While there are many beautiful sounds in this world, like the song of a bird or the laugh of a baby, the sound of music being pumped out of a genuine pipe organ has to be right up there. This music can be heard coming from Trinity Lutheran Church, on a pipe organ that is celebrating its fiftieth birthday. But like anything reaching its fifties, things can start to break down. Fifty years of concertos and recitals of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, have started to wear down the valves of the Moeller Pipe Organ to the point that the majestic notes and chords are starting to be hindered.
A pipe organ is a solid, well built, strong machine. The Trinity Lutheran organ (dubbed a Moeller Opus model) was built in 1968 and has 1,100 pipes, which keep the music flowing, filling the church with such a marvelous sound. But the valves controlling the air flow of the pipes are made of leather and have become brittle. If anyone has left a baseball glove outside in the Florida humidity, you get the idea. These valves need to be replaced.
On March 23, at 7:00 the first of a series of benefit concerts will be held at Trinity Lutheran located at 401 Fifth Street North. The talented fingers of Don Rolander and Linda Pointer will dance across the pipe organ with the hope of raising 40,000.00. The experts figure it will cost forty dollars to save a single pipe. Music lovers can also sponsor a pipe or even a whole series of pipes. Just think if you own a business and sponsor a section of pipes, every time you hear a C Major Seventh chord you can say there is my money at work!
When Mathias Peter Moeller sailed across the Atlantic from Denmark in 1872, he had a dream to share his music in America. He started the M.P. Moeller Pipe Organ Company in 1875 and produced over 12,000 instruments filling the country with a glorious sound. The good people at Trinity Lutheran need help to keep the music alive and well.
For more information about Trinity Lutheran Church, visit trinitylutheranstpete.org.
