2021 Christmas Concert at Mt. Pleasant, Monroe, Ohio

Over the past several years I have enjoyed playing six different programs at Ohio Living Mt. Pleasant Retirement Community on their Allen Millenial Edition Four-Manual Organ and must say this is always one of my favorite audiences.

As the Chapel Location for the Organ is attached to the Assisted Living area, with Covid protocals, the live audience was limited to sixty masked people.  I’m told there was a waiting list of over 120 people hoping for a seat.  I am happy that the program was livestreamed so all in the community who wished to view could do so.

The first part of the program included Christmas Carols and classics which sounded great on this very nice Allen Organ.  Even though the technology dates from the year 2000, the sounds, features and voicing all combine to make this a wonderful organ to play.  I especially enjoy the floating “string” division which adds color and warmth to the quieter full ensembles.

Taking a few minutes to don a “Santa Cap”, for the second half, I switched to more tibias, voxes, saxes, post horns, kinuras and percussions for some fun songs of the season, including Jingle Jokes!  Those gathered joined in immediately and enthusiastically (always a surprise!).

The room at Mt. Pleasant in long with a high wooden ceiling.  The sound of the organ is able to mix in the room and move over the heads of the audience.  This makes a wonderful mix and the organ sounds great, filling the room without blasting the audience so they feel “compressed against the back wall”.

I enjoyed the opportunity following to share a conversation with long-time resident and musician/organist Ruth Jeter who has taken great care to be sure the organ remains in tip-top condition.  She and her late husband John have contributed much to the musical environment at Mt. Pleasant and in the Monroe area.  OH–did I mention a post concert Butter Burger and Caramel Cashew Sundae at the local Culvers with a few of the program staff?

This program left me in the holiday spirit, and I’ll look forward to any opportunity to return for another performance at Ohio Living—Mt. Pleasant!