Weekly Article

A Musical Note

The Sanctuary Choir and Derry Ringers performed to over 300 people at Mount Gretna on Sunday, August 4. The concert was extremely well received, and my deepest gratitude goes to each musician who sang and rang with passion and artistry. Derry Church was well represented, and the presence of the Holy Spirit was felt in that sacred place.

Sanctuary Choir rehearsals for its fall 2024 season have begun! Save the date for the 2024 Christmas at Derry concert, set for Sunday, December 8. The concert will be at 3 pm, followed by a reception in Fellowship Hall. The youth will provide gourmet popcorn at the reception.

Derry Ringers will begin rehearsals on September 10. Claire Folts and Debbi Kees-Folts are completing a fall schedule for the children and have worked out dates for singing in worship.

A Programming Note

Our 2024 Arts Alive season is well underway, and we are also finalizing plans for the 2025 season. Here’s what you can look forward to in the months ahead:

• October 6: Pianist Thomas Pandolfi returns to play a concert on the Lee Ann Taylor Memorial Steinway 
• November 3: Silver, Wood, and Ivory
• December 8: Christmas at Derry, one concert at 3 pm in the Sanctuary

My deepest gratitude to Dick Hann and the Arts Alive committee for their tireless work in preparing for this upcoming season.

A Note on Organ Tuning

When the Aeolian-Skinner organ, Opus 1132, was installed, A-Thompson Allen included ten tunings within the removal, refurbishment, and reinstallation contract. When those tunings were completed, the subsequent tuning cost was $1,800 (which included travel and lodging). Seeing that this amount was not reasonable as there are so many qualified and skilled technicians in our area, I sought the services of a local tuner and technician. The work carried out on March 8 was unsatisfactory as the organ had temperament discrepancies throughout several divisions, and maintenance issues were not resolved as requested.

I am happy to report that on Friday, August 9, Steven Emery, a highly respected tuner, rebuilder, and technician, came to tune our organ, fixing every issue previously mentioned, and the organ is playing and sounding better than ever. The cost for Steve’s work was roughly half that of A-Thompson Allen’s, and his work is exceptional. Steve is the curator of organs at many esteemed institutions, including St. Bartholomew’s in New York City and the Wanamaker Organ in Philadelphia, and is currently working on the complete refurbishment of the National Cathedral Organ. His skill and artistry bless us at such a reasonable cost.

A Note of Thanks

Sarah and I would like to thank the members of Derry Church, the Session, and Pastor Stephen for all your love, care, and support of our recent wedding in June. We are blessed to now live in the Hershey area and be 10 minutes from Derry Church, which was made possible by the generous support of the congregation of Derry Church. Now that I am fully recovered from Covid, I look forward to an exciting season ahead.