The worship services at the Mount Fortune Seventh-day Adventist Church are being enhanced by a new organ which was dedicated on Saturday evening, May 9.
The instrument was custom-built for the expansive church building – taking into account the size and acoustics of the edifice – by the almost 70-year-old Allen Organ Company of Pennsylvania in the United States.
The organ, featuring some of the latest innovations of digital technology and quality of sound, replaces an earlier model of the Allen Organ which served the church for many years.
Allen Organs are not therefore new to Anguilla. In addition to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, there are other models in use in other churches on the island, including the Methodist Church.
A mini-concert, dedicated to mothers, in the run-up to Mother’s Day, marked the commissioning of the organ which has a feature for automatic playing. Four noted organists in Anguilla accepted invitations from the Mount Fortune Church to give performances on the instrument.
They were Mrs. Rose Ferguson who taught music for some thirty years – for exams set by the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music (ABRSM) in London, and served as an organist in Nevis for the Anglican and Methodist Churches; Mr. Kenneth Hodge, who also taught music for examinations set by the ABRSM – and is one of the organists at St. Mary’s Anglican Church; Mr. Devaunie Richardson who was tutored at the Carbon Music Studio in Anguilla; examined by the ABRSM; and is the Choir Director and Pianist at Maranatha Methodist Church. He also serves at Bethel Methodist Church; and Mrs. Kimba Carty-Southwell, a Music Teacher at the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School and holder of a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of the Virgin Islands.
Mrs. Hermina Webster, organist at the Mount Fortune SDA Church, led the performances by playing the opening congregational hymn following the dedication of the organ by Pastor Trent Berg. The pastor spoke about the importance of church music and its enhancement in worship services.
The new organ will be featured by the church in the Anguilla Day Festival of Choirs, organised by the Anguilla National Celebrations Committee, under the patronage of the Honourable Minister of Home Affairs, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge. Choir Fest will be held on Thursday, May 28, commencing at 7.30 pm.
