Music
First Presbyterian Church continues to be blessed with a strong music program. Our glorious pipe organ is beautifully played for each service. The resounding beauty of hymns and special music fills the sanctuary, and ministers to everyone in attendance. In addition, the choir, the handbells, and the Organ Competition all add to the music ministry at First Presbyterian Church.
Music: Chancel Choir
The Chancel Choir sings beautifully as they lead the congregation in song. The choir praises God through traditional as well as gospel and contemporary Christian songs. The Chancel Choir is accompanied by a pipe organ or grand piano. Handbells, instruments, guitars, and percussion are occasionally incorporated into the arrangements. The choir practices at 7 p.m. on Wednesday evenings. Everyone who has a song in their heart and an ability to sing is welcome to join the choir for rehearsals and Sunday service.
Music: Handbells
First Presbyterian Church has five octaves of awe-inspiring handbells which can be used depending on the size of the choir and at the discretion of the director. Any individuals with some handbell experience and/or musical skills are encouraged to talk to the church’s music director. Rehearsals are Wednesday evenings at 6:00 pm. Please check with the office for a specific schedule.
Music: Pipe Organ
Installation of First Presbyterian’s current Teller Organ was completed in 1970. It replaced the original instrument, a 1926 Skinner Organ.
The pipe organ has three keyboards, a pedal board, and a division called the Positiv, which couples onto either the Swell, the Great, or the Choir keyboard. Each of the three keyboards has 61 keys and the pedals have 32 notes. This organ has 52 ranks (a row of like-sounding pipes) and 54 stops for a total of 2,913 pipes.
The Teller Organ has had several memory systems that have allowed the organist to set hundreds of different combinations of stops. The latest memory system is a programmable, multi-memory system with MIDI capabilities.
A new console was built by the Reuters Organ Company in 2014. One of the new things about this installation was that the cantilevers were built so that some of the pipes could be exposed. All pipes for the Swell and Positiv are on the cantilevers. The Swell and Choir pipes are in rooms with shutters that are opened and closed by the organist on both sides of the Chancel on the third floor.
Another interesting item is that the console is movable so that it can be placed in the middle of the Chancel for recitals and other organ performances. This organ installation is a wonderful part of our beautiful sanctuary and adds so much to the music of First Presbyterian Church.
