St. George’s organ dedication and mini recital set May 5

St. George's Chapel will hold a blessing and rededication ceremony for its pipe organ along with a mini concert at 2 p.m., Sunday, May 5, at  20271 Beaver Dam Road, Harbeson.

With a congregation founded in 1719 to serve the early settlers and inhabitants of eastern Sussex County, St. George’s has been around since before the colonies were united into a new country in 1776.

 A simple wooden chapel originally occupied the bucolic, undeveloped farmland where the congregation still meets to this day. To replace the original structure, a brick chapel was constructed in 1734.

Tucked between two windows in the balcony sits the chapel’s organ, parts of which are known to be more than 100 years old. The instrument underwent a significant overhaul, rebuilding and restoration by a Baltimore-based company in the early 2000s but had been experiencing new issues in recent years that required ongoing short-term repairs.

“Pipe organs can be challenging. While the basic premise of them dates back centuries, there are many small, intricate, moving parts inside. With today’s technology of using electricity to wind them and solid-state circuitry to assist with the controls, they can become technologically challenging,” said Jon Rania, music director for the Episcopal Parish of All Saints’ Church and St. George’s Chapel. “With the blessing and support of the parish’s rector, the Rev. Shelley D. McDade, and parish leadership, funds were secured to rectify the issues.”

Luckily, Rania was able to find a new, start-up company, also located in Baltimore, that was ready, willing and able to come to the rescue. “Over the past few years, the organ has gone under a painstaking process of being refurbished practically on site, all the while [remaining] partially or mostly playable for Sunday services, weddings, funerals and other special occasions in the chapel,” he said. “I am extremely grateful to [owner] Asher Hammond and the folks at Harbor Pipe Organs for the work that they have done. They have given this instrument a new lease on life. I really do see this as a resurrection story, as the organ has gone through many stages. It sounds better than it ever has.”

The May 5 ceremony will include Stephen Shoop, assistant parish organist, and Rania, along with special guests who play in local churches. This event is free and open to the public. A freewill offering will be taken, and proceeds will be used for continued maintenance of the organ.

For more information, email info@allsaintsandstgeorges.org or call 302-227-7202, or go to allsaintsandstgeorges.org.