Grace Episcopal Church Welcomes Home Restored Organ

For nearly a year, there has been no organ music at Medford’s Grace Episcopal Church. Last April, the church’s 1885 Hook and Hastings organ was removed piece-by-piece for a complete restoration by David E. Wallace and Co. in Gorham, Maine. Over the years, there has been an accumulation of dirt and grime in the organ and it began to have systems fail. The console for playing the organ had become outdated, and was too difficult to repair. This month, the organ returned to Medford, and its over 700 pipes, and over 10,000 parts were re-installed over an almost two month period.

“Grace Church is never at a loss when it comes to joyous singing, but the energy of having our historic organ back is powerful and palpable. Upon its first note, people exploded with applause, then proceeded to sing even louder than usual – with absolute pride, love, and joyous conviction. To hear it play once again was beautiful and incredibly moving,” said Lucia Page, Grace Church Warden.

The restoration of the organ was much needed to continue to support the inspirational worship of the parish community. “…after ten years at Grace struggling with its obsolete and ailing console and even older electric and pneumatic parts, now I have the exciting prospect of playing an organ on which all the notes and stops and pistons actually work. This is an organist’s dream come true, and Grace Church is to be congratulated for completing this project so successfully,” said Ruth Roper, Grace Church Minister of Music.

David Wallace, who restored the organ stated, “For those in our profession, there is no more satisfying moment than when an instrument into which you have poured hundreds of hours of meticulous work comes to life and plays its first notes. Though well-worn and suffering the ravages of time and change, we saw the potential of the Grace Church Hook & Hastings organ and realized that with a well-planned renovation, the organ had a good voice and lots of years of service left in it. It has also been a great joy for us to see the reaction of the Grace Parish members as the organ came back to life in its home space. Our goal for the Grace Church project has been to return the organ to its mission of inspiring worship and encouraging music now and for generations of worshipers to come.”

The organ restoration was funded through the Church’s 2011 Capital Campaign. The organ restoration was the last of the Campaign’s many projects which included restoration of the Grace Church’s historic 1867 building, bell tower and bells, installing a new high efficiency heating system and new handicap accessible bathrooms. “These past five years have been amazing for Grace Church as we focused on our mission to serve our wider community, as we also restored our parish home,” said the Reverend Noah H. Evans, Rector of Grace Church, “the members of the community really pulled together and gave sacrificially to make these projects happen. I am in awe and gratitude of their generosity.”

The conclusion of the Capital Campaign will be celebrated and the organ will be blessed at a special service with the Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts on Wednesday, April 6th at 7:00PM. All are invited and welcome at the service.

Allison Andrews, Grace Church Historian and Organ Restoration Committee Chair concluded, “What a joy to hear the organ again. It fills the void, musical and physical, and makes the sanctuary feel complete again.”

Grace Episcopal Church in Medford, located at 160 High St., is a dynamic and vibrant spiritual home to a diverse congregation of more than 200 families with different racial, social, ethnic, cultural, family and religious backgrounds. Built in 1867, the Grace Church Sanctuary is on the National Register of Historic Places. Designed by noted architect Henry Hobson Richardson, it is his oldest surviving Church.

– Submitted by Grace Episcopal Church