Walk, organ concert at First United Methodist
From Staff Reports May 16, 2012 4:08PM
Updated: June 29, 2012 8:35AM
First United Methodist Church will hold a 175th Anniversary Organ Concert and Heritage Walk on Sunday. The Heritage Walk will start at 1 p.m. and continue until 2:30 p.m. The church is at 216 E. Highland Ave. in downtown Elgin.
The Organ Concert starts at 3 p.m. Former First United Methodist organist Ted Gysan will accompany a hymn sing and play a wide repertoire of Christian music on the church’s organ. People can listen to the music of Bach, Langlais and Leavitt, along with original compositions by Gysan himself.
Gysan began organ lessons at age 9 and started playing at various churches by age 10. He attended Capital University with an organ performance degree. While Gysan worked in the publishing business for 27 years, he retired in 2001 to become a full-time musician. He is the associate director of music for Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Naperville.
The Austin Pipe Organ at First UMC was originally installed in 1924. In 1967, as a product of the Organ Reform movement (led by E. Power Biggs & Albert Schweitzer), the organ was removed and rebuilt extensively. In 2006 a new, custom four-manual console was installed, built by Rodgers Instruments of Hillsboro, Oregon. In 2007, the organ was expanded with an additional 20 ranks of pipes, bringing the total to 60 pipe ranks. Most noticeable (in the rear gallery) is the solid brass Trompette en Chamade built by Fratelli Ruffatti of Padua, Italy. The entire project was coordinated by Steve Smith and his staff from Triune Music, the Midwest representatives for Rodgers and Ruffatti Pipe Organs. The vision for this instrument allowed technology and art to come together into a single design concept that combines the wonder of electronics with the magic of windblown pipes.
Call 847-741-0038 or visit www.fumcelgin.org.
