1914 Organ Lifts Spirits at St. Francis Episcopal...

[KB7DQH]

Rescued from a closed church, and replaced an electronic "on its last legs"...

http://holden.dailyvoice.com/neighbors/1914-organ-lifts-spirits-st-francis-episcopal

HOLDEN, Mass. — A new pipe organ is lifting spirits at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Holden. Even though the elaborate instrument was built nearly a hundred years ago, the Rev. Rich Simpson says it is almost as if it was waiting to come home.

"When people heard it this Sunday, there was just joy," Simpson said.

The historic instrument was built by Hooks & Hastings of Weston in 1914. The organ had been at First Christ Church in Barre, which recently closed its doors.

"That's a hard thing to have put your life into a congregation and then have it close its doors," said Simpson, who said some of the old church's members were now coming to St. Francis.

The pipe organ, it turned out, would soon follow them.

"We had this newcomer event, and they were talking about it, and this organ meant a lot to them," said Simpson. "The building was going to be sold, and they asked if it was possible that the organ might come here."

At the time, St. Francis had been using an electronic organ, which Simpson said was on its last legs.

"To me it's an Easter story, because for the people who lost their church — whose church died — they are able to give us a gift," he said.

His church had to pay to restore, rebuild and transport the organ, but Simpson said it brought joy "to the people from that congregation and then to this congregation."

Furthermore, with a deeper and fuller sound than the electronic organ, the pipe organ "brings a whole new realm to our worship, and a whole new set of possibilities," he said.

The new organ elevates the whole worship experience, said Charles Nwachukwu, the chuch's minister of music.

"The difference is the quality of sound," he said. "Pipe organs have unique sounds that cannot be replaced by other instruments. Believe me, it is a gift to have a pipe organ in a church.

"The main reason for coming to church is to hear the story of God and Jesus, but music plays a huge, important role in bringing people in," Nwachukwu said, saying it works hand in hand with preaching. "When I'm playing, it's not just notes. It's something spiritual, at least for me. So it has a huge, deep, profound meaning."

Simpson said, "It's not that preaching is all intellectual, but preaching hits our mind — music touches our soul, music touches us in a much deeper way, and connects us to God's spirit in a way that the Word alone can't do."

The church plans to dedicate the pipe organ Sunday, Nov. 25.

Eric
KB7DQH