Choir Notes
Our chancel
choir continues to practice on the Easter Cantata for Palm Sunday. The children will be singing on April 10 and
leading our processional on Palm Sunday.
Bell choir begins rehearsal and will
present music on Easter Sunday. Thank
you to all members of these choirs for your dedicated service.
The Story of our Pipe Organ
The original organ, a 2-manual
Kimball, was purchased in 1901. Installation
was completed in the early part of 1902, and the organ became the first pipe
organ in Bonham. It had 8 ranks of
pipes; the bellows were manually operated; the console was attached to the
wall; and the pipes were exposed.
Miss Vanhorn from St. Louis played the
dedicatory recital, afterwards teaching Maude Massey, who became the first
regular organist. Lynwood Massey, her
brother, pumped the bellows before an electric motor was attached.
In 1947 the Maas
cathedral chimes were added in memory of Mrs. Hewlett Martin by her family. In 1952 electric action was added to the
organ; the console was moved in front of the choir; a standard keyboard, pedal
board and standard couplers were added.
In preparation for the opening
of our present sanctuary in 1961, the organ was rebuilt and redesigned. The instrument retained all of the original
pipes and had 7 new ranks added, making it a 16 rank 2-manual organ. The new ranks were made in Holland.
So the pipe organ we now hear
each Sunday has been sending forth its beautiful voice for almost 109 years.
A list of some of the organists
of First United Methodist
Church:
Maude Massey
Elizabeth Baggarly
Ethelleen Williams
Pam Taylor
Ken Frerichs
Beverly Christian
Patti Felmet