Dedicating an Unitarian Organ

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Lancaster, PA (UUCL) presented a special Dedication Concert on Sunday February 24th to celebrate the acquisition of its 8th rank Moller organ which was built in 1932. A number of organist lent their musical skills to enhance the celebration allowing those who attended an opportunity to experience the unique tones and nuances of the instrument through their deftly placed fingers. There was a calm excitement within the church’s sanctuary as the anticipation for the first notes to be played grew among the gathering.

The afternoon began with some welcoming words given by the event’s hostess along with the revealing of plaque honoring the donors who shared their funds so the instrument could be purchased. Members of the Church’s Organ Committee which included Anne Mason Evelyn Pendelton, Phil Holzinger, Jeanne Pitz, Thomas Busteed, Robert Maust, and Simon Andrews were also introduced. A deep sense of appreciation for the gifts and endeavors to bring the organ from its previous location and to facilitate the reconstruction needed to install the instrument to its original and enhanced glory were felt by all. This appreciation manifested itself further as the sounds emanating from the instrument itself echoed throughout the sanctuary.

The music began as Donna Burkholder first touched the keys. Her interpretations of the classic and sacred melodies filled the air while giving the instrument a fullness of breath. The pieces she presented included composers of such stature as Schumann and Dubois. Ms. Burkholder is presently the Music Director at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Lancaster, PA and has been since 1988. She has recently retired from The Conestoga Valley Middle School where she taught and directed choirs for over 20 years.

The afternoon of music continued with a performance given by Simon Andrews who served on the Church’s Organ Committee. Along with a pieces composed by Johann Sebastian Bach and other classical artists, Mr. Andrews also presented an original composition titled, “Fantasia on Te Lucis Ante Terminum.” Some could sense the organ’s thirst for renewal being quenched as the new composition filled its essence while its sounds filled the ears eager to follow the newly born notes to wherever they led. In 1985, Mr. Andrews won the Benjamin Britten Prize for composition and is a member of UUCL while presently serving as the Director of Music at The Highland Presbyterian Church in Lancaster, PA.

Mr. Andrews’s performance was followed by a brief intermission. During this time, wooden bowls were passed around so those who were able could express their financial support for the endeavors of The Unitarian Universalist Church of Lancaster, PA. The intermission also provided an opportunity for audience members to chat with those performing and one another about the magical interludes they communed upon.

After the intermission concluded, Thomas Busteed, who served on the Church’s Organ Committee, took his place behind the organ’s keyboard. Mr. Busteed blessed the instrument with a number of pieces including another composition by Johann Sebastian Bach and a John M. Rasley arrangement of the hymn titled, “Built on a Rock.” Mr. Busteed is an aspirant of the Unitarian Universalist Association and will graduate from The Lancaster Theological Seminary in May of 2013. He currently serves as the organist at Trinity United Church of Christ in East Petersburg, PA and was recently a student minister at UUCL.

I have much to say in praise of this young musician which, while genuine, I must admit there would be a great deal of bias in my statements. After all, he is my nephew. However, let me indulge my unclily admiration for him by saying he was the best one there. See, I told you I was biased. Smiles.

The program concluded with a performance given by Roger Kurtz who serves as the Music Director at the Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rothsville, PA. The selections he presented moved the attendees and the structure they congregated in with their beauty. These selections included compositions by Louis-Nicolas Clerambault, George Frideric Handel, and Johann Sebastian Bach. A silence touched the gathering as the echo of the final note faded from the instrument and reconstituted itself within the human soul. Mr. Kurtz has won the 1983 and 1986 Violet Cassel Organ Competitions subsequently becoming a sought after recitalist. His performance demonstrated why.

After the performance given by Donna Burkholder, Simon Andrews, Thomas Busteed, and Roger Kurtz had concluded, the Unitarian Universalist Church invited everyone to partake of a reception. Many wonderful words were shared while tastes of delectable morsels of food were consumed. One thought I found indicative of the quality of the recital’s experience was the wonderment several people expressed of how a musical instrument, such as the organ, can sound one way when played by one individual musician and sound so different when played by another.

I thought about this while journeying from Lancaster back to Stroudsburg, PA and my reflections led me to surmise the organ and each musician who sat before it formed a symbiotic relationship with one another. And, as with all relationships, the dynamics flowed into a unique pattern as the temperaments and sensibilities of the instrument and its beloved partner find their place in each other’ lives. This symbiotic relationship can be seen among other musicians and their instruments as well as with painters and their canvases, writers and their computer keyboards, and so forth. The phenomena has been defined by numerous metaphysical terms and phrases, but I would prefer to simply refer to it as, “Art.” You’ll find more photographs taken during the recital and the reception that followed in the Special Events 2013 Gallery at www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151513384020421.546231.636000420&type=1.

The Moller organ was built in 1932 and was housed in the St. Casimir Roman Catholic Church in Kulpmont, PA until Ivan Moyer bought the instrument for his wife to practice on. The instrument moved around the country with them for quite some time after that. During the 1990s, Mr. Moyer built a “Pipe Organ House” in the Poconos in Northeast PA. The structure was nestled among the natural landscape the area has become known for and was built around the musical instrument. It was recently moved from the Pipe Organ House and installed by Mr. Charles Gibson of C. W. Gibson Pipe Organ Specialist of Monroeville, PA into The Unitarian Universalist Church of Lancaster, PA under the auspices of its Organ Committee.

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Lancaster, PA (UUCL) has served the area for over 100 years as a beacon of liberal religion and a sacred force for love and justice. The UUCL seeks to share the spiritual wisdom which can be drawn from many sources. They hold services every Sunday at 10am along with a 11:45am service held most weeks. You can learn more about the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lancaster, PA and all they have to offer by exploring their Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/UUChurchLancaster.