by John P. Starkel 

Dedicating a new organ is a major milestone for any church. At St. Barnabas, the upcoming dedication of the new organ is not only a milestone but also a celebration for this Richardson family of faith. In many churches, a major gift from one family is often the impetus for getting a new organ. At St. Barnabas, while a few families were able to help with larger gifts, the majority of the money raised for the organ came from the church family. Whether giving a pipe for $100 or other gifts ranging from one dollar to a thousand dollars, the people of the church were the major donor.

This organ is also special because of the strong group of organ builders who built it. The Allen Organ Company, the largest builder of church organs in the world, manufactured the digital portion of the organ and the console. The pipe part is a product of Robert L. Sipe, Inc. Organbuilders with headquarters in Garland, Texas. To pull both parts together and "tune" the sound of the organ to the sanctuary, Burton Tidwell was responsible for voicing both the digital and pipe components. An organist and organbuilder, and a church organist for over 40 years, Mr. Tidwell customized the digital voices of the organ and matched them with the pipes. There is no other instrument in the world that is just like this one. All of the companies and individuals involved in this project are proud of the work they have done and of the end result.

On April 13, the church family will dedicate the organ at 7:00 p.m. The short service of worship and thanksgiving will be followed by a recital by nationally known organist, Delbert Disselhorst. Dr. Disselhorst is professor and chairman of the organ department at the University of Iowa. When he retires at the end of this school year, he will have served on that faculty for 37 years.

An Illinois native, Disselhorst earned both the Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the University of Illinois and graduated as a Bronze Tablet Scholar.

Under a Fulbright grant, Disselhorst studied organ with Helmut Walcha at the Staatliche Hochschule fur Musik in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan, and was awarded the Palmer Christian Citation as a distinguished alumnus of the Michigan Organ Department. Teachers include Jerald Hamilton, Mildred Andrews Boggess, Marilyn Mason, and Russell Saunders.

Disselhorst has performed in the United States, Canada Europe and Korea. He appeared as a recitalist for the Region VI American Guild of Organists Convention in Kansas City in 1979, in Milwaukee in 1981, and in Minneapolis in 1989. He also performed at the National Convention of the American Guild of Organists in Houston, Texas in 1988. European Concert tours include recitals in Denmark, Germany, and France, including the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. Disselhorst has been a featured artist for international festivals and concert series in the cathedrals of Trier and Limburg and the Munster in Freiburg, Germany.

As a recording artist, Dr. Disselhorst has recorded two CD’s, one on the Arkay label Organ Works of Rorem and Pinkham and the second one Harmonische Seelenlust of G.F. Kauffmann on the Pro Organo label.

The dedication of the organ at St. Barnabas Presbyterian Church is an event of celebration and thanksgiving. The organ will offer strong support to worship for many years to come.

In addition to the dedication and recital, the organ will be featured in a composition for organ, handbells, and choir that was commissioned as part of the dedication festivities. That anthem by Joel Ramey will be heard in both worship services on Sunday, May 18. Then, at 7:00 p.m. on June 8, George Christ, organist at St. Barnabas, will present a recital on the new instrument.

The April 13 recital is free and open to the public. For more information call St. Barnabas Presbyterian Church at 972-235-2000 or visit our web site at www.saintb.org