Church's pitch has its organ in tune
Fundraising campaign and publicity prove helpful in restoring a historic instrument
By MARC PARRY, Staff writer
First published: Thursday, February 9, 2006
COHOES -- A historic pipe organ that probably sounded the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" when the Civil War ended is undergoing a partial restoration that should have it humming hymns smoothly again before Easter.
United Church of Cohoes' mid-1860s vintage organ, one of the oldest in the Capital Region, would have eventually become unplayable if the congregation couldn't raise the money needed to repair it.
But with a fundraising campaign and some helpful publicity the 200-member church on Mohawk Street in Cohoes scraped together the amount needed for the renovation work without having to borrow any money. In September, the church had estimated that cost at $6,500.
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After the Times Union published a story about efforts to restore the organ one very significant check came in from a lady who attended the church as a child but hadn't been there in about 15 years, Pastor Nick TeBordo said.
"We have the organ completely paid for," TeBordo said. "It's really a blessing."
The church contracted with the Andover Organ Company of Massachusetts to do the repairs. They took the motors out two weeks ago to re-leather them. They'll also clean the organ and fix some electrical problems, said the church's music director, Kimberly Plouff.
The company also recommended restoring, at $10,000 a piece, two stops that were taken out in a previous renovation. But the church didn't have the money for that, Plouff said, or to pay an extra $2,000 to fix a faulty expression pedal.
Still, an organ that had a mind of its own, with things either not working or working when they weren't supposed to, will now be less problematic, Plouff said.
And when the Organ Historical Society holds its 50th anniversary meeting in June, it will be coming to United Church of Cohoes to hear the organ.
This Story taken from the Albany Times Union.
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