|
A New Pipe Organ
George Mairs gift; dedication Oct. 2000
The church had difficulties with the fourteen-rank,
Patterson pipe organ installed in 1984. During installation, the company went
bankrupt which required a new builder to finish the work. Throughout its life,
the organ was plagued by ciphers at the most inappropriate times.
In January of 1998, George G. Mairs volunteered to replace
the pipe organ as a memorial to his wife Florence and his parents. An organ
committee, chaired by Paul Toren, worked with many people before selecting an
organ from Canada’s oldest organ building firm, Cassavant Freres. The pipe
organ, Opus 3793, is an instrument of nineteen stops, very versatile, colorful,
and rich in contrasting timbres. Mr. Mairs died in 1999 before the dedication,
but we hope that he experienced the gratitude of the parish during the
dedication celebration.
At the October 1, 2000 dedication of the organ, the
commemorative booklet contained much information about the organ and also comments
from the Rector and others:
“Music is integral to Anglican liturgy. ... The voice of the
organ enhances our worship. ... It has long been a vision of the Episcopal
Church of St. John in the Wilderness to have a pipe organ of high quality, one
suitable for our liturgy and our building. ... The generosity of George G.
Mairs gifted the cost of our new instrument. Members and friends of the parish
provided much of the additional funds necessary for on-site preparation, fees,
etc. ... Truly we are grateful for their support and hours of dedicated service
to this two and one-half year project.”
-- Rev. Edward J. Campbell.
From the Organ Committee:
“Years of uncertainty regarding the future of our pipe organ
were quickly dispelled with George Mair’s generous gift. The organ committee
and consultant met sixteen times in 1998. By late 1999, the structural
modifications to the chancel and tower had been determined. Several surprises
awaited the contractor, including rebuilding part of the support system for the
church roof! ...”
– Paul Toren, Chair, Organ
Committee.
As said by the Rev. Edward J. Campbell, Rector:
“It is my privilege to welcome you to this Season of Celebration
with thanksgiving to God for the humble generosity of George G. Mairs.”
A beautiful Dedicatory Recital was performed by David
Gehrenbeck, organist and choirmaster, St. John in the Wilderness.
2001
During the year 2001, the Rectory was sold. It was
determined that it was more beneficial to the rector to receive a housing
allowance and the opportunity for home ownership. The annual reports for 1981
to 2001 indicates the number of communicants increased from 604 people in 1981
to 735 in 2001.
Also from the annual report for 2001, the Report from the
Senior Warden, regarding the Rev. Edward Joseph Campbell (see Plates):
|
Plate.
Rev. Edward Joseph Campbell Jr., Rector 1987 – 2001
(click here
or on image for higher resolution views) |
 |
|
Plate.
Rev. Edward Joseph Campbell Jr., Rector 1987 – 2001,
second photo
(click here
or on image for higher resolution views) |
 |
“The sudden illness and death of Fr. Joe stunned not only our
congregation, but many other areas of our community. ... The outpouring of
support and love that was received from people and organizations far and wide
was amazing. As we keep his memory in our hearts, let us continue forth with
the work we need to do for our parish.”
|
