3 historic church organs get the limelight during progressive concert in Albion

‘These organs are a treasure. The reason for these concerts is to show the public what a treasure they are.’

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Maarit Vaga presents flowers to Aaron Grabowski after his performance at the organ in Holy Family Parish during the Cobblestone Society’s fifth annual organ concert on Sunday.

ALBION – The annual progressive organ concert on Sunday to benefit the Cobblestone Museum was strongly attended, according to director Doug Farley.

“This was our fifth annual concert and 75 people registered ahead, in addition to several walk-ins,” Farley said. “We are thrilled attendance continues to be strong.”

The event began at Christ Episcopal Church, where former Orleans County historian and Cobblestone Museum director Bill Lattin welcomed guests. He explained there used to be six pipe organs in Court House Square, but now are five after one was removed at the former United Methodist Church.

“These organs are a treasure,” Lattin said. “The reason for these concerts is to show the public what a treasure they are.”

Lattin also pointed out the stained glass windows and urged the audience to notice the architecture and stained glass in each of the churches, all of which are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Doug Farley, left, director of the Cobblestone Museum, welcomes the 75 guests who attended a progressive organ concert on Sunday. The first concert was at Christ Episcopal Church, where organist Darryl Smith, visible at right,  played the 1877 Steere & Turner pipe organ.

Farley added how fortunate they were to have four very talented organists in attendance – Darryl Smith, Aaron Grabowski and Gary Simboli, who were part of Sunday’s program, and Scott Schmidt, a local organist who has participated in the progressive concerts in previous years.

Albion native Darryl Smith, who played the 1877 Steere & Turner pipe organ at Christ Episcopal Church, said she has been playing organ since high school. Her first job was as organist and choir director at the First Baptist Church of Medina. A graduate of Houghton, Smith has served in positions of music or discipleship at Brick Presbyterian Church of Perry, Barre Center Presbyterian Church and Albion Free Methodist Church.

“I love this organ because its pipes are vintage to its time,” she said.

The instrument is unique in that it maintains its original mechanical linkage, known as tracker action, between the keyboard and pipes. Lattin displayed a giant lever which youth in earlier years had to pump behind the scenes. The organ was rebuilt in the 1980s.

The Erakare family sings at Christ Episcopal Church, accompanied by organist Darryl Smith. From left are Susan Walders (mother of Bradeen Walders-Erakare, who is married to Sebastian Erakare), Maarit Vaga and her husband Jan Erakare, their son Sebastian and his wife, Bradeen Walders-Erakare.

Attendees next moved into the dining room for a wine and cheese reception, before crossing the street to Holy Family Parish (St. Joseph’s Church), where Medina organist Aaron Grabowski entertained on what was originally an 1896 Garrett House tracker organ. The console was moved to the front of the loft during changes made to the key and stop action, converting it to electro-pneumatic action in 1939-40 by Teller’s Organ Co. of Erie, Pa. The original tracker slider chests were retained. Air reservoirs were re-leathered in 1976.

House sold his company to Viner and Sons in 1898, making this original instrument of two manuals and pedal with 16 speaking stops one of his last.

The organ is currently being maintained by Parsons Pipe Organ Co. of Canandaigua, where Grabowski is employed.

According to the concert’s program, it would be safe to say pipe organs are a big part of Aaron Grabowski’s life. During the week he works full-time as a tuning foreman and organ builder for Parsons, and on weekends, he is music director and organist at St. Mary’s Church in Medina.

Grabowski began formal organ lessons at the age of 16, and after graduating from high school, he enrolled at the University of Buffalo, where he received a bachelor’s degree in organ performance.

He was music director at St. Paul’s in Kenmore, where the Rev. Paul Whitney was serving before coming to Medina. It was due to Father Whitney that Grabowski came to Medina when the priest asked him to restore the organ at St. Mary’s. Upon seeing the charming hamlet of Medina, Grabowski suggested to his wife Gayle they should consider making Medina their new home. They purchased a Victorian home there in 2005, which they are restoring.

(Left) Darryl Smith sits at the 1877 Steere & Turner pipe organ at Christ Episcopal Church in Albion. She likes the organ because of its vintage pipes which she says are authentic to their time. (Right) Final organist in Sunday’s progressive organ concert was Gary Simboli, retired chorus and musical director at Albion Central School, shown here at the 1925 Moller Opus 4132 pipe organ at the First Baptist Church of Albion.

The third and final organ in the concert was at the First Baptist Church, next door to Holy Family Parish, where Gary Simboli demonstrated the 1925 Moller Opus 4132 pipe organ. Simboli is a graduate of Geneseo State College and is the award-winning instrumental music teacher (retired) from Albion High School.

The Moller organ replaced the church’s first pipe organ from 1883, and features two separate pipe chambers and pressure driven pneumatic action. It includes three manuals and 63 registers, producing a rich, romantic sound. The organ was rebuilt in the 1980s under the pastorate of the Rev. Bob Mowatt.

“This is an amazing instrument,” Simboli said. “I am not an organist. I had one lesson when I filled in for the regular organist. I like the different instrumentation of this beautiful organ.”

He was told because he had big hands he could play the organ, as he could reach the keys with his left fingers, which produced the sounds of the foot pedals.

The pieces Simboli chose featured the sounds of flute, chimes, trumpet, clarinet, oboe, harp and the full organ.

Aaron Grabowski sits at the organ in the loft of Holy Family Parish (St. Joseph’s Church) in Albion. The original 1896 Garret House tracker organ was converted to electro-pneumatic action in 1939-40 by Teller’s Organ Co. of Erie, Pa.

After the final concert, many concert-goers drove to the Tavern on the Ridge for supper. Among them were Joe and Linda Rak of Lyndonville, who said this was their first organ concert, but they would definitely consider it again.

“We like to do things in the community,” Linda said. “The music today was absolutely amazing. These churches were all so beautiful and in such close proximity. And the organists were so talented. It was a big learning experience to hear all the sounds an organ can make.”

One special attendee who Farley introduced was Carla Maul, who drove from Ellicottville.

“I love organ concerts and I Googled it, thinking I might find one in Buffalo,” Maul said.

She teaches a drum and bugle corps and plays brass. But she likes organ concerts for their individuality, she said.

“My favorite today was Aaron’s Cannanode,” Maul said.