A joyful noise unto the Lord

Many hearts and hands join to bring a Christmas gift to St. James

CALLICOON, NY — Just in time for Christmas, a “new” organ has been delivered to St. James Episcopal Church in Callicoon. The instrument is a Vocalion, considered by some to be the Rolls Royce of reed organs, built in 1898. It was meticulously restored over the past year by the Paul Carey Organ Company of Troy.

The organ has been a long time coming—over seven years since it was first decided that something had to be done about the old organ, which was found to be in such bad condition it was not worth repairing. The process of replacing the old organ ensued, led by then-St. James music director and liturgist Susan Treanor, aided and abetted by vestry member Nellie Burnham and the Reverend Joan LaLiberte. No longer living in the area, Treanor is now a student at General Theological Seminary. She returns to St. James as guest organist this Christmas Eve.

The team researched and led efforts to find just the right instrument for a small church with extraordinary acoustics. At one time it had been hoped that the Vocalion would be in place as early as last Easter, but restoration took longer than expected. The December delivery date, however, makes it the perfect Christmas present for the church.

“For a small church like ours, this is a huge undertaking,” said Mother Joan. It was an undertaking that included the efforts and goodwill of many people, including donations from parishioners and friends, fundraising events and a grant from the Bernice Gould Memorial Fund. Radio station WJFF FM also provided help, by lending recording equipment that was used to record the Vocalion’s sound and bring it back for the congregation to hear before they made the decision to purchase.

Another good neighbor that played a key role in bringing the organ to the church was the Delaware Valley Job Corps. Material handling instructor Thomas White and students Nia Tillman, Natasha Walls, Joshua Nunez, Eric Holder and Tomeshia Rivers worked for two days under the direction of Paul Carey and Peter O’Hearn of the Carey Organ Company to help bring in and install the organ.

“I cannot praise these young people highly enough,” said Mother Joan. “They’re intelligent, hard workers, and they were essential in getting this organ together. Tom White was the perfect supervisor, a very hands-on one. He led the way and had a great sense of humor.”

Invented in England, the Vocalion was introduced to America in 1885 and produced here until about 1910. It differs from traditional reed organs, operating on pressure rather than suction, and is characterized by enlarged tone and excellent pitch. It has the appearance of a small pipe organ.

The public is invited to hear the Vocalion at St. James each Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. On Christmas Eve, there will be a carol sing beginning at 7:00 p.m., followed by Holy Eucharist at 7:30. St. James is located on Route 17B, across from Roche’s Garage.

For more information call 845/887-4742 or 887-5454.