“The people of St. Francis Church sing. We make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Music is in all our worship. The ancient chants of the psalms magnify our Creator; the Christian liturgy glorifies our Savior, our creation, redemption, and sanctification. We give thanks for the means of grace and the hope of glory.”
To this day, that opening statement of the 1971 organ funding campaign brochure still captures the spirit of St. Francis parish. Each Sunday, we wholeheartedly sing to the glory of God, to the presence of each other, to the joy of music making, to the incredible talent of our choir, and to the sound of our Bosch organ.
Pipe organ has occupied a crucial place in the history of liturgical music. Its design and technical capability has evolved so much since its first liturgical appearance around 900 CE. It sets the mood for the day during prelude, leads but not overpowers choir and congregation during hymns and anthems, and uplifts spirits during postlude. The specification of this complex machine is thus a synthesis of visions of congregation, music staffs and liturgical staffs.
Our current organ was manufactured by Werner Bosch Orgelbau (Opus 604), Kessel, Germany, installed and voiced by John West in 1971. For all its intended purposes, it was originally a baroque-influenced instrument, a decision made by former parish organist Sandra Soderlund Bielawa. Its specialized sound became inadequate over time as instrumental versatility was called for by succeeding music directors. Advocated by Robert Gurney and under Robert Kerman’s initiative, the Bosch organ underwent major renovation and expansion in 2009. Among many adjustments, a Principal 8’ rank, taken from a Moeller organ at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, was added to the Great and Pedal division, extending its capability to provide a richer and warmer sound during accompaniment. The organ has been maintained by Edward Millington Stout III, Schoenstein Organ Company and Mark West, before being currently serviced by Hupalo & Repasky Organs.
The Organists of St. Francis’ Episcopal Church
Prior to 1937 – Unknown; no records
1937-1942 – Carleton Peters
1942-1943 – Dale Hamilton Evans
1943-1944 – Elliot Brack
1944-1947 – Phoebe Cole
1947-1948 – John M. Lyon
1948-1949 – Dr. D. Sterling Wheelwright
1949-1957 – Robert Sproul
1957-1960 – Edgar Parrott
1960-1965 – David Rothe
1965-1967 – Malcolm Cole
1967-1980 – Sandra Soderlund Bielawa
1980-1987 – David Fellers
1987-1992 – Robert Gurney
1992-1996 – Phillip Manwell
1997-2016 – Robert J. Kerman
2017 Charles Fermeglia
2017-2018 – Charles Rus
2018-2022 – Jason Jia
2022 – 2023 – Baker A. Peeples
2023 – current – Arthur Carlton White