From the Organ Bench - November 2008

Greetings to all! It has been a while since I have had the opportunity to write to you from the Organ Bench. Maybe I should title this “From the Piano Bench”. While I do enjoy our piano, I really miss playing the organ. The installation of the pipe organ has consumed a good deal of my time as well as that of many other people. Music ministry has continued despite the distractions.

You may have noticed that we are down a few people from last year. We have lost four singers over the past two years and really could use some new recruits! We welcome anyone with the desire the serve the Church in worship and make a joyful noise! Give it a try, you just might like it!

You also may have noticed that the Bell Choir has been absent from worship since this past spring. We have not disbanded nor abandoned the Bell Choir. We have simply lost our practice area. The Bell Choir presently has permanent tables on the top floor of the west balcony. This area is still a construction zone as the new organ is installed. We plan to purchase new portable bell tables in the future, but until then the Bell Choir is on sabbatical. We hope to have them back by Christmas.

The Music Ministry at the Bloomfield Presbyterian Church on the Green is everyone’s ministry. We need all of you to be involved in some capacity. Please consider joining one of the Choirs for this Advent – Christmas season. It just may be the best present you ever gave yourself! Should you have any questions, please talk to a choir member or myself.

Peace, Tim Tarantino

ORGAN UPDATE - NOVEMBER 2008

By now I hope that you have seen the new façade for the pipe organ. The wood is African mahogany and it is finished to match the wood trim in the Sanctuary. The new display pipes feature a Roman pipe mouth, something we have not seen before. The façade should be completed shortly, while much more work continues unseen inside the organ chambers. The comments that I have receive have all been positive. One member told me it looks “as if it has always been there”. My congratulations to Frank Peragallo for his vision and artistic ability in designing the new organ case and to all of the craftsmen and women of the Peragallo Pipe Organ Company for producing such fine work. I must admit that I was unsure when Frank first told us that he felt the entire case should be mahogany. He looked around the sanctuary and said “there is too much white here, it needs more wood”. His father, brother and I were unsure of his conviction, but Frank assured us by saying, "If you don’t like it, I can always paint it." Banish the thought Frank! (FYI, The original Austin Organ case was mahogany!)

If you have not yet browsed the Church website, I invite you to do so. There you will find a chronological pictorial record of the pipe organ installation. If you saw the sanctuary at the end of the day on October 13th, you would have never thought that we could worship in the same space on October 19th! There are thousands of parts that make up the new pipe organ. The pipes themselves are 2,869 in number. As the weeks progress, each piece will be put into place and readied for tonal finishing.

On a personal note I would like to take a moment to reflect on the passing of John Peragallo, Jr. Whether you called him Mr. P., Papa Peragallo, or simply John, he was a truly unique man with a strong Christian faith that transcended denominational boundaries. I am not sure if it was John’s nature, his upbringing, or his exposure to many differing religious backgrounds that gave him his unique perspective to music in God’s house. I never knew him to do any less but than “to give of his best to the master.” John fought a long and valiant battle against cancer. In the end, the world’s loss is heaven’s gain. He is at peace with God. I ask that you keep his wife, Christine and the entire family and staff in your thoughts and prayers. Ours is John’s final instrument.

A few week ago, I delivered a Moment for Mission on behave of the Organ Committee to discuss what would happen in the coming weeks. One of the most important steps in the process that I outlined is tonal finishing. This process will commence when all of the installation work has been completed and the instrument is ready for “fine tuning”. Starting around the first of November, the Peragallo crew will be “voicing” the organ. This is a process in which each pipe of the organ is adjusted for pitch, volume and tonal quality in its new home. It is a painstaking process that requires the utmost in concentration. As difficult as this may sound, I would ask that you refrain from visiting the Sanctuary during this process. Silence makes the process move faster. I thank you in advance for your understanding.

I would be remiss if I did not thank a very special group of people who worked diligently to prepare the organ chambers for the installation. Many hours were spent cleaning, sealing and painting. Thank you to: Don Cornell, Nancy Edmond, Dale, Eric, Rebecca & Scott Maciag, Charlie Sasso and Barbara & Stan Vydro. Without their help, we would have never finished on time. Thank you!

Ok, enough of the “heavy” stuff, very soon we will welcome our new pipe organ to the worship of God in Bloomfield. It is still just a bit too early to give you a definite date for the organ’s first worship service, but we are planning some special things for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Be patient, wonderful things are on the horizon!

Tim Tarantino for the Organ Committee