Music is an important part of First Congregational Church. Anytime we open our doors for a worship service or a musical performance, we are acknowledging that music is one of the many gifts that we receive from God. As good stewards of God’s gifts, it is our hope to enrich the lives of our community through the use of our facilities for music.
As part of our music outreach, Ron Hall, Music Director of First Congregational Church, hosted the American Guild of Organists Pipe Organ Encounter on June 17th and 18th of 2010. The POE (Pipe Organ Encounter) is an initiative sponsored nationally by the American Guild of Organists to promote interest in the Pipe Organ by young people. Workshops, recitals and lessons were provided to the POE for a week. The final recital by the students was given at First Congregational Church.
28 students from 9 states came to St. Louis to participate in this Encounter which focused on a week long summer camp for budding organists designed to get them hooked on playing the “King of Instruments.”
See the link to some highlights here which made the local news!
Read what the kids had to say about this event
“I enjoy the amount of multitasking, and the coordination the organ needs,” she said, “I like the color from the organ stops, and the pedal is definitely fun.”
”You’ve got so much power. It’s so exhilarating.”
Others began playing the organ for the first time in St. Louis. Laurel Day, 13, of Jefferson City, has played piano for eight years — and organ for just one week. “It’s definitely most fun,” she said, adding that she plans to continue with it.
Another newcomer is Christopher Zachary, 13, of Columbia, Mo. “The best part is the depth you can add to the music that you can’t with piano,” Zachary said. “The hardest is coordination — right hand, left hand, feet.”
POE’s powers of persuasion certainly worked for Andrew Peters. Peters, a native of New Jersey, started on piano — piano is a requirement — and had studied organ for only a year when he attended his first POE in the ’90s. “I liked all the buttons and the lights and the sound,” he said. “The marvelous versatility inspired me.”
