Mass at Our Lady of Refuge, Brooklyn, NY

This came in on the PipOrg-L mailing list. New York City area readers take note.

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This Saturday (tomorrow) the University of Notre Dame’s Women’s Choir, directed by Andy McShane, will sing at the 5 pm Mass at Our Lady of Refuge in Brooklyn as a benefit for the church’s organ restoration fund. This historic 74-year-old, 24-rank
Kilgen pipe organ is in need of a full restoration, and the Mass will be the start of fundraising to achieve this goal.

Jim Konzelman and I have worked for the past year releathering windchests and reinstalling bellows to put it back into playing condition after over a decade of disuse, and Jim has now made it ready for the benefit Mass. Bob Schopp has assisted me with repairs to the reeds and the full rebuilding of 2 bellows. Jenn Pascual, Andy McShane, Stephen Tharp, Craig Whitney, Father Patrick Maloney, CSC, from the Notre Dame campus, and members of the Notre Dame Club of New York will all participate in the 5 pm Mass this Saturday.

The Mass setting for the liturgy is the Messe Basse of Gabriel Fauré. Preceding the Mass, there will be a short organ recital given by Stephen Tharp and Jennifer Pascual. Bach’s Passacaglia and Fugue will be among the works in the recital. The Ave Maris Stella will be sung at the Offertory, with organ versets by Marcel Dupré
in alternatim with the choir. Fr. Maloney will be the concelebrant with the Pastor, Fr. Michael Perry, and will deliver the homily. Craig Whitney, an Assistant Managing Editor of the New York Times and author of the book “All the Stops,” will speak briefly about the parish’s pipe organ at the end of the Mass. A reception will follow in the School Hall. At that time an organ CD will be offered at a premium of $50, all proceeds going to the organ fund. Contributions can be made by check or cash at the reception. If you cannot make the event but still wish to make a contribution, you can do so through the Notre Dame Club of New York’s website
(http://www.ndnyc.org), with all donations, less credit card fees, going to the parish.

Would you please help?

Sincerely,

Joe Vitacco

Saturday, February 3, 2007 – 5 pm Mass
Our Lady of Refuge Church – Fr. Michael Perry, Pastor
2020 Foster Avenue at Ocean and Foster Avenue.
5 blocks from the Newkirk Avenue Q Station
Rectory phone number 718 434 2090

Click here for full details on the organ

mp3 of Stephen Tharp playing a hymn on OLR Kilgen

mp3 of Stephen Tharp playing the Toccata from Widor 5 on OLR Kilgen