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Amherst church to dedicate ‘new’ 1896 organ in Oct. 14 concert

September 21, 2012
THE DIAPASON

South Congregational Church in Amherst, Massachusetts will celebrate the installation of its “new” 1896 organ with a dedicatory concert by Smith College organist Grant Moss on October 14 at 3 p.m. 

            Moss, a senior lecturer in music at Smith, is a regional winner of the Music Teachers National Association Collegiate Artist Competition and first-prize winner of the Ottumwa National Organ Playing Competition.  He has appeared at summer organ festivals in Methuen, Mass., and Round Lake, N.Y., the Great Organ Music at Yale series, and in concerto performances with the Five College Orchestra, the University of Massachusetts Orchestra, the Amherst College Orchestra, the Springfield Symphony, and the Pioneer Valley Symphony.

            The concert will showcase music ranging from the Baroque to the contemporary, including pieces by J. S. Bach and Cesar Frank.  The program will also feature an original composition by church member Willis Bridegam in which the award-winning Amherst Regional High School Hurricane Singers, directed by Anita Anderson Cooper, will perform.

            The “new” organ, which was constructed by Casavant Frères in Quebec in 1896, is the oldest playable Casavant in the United States and an instrument of considerable historical importance with exceptional tonal quality and superb craftsmanship.  According to a letter from Simon Couture, Vice President of Casavant Frères, this organ, Opus 74, is “a rare example of mechanical action organs built during the Casavant brothers' directorship.”  The organ was restored and installed by Messrs. Czelusniak et Dugal, Inc., of Northampton.

            South Congregational Church is located at 1066 South East Street in Amherst.  Admission to the concert is free, but contributions to support the installation of the organ are welcome.  The concert will be followed by a reception.  For more information, call 253-2977.

History of the Organ

            The organ was originally installed at the Saint Ann’s Church in Woonsocket, R.I., which served primarily the immigrants who worked at the Woonsocket mills.  When the St. Ann parish built a larger church in 1918, the parish installed a larger organ in the new church and moved the “St. Hyacinthe” organ to Our Lady of Victories Church, a parish founded in 1909.   Eighty-five years later, three Woonsocket churches merged, and All Saints Catholic absorbed St. Ann’s.  The “St. Hyacinthe” organ was acquired by the St. Ann Arts and Cultural Center, which replaced St. Ann’s Church.  It was the Center’s intent to restore the instrument for continued use, but other priorities prevailed.  A delegation from St. Ann’s will attend the dedicatory concert and install a memorial plaque on the organ.

            When the Center offered the organ for sale, Parkman Shaw of Boston purchased it and made arrangements with Messrs. Czelusniak et Dugal, Inc., to document and remove the instrument with all of its pipes and parts so that it could be restored and installed in a church in the greater Boston area.  Two Boston sites were considered, but neither proved to be physically, musically, or visually a good fit.  The disassembled organ was placed in safe storage until a new home could be found. 

            When South Congregational Church faced the prospect of having to make expensive major repairs to its Berkshire organ in early 2011, the church’s Organ Committee explored the alternative of purchasing and installing another organ that would be well suited to the sanctuary.  With the advice of Grant Moss, the Smith College Organist, and Jonathan Ambrosino, a Boston-based organ construction consultant, the Organ Committee advocated contracting with Mr. Czelusniak to rebuild the available 1896 Casavant organ.  The congregation voted to purchase the organ from Shaw and contract with Messrs. Czelusniak et Dugal, Inc., to rebuild and install the Casavant organ.  Subsequently, Shaw agreed to sell the organ to South Church for the nominal price of $1 because he was pleased to know that this historic organ would be treasured and preserved.  Messrs. Czelusniak et Dugal, Inc., rebuilt and installed the organ between June and September, and it was first played in a church service on September 9.

               The South Congregational Church Pipe Organ Fund Committee is conducting a capital campaign to raise the $142,852 needed for restoration and installation of the organ and reconstruction of the sanctuary.  Contributions to the fund may be sent to South Congregational Church Pipe Organ Fund, 1066 South East Street, Amherst, MA 01002, or made online via PayPal at http://www.staff.amherstsouthchurch.org/newsletter/organ-update.