St. Augustine parish dedicates new pipe organ

[KB7DQH]

http://ns.gmnews.com/news/2011-09-08/Front_Page/St_Augustine_parish_dedicates_new_pipe_organ.html

St. Augustine parish dedicates new pipe organ
BY DEANNAMcLAFFERTY
Staff Writer

SOUTH BRUNSWICK — St. Augustine of Canterbury Roman Catholic Church celebrated its new pipe organ with a concert dedication Aug. 22. It was the first concert to feature the organ since the parish acquired it on June 19.

Bishop Paul Bootkoski, Diocese of Metuchen, blessed the organ in June during a Mass for the feast of the Most Holy Trinity, and the parish has been eager to show off its capabilities to worshippers. The instrument was donated by the parishioners of St. Augustine through memorial gifts. Worshippers from the entire Diocese of Metuchen were invited to the event.

More than 100 singers from 33 parishes from the diocese participated in the concert. William Berg, St. Augustine's music director, played six organ pieces and was proud of the results.

"We held the concert to show what the organ does within Roman Catholic life, whether it is leading the congregation in song or playing softer solo pieces or accompanying soloists," Berg said. "It was to show what it can do and that it does it well."

Berg said the organ is located at a more optimal position within the church now and is much larger than the previous one. It has three manuals, three keyboards and 78 ranks instead of two manuals, two keyboards and 14 ranks. The old organ was installed in 1989 when the church was built. Berg said this upgrade makes for a fuller, better sound.

The concert also featured performances by tenor soloist Joshua Wanger and alto soloist Daria Dragan. Thomas DeLessio, director of liturgical music, conducted the mass choir.

The new organ was needed because the previous one broke down during Holy Week in 2010. Working parts from the old organ were saved and used with the new one to save costs. The Peragallo Pipe Organ Co., Paterson, built the custom organ.

"There were organ stops used in the concert that weren't there on the old organ, so we wouldn't have been able to play those at all," Berg said. He said the organ would be used in future concerts as well as for the purposes of regular worship.

The parish chose to hold the concert on the Feast of the Queenship of Mary as she is the patron of the Diocese of Metuchen.

Eric
KB7DQH