Piping Up! The Grand Finale: Elm Park’s Historic Pipe Organs Unveiled скачать в хорошем качестве

Piping Up! The Grand Finale: Elm Park’s Historic Pipe Organs Unveiled

Episode 26 of Piping Up with Stephen Regec Welcome to the grand finale of our 8-part series on the pipe organs of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre! In this final episode, we explore the historic Elm Park United Methodist Church in Scranton, featuring not one but two remarkable pipe organs. This episode is a celebration of both the artistry of the instruments and the talent of the musicians who bring them to life. Our spotlight falls on George Simmons, who has served as the organist at Elm Park for nearly seven years. Although George’s primary training is as a professional pianist, his decision to take on the organ has been nothing short of extraordinary. Despite his limited formal knowledge of organ mechanics, George’s performances speak for themselves. His natural musicality and refined sense of registration allow him to masterfully showcase the organ’s full tonal palette, producing beautiful and moving music. In this episode, George is joined by his long-time friend, flutist Cindy Fisher Thomas , for a duet performance of J.S. Bach in the church’s intimate chapel. The instrument they use is a small but elegant 2-manual, 7-rank Skinner organ, consisting of 398 pipes. Despite its modest size, this charming organ fills the chapel with warmth and richness, providing a perfect backdrop for the delicate interplay of flute and organ. But that’s not all—Elm Park’s main sanctuary houses a truly magnificent Reuter organ, Opus 2179, built-in 1995. This grand instrument boasts 53 ranks and over 3,000 pipes, including eight ranks that were carried over from the original 1893 Farrand & Votey organ. The historic facade pipes remain a visual centerpiece of the sanctuary, a tangible link to the church’s rich musical history. The organ’s pedal division is enhanced by digital Peterson speakers for the deepest 16’ and 32’ stops, creating a powerful foundation of sound. One of the instrument’s most striking features is the 8' and 16' tuba in the choir division—a bold and commanding sound that stands out in contrast to the division's otherwise softer voices. The Reuter organ has become a beloved fixture at Elm Park, renowned throughout the community for its awe-inspiring sound and historical significance. Whether accompanying worship services or filling the sanctuary during concerts, this organ is an essential part of Elm Park’s legacy. As with any complex instrument, environmental factors can affect performance, and in this case, the lack of air conditioning in the church caused a few ranks to fall slightly out of tune prior to recording. Unfortunately, these out-of-tune ranks were part of the pre-saved registrations and couldn’t be removed in time, but they don’t detract from the overall beauty of the performances. The heat also got to the cameras as well. The interview video did not turn out as well as we expected but we wanted to share it anyway because it holds history and information that George speaks about. Join us for this final episode as we explore both the chapel and sanctuary organs, and witness a powerful, heartfelt performance that showcases the beauty of both the instruments and the musicians. Channel Intro music is brought to you by Walker Technical Organ Company and Daniel Umholtz. For more information about the organs visit: Skinner: https://pipeorgandatabase.org/instrum... Reuter: https://pipeorgandatabase.org/instrum... For more information about the church visit: http://www.elmparkumchurch.org/