Concert at Precious Blood Parish, Jasper, Indiana January 2022

I was excited to receive the invitation from Tom Magee of Classic Organs Indiana and Precious Blood Parish in Jasper, Indiana to play a dedication concert on their new Rodgers Infinity Organ.  With the pandemic affecting concert scheduling, this is my first dedication concert in over two years, and my first Rodgers Concert in maybe three years!  While preparing for this event, it felt so strange to be playing again, but into the event,                everything began falling into place.

For me personally, there were many things of note:  First, I began my professional career over 50 years ago playing Kimball Swinger Organs for Dan Ferguson Music in Ceredo, WV.  These organs were manufactured in Jasper, Indiana and after 50 years, I finally get to visit “mecca”!  I still have access to a top of the line Kimball (a XANADU model) in the chapel at Crestview.  Also, Dan Ferguson placed a Rodgers 35D Organ at First Baptist Church, Kenova, WV and hired me (for my first church organist position) to play this organ which began a life-time association with Rodgers Organ, the latest “installment” being this program at Precious Blood Parish.

I could tell from the initial communication with Ann Nagy, organist and musician at Precious Blood that this was going to be a special time.  Ann and others from the Parish were totally committed to this event, helping to select the program, getting the choir and organ donor actively involved in the program, doing an excellent job of publicity through newspaper, TV, social media, diocesan communications, personal mail outs, the best I have ever seen!  The sanctuary was beautifully decorated, photographers and videographers recorded the event, and there was a FANTASTIC meal for choir and official participants in the program following including perfect fried chicken and perfect mashed potatoes.

Music included: hymns (Holy God We Praise Thy Name, Ode to Joy), wedding music (Trumpet Voluntary), spiritual songs (Jesus Joy and Ave Maria), other pieces ending with the request of the famiiar Widor Toccata in F from Symphony V.  The standing ovation indicated the congregation of over 200 were thrilled with the sound of their new Rodgers organ.

When I play a dedication, I feature a wide variety of sounds and realize the organist of the parish has not had a “lifetime of experience” with this technology to quickly find these sounds.  A benefit of my approach, is leaving all the piston combinations with a printed “key” to finding and quickly accessing my combinations which the organist can immediately use to enhance their playing and then use as inspiration to adjust and find their unique combinations which they can easily store on one of the numerous open memory levels.  Also, I provide access to my workshop notes and on YouTube to the many recordings which they can review for ideas for registration and interpretation!  (By the way, a wonderful video of the concert is posted at YOUTUBE RodneyBarbour Channel for your viewing pleasure).

Many thanks to Ann Nagy of Precious Blood Parish, and to Tom Magee of Classic Organs, Indiana for a wonderful and memorable weekend and another great Rodgers Organ for me to play!