December 6, 2013

Silent Requiem


  When Even The Organ Refused To Play
(excerpt of an article written by Lee Van Blargan)
                              
      It was 2:00 P.M. on December 2, 1932. A great crowd had gathered in the First Reformed Church to pay their last respects at the funeral of their beloved choir director, Henry Deisel, Sr.  Grief was unmistakably written on the faces of the audience for this kindly man who for almost forty years had served as choir leader and who for many years had been a member of the Consistory.
      Everyone scheduled to have a part in the service was in place and then-- the mighty Skinner Organ refused to play! 
     This organ had faithfully accompanied the choir led by its distinguished director for many years and to some it seemed now as if the great instrument could not reconcile itself to the sudden loss of this inspired leader. Actually, of course, mechanical difficulties had caused this happening and soon a piano was substituted and the services proceeded...