Music

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Psalms 100:1-2

Organ Celebration and Blessing

St. Joseph’s recently celebrated the gift of a rare 140-year-old organ donated by a Virginia church.

The April 19 celebration included the blessing of the historic organ, lots of wonderful music, and a reception with refreshments. In addition to church organist and music director Marsha Meador, several guest organists demonstrated the instrument’s capabilities during the celebration, including Lee Rose, Tony Watson, and Will Dunklin.

The Jardine & Sons tracker organ, built in 1867, has more than 800 pipes and is completely mechanical apart from the air blower. It would have cost about $3,000 in the late 1860s. “It’s either the third- or fourth-oldest organ in the state of Tennessee,” Meador said.

George Jardine, an immigrant from England who had been trained in organ building, began his own business in the attic of his New York City home in 1836. He became one of the best-known and widely respected organ builders of his time. The organ now at St. Joseph’s was built for the chapel of St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., and remained in regular use there until the building was demolished in 1956. The organ was then put in storage

When Salisbury Presbyterian Church in Salisbury, Va. prepared to build a new sanctuary in 1980, the Jardine organ underwent a two-year restoration. It remained at the Virginia church for a quarter of a century.

As the Salisbury church was looking for a new home for the organ, St. Joseph’s was seeking a replacement for its own. Last year, the Virginia church generously donated the Jardine organ to St. Joseph’s. A team from the Sevierville church traveled to Salisbury to help dismantle the organ, under the supervision of Brad Rule of New Market, TN, who then restored the organ and oversaw its erection in the choir loft of St. Joseph’s.

Rule was also featured as a performer during the celebration, showcasing the instrument’s amazing range with a selection that included Bach’s iconic “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.”

St. Joseph’s congregation has been enjoying the Jardine organ since the fall of 2007. Despite some changes to the instrument, to this day the sound remains essentially the same as 140 years ago, experts say.