History

 

In 1925, the Mississippi Woman’s College, later renamed William Carey College, and most recently William Carey University, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, purchased a Henry Pilcher and Sons Organ for the sum of $5,850. The firm’s Opus 1251 was installed in the auditorium of Tatum Court. The organ was used until the school closed in 1940 in anticipation of the Second World War. During the war, the school was used to house officers stationed at Camp Shelby near Hattiesburg.

 

When the college reopened following the war, faculty and students found the organ in disrepair. Many of the organ pipes had fallen to the floor, and bats were flying about in the organ chambers. The instrument was not rebuilt or restored, but was placed back into playing condition.   The organ was used for several years in chapel, recitals, and performances of large choral works, including Haydn’s “The Creation”.

 

On a summer Saturday night in 1963, an arsonist set fire to the building directly behind Tatum Court. In an attempt to prevent the spread of the fire to Tatum Court, enormous amounts of water were directed to that building. The back wall, which bordered the organ chamber, consisted of two large windows, which collapsed under the flood of water that      engulfed the organ chamber, seemingly disabling the instrument            permanently. The following morning when Dr. Donald Winters, the Dean of Music at WCC, turned on the instrument, it elicited no more than a wheeze.

 

For various reasons, Dr. Winters and the School of Music chose to use the insurance settlement to purchase several practice organs for the school rather than attempting to restore the Pilcher.

 

About this time in 1963, our church voted to build a new Sanctuary.   Mrs. Opal Yates, our organist at that time, had lived in Hattiesburg    during the war and heard about the availability of the instrument through contacts she maintained. Through the gifts of several families in      Philadelphia, Mississippi and what we perceive as the work of the Holy Spirit, we were able to purchase the instrument from William Carey     College. We then contracted Mr. F. E. Norwood of Pensacola, Florida to rebuild and install the organ in our new sanctuary. It was used, along with our new Baldwin grand piano, in 1965 during the Sanctuary       dedication service.

 

 

 

 

 

Recent years. . . .

 

The instrument remained virtually maintenance free until 1990 when the blower motor caught fire during one of Mrs. Opal Yates’ many practice sessions. The motor and blower were both replaced that year and used in the recent rebuilding project. By the end of the 1990s, the instrument began to deteriorate from normal use. The leather started to dry and crack causing the wind chests to leak. Other problems arose that made the pipes more difficult to tune and keep tuned. The mechanical parts in the console were also in great need of repair.

 

On October 26, 2003, at the request of our Music Ministry Team and deacon body, the church elected an Organ Search Team to study the   organ and make a recommendation concerning its future.    On May 23, 2004, the church voted to contract with Pipe Organ Specialties of Laurel, Mississippi to rebuild the instrument. Work began that December,    however, because of Hurricane Katrina and other delays, the organ was not completed until October of 2007.

 

Our Organ today. . . .

 

The rebuilding process was very extensive. Virtually everything on the organ has been replaced or rebuilt except for the pipes and blower. Our console was thoroughly rebuilt with all solid-state combination action which replaces the old mechanical memory system. Pipes were stripped, cleaned, rescaled, and re-voiced. We also added three new sets of pipes, pipes to extend existing ranks, and a digital sound module for select   non-pipe ranks. We now have the equivalent of a two manual, 54 stop, 22 rank pipe organ with the ability to easily add six more non-pipe ranks.

 

Madison Lindsey, Troy Scott, and the crew of Pipe Organ Specialties put in hundreds of hours of work in rebuilding the instrument. In part, thanks to their expertise, we look forward to the next 40 years of      beautiful music.

 

Our Organ in the future. . . .

 

We hope to use this instrument for many years to come. As in years past, we will continue to use the organ in worship with preludes, postludes, service music, and to accompany congregational singing, the Chancel Choir, soloists, or any musical group that should require its assistance.   We also would like to present recitals as resources become available.