Swedesburg organ’s song revitalized

SWEDESBURG — Renewed music swells from the newly rebuilt 1,911 pipe organ in the Swedesburg Evangelical Lutheran Church under the expert playing of Organist Christopher Arp.

According to Pastor Mark Youngquist, the organ has always been an important part of the church and accounted for 17% of the cost for the original church structure.

“Labor was cheap and organ workshops were more plentiful in 1928 than now,” the church website states. “Adjusted for inflation, the cost of the organ would be roughly $150,000 in 2020.”

When the church brought on Christopher Arp as their principal organist they found that the churches beloved organ needed serious repairs costing much more than $150,000.

Through generous donations, SELC raised over $325,000 to complete the work on the organ.

Prior to the restoration, Youngquist stated that they knew the organ was in bad shape.

“I’m not musical, but I didn’t realize how bad it was until Christopher came,” Youngquist said. “We’d have had a hard time getting through it without him. He gave us some technical understanding.”

In November 2019, the church discovered there were quite a few mechanical issues with the instrument.

“There was faulty wiring. It was really bad,” Arp said. “There were electrical problems, damaged and mishandled pipework, and other issues.”

While Swedish immigrants founded the SELC congregation in 1866, the current church building is the third to sit on the property following to two fires and each building hosted an organ which the congregation used to worship regularly.

The recently revitalized organ was initially installed in 1927.

“During the initial dedication in 1928, there were so many people they had to open the windows and people sat outside to hear the organ,” Arp said.

Arp hopes to attract just as large of a crowd to appreciate this beautiful instrument.

Even today, Youngquist attests to the importance of the organ for the congregation.

“The organ leads our worship,” he said. “It isn’t a performance. It isn’t a concert. It is what leads our singing.”

According to Youngquist SELC has been known for their four-part singing and exceptional music for most of the church’s existence. Through this update and restoration, he looks forward to continuing this tradition.

“Playing the organ is kind of like being a conductor of a symphony,” Arp explained. “You’re picking which instruments to bring in and bring out, and that’s exactly what Jan Kraybill is going to do at the dedication recital is be the conductor for the music. She’s playing a symphony.”

Arp shared that many congregation members found themselves amazed as they realized just how many moving parts go into playing the organ.

“We were livestreaming and the person was sitting right there,” Arp said as he pointed to a pew at the front of the sanctuary. “When they turned for the music, they had a perfect shot of my feet.”

As Arp plays the organ, not only do his hands deftly navigate black and white keys and a multitude of stops, but his feet put in just as much effort.

Wearing special Organmaster shoes, his toes tap large wooden keys and his heels dance from one to the next.

He also carefully urges the music to swell and recede in crescendos thanks to some of the newest renovations.

According to Arp, this newly revamped organ is rooted in the tradition of the early 20th century and includes an abundance of flute and string stops.

“Of the current 28 ranks in the organ, 11 are flute and string stops,” a brochure from the church states. “Updates to the organ in 1962 and 2023 added a variety to the sounds available to the organists’ palette. Other additions were reed sounds (clarinet, oboe) as well as more trumpet.”

The 2023 renovation also included enhanced brilliance through the installation of multi-rank stops called mixtures. These play a variety of pitches tuned to be harmonious with each other.

“I think it’s amazing,” Youngquist said of the instrument. “It will probably one of the best organs in Southeast Iowa.”

After spending two year working on this project, SELC will show off this newly renovated organ at their third rededication ceremony since 1928.

The ceremony will take place Sunday, June 4 at 10 a.m. with festival worship followed by a luncheon. Please RSVP at (319) 254-2216 or email office@swedesburglutheran.org if you plan to attend the luncheon.

Additionally, the builders for this project will hold a talk at 1:30 followed by an organ recital at 2 p.m.

Music for this rededication will be provided by Grammy-nominated artist Jan Kraybill, a brass quartet, and SELC’s principal organist Christopher Arp.

Arp is excited for the dedication ceremony where he can show off his hard work and dream come true with this impressively restored organ

“For so many years, we have been blessed with a reciprocal experience,” a brochure from the church states. “We sing with the organ … and the organ sings with us.”

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com