.

No organ crawl is complete without a fabulous meal. We all stopped in at Hymel’s, one of our favorite restaurants on the River Road. The day was delightful and we thank Tommy for taking us around, crossing the river by ferry and a happy day filled with organ memories.

Rachelen Lien

RACHELEN LIEN AWARDED TOP HONOR FROM O.H.S.

by Benjie Branson:

NATIONAL ORGAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY AWARD:
Rachelen Lien, New Orleans pianist, organist, educator and researcher of historic organs, has been awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the Organ Historical Society. This is the highest national award given by the Organ Historical Society. It is awarded for significant contributions of the highest order for the promotion of the society.

Mrs. Lien has discovered many historic organs in Louisiana and Mississippi, and has contributed to the care and proper refurbishing of these organs. Many churches and synagogues have come to have a greater appreciation of their historic instruments through her untiring efforts.

Mrs. Lien has been on the national council of the Organ Historical Society for the past six years. She was founding president of the New Orleans chapter of the Organ Historical Society in 1981. Because of her work with historic organs, we now hear these voices from the past.