Dr. Elliot Jones in front of the installed Wicks pipe organ.
Shirin McArthur
The Episcopal Church of the Apostles has made a dream come true in the form of a newly installed Wicks pipe organ. The organ will be dedicated at a free public concert on Saturday, October 27 at 4:00 p.m.
The pipe organ was previously the antiphonal organ at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay, Wisconsin. St. Francis Xavier has a larger organ, also made by the Wicks Organ Company of Highland, Illinois. The Apostles organ was originally built in 1985, is completely refurbished and contains five ranks, two manuals and 389 pipes, which range in size from 16 feet (these pipes curl and stand about eight feet tall) to a mere three inches.
The Dedication and concert will take place at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 27 at Church of the Apostles, which is located at 12111 N La Cholla Blvd. (just north of Tangerine) in Oro Valley. It will be followed by a reception.
The guest artist is Paul Lee, organist, conductor, composer and Director of Music Ministries at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Scottsdale. Mr. Lee will offer works by J.S. Bach, Cesar Franck and C.M. Widor.
You can hear the new Wicks organ, played by Dr. Elliot Jones, Director of Music Ministries, during worship at Church of the Apostles at 9:30 a.m. every Sunday. The organ will also be featured at a Choral Evensong in honor of St. Cecilia, with Guest Organist Will Thomas, at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 11.
Church of the Apostles will also celebrate All Saints and All Souls Day on Sunday, November 4. Morning services at 7:30 and 9:30 a.m. will include an Ofrenda, or Altar of Remembrance, constructed in the tradition of Dia de los Muertos. Both services will include the reading of the names of loved ones who have died during the past year and the opportunity for anyone to put a photo of a deceased loved one on the Ofrenda. Immediately following the 9:30 service, the Mariachi Herradura Band will greet people on the church patio to continue the celebration of the lives of the ones we love and see no more.
You can earn more about all of these events at www.ovapostles.org.